Las Vegas Motor Speedway

With the glitz and glamour and bright lights of Las Vegas as a backdrop, Las Vegas Motor Speedway is considered one of NASCAR’s most spectacular, state-of-the-art facilities.

Located in Clark County, Nev., across from Nellis Air Force Base, the speedway opened in 1996. It played host to its first Sprint Cup race in 1998, with Mark Martin winning the inaugural event.

Later that year, Bruton Smith and Speedway Motorsports Inc. bought the 1.5-mile track from Richie Clyne and Ralph Englestad for $215 million.

In 2006, SMI reconfigured the track, adding progressive banking and increases the banking to 20 degrees in the turns.

The track is known, in part, for its Neon Garage fan zone and a host of Las Vegas celebrities and entertainment acts that visit the track during race weekends.

LVMS currently plays host to one Sprint Cup race per year, though Smith continues to lobby NASCAR for a second race.

The track’s success and influence in the Las Vegas community played a role in NASCAR moving its annual Sprint Cup Awards Ceremony to Las Vegas in 2009.