Jerry¿s Nugget Casino will host its 4th Annual Racer¿s Appreciation Car Show on Sunday, January 25, 2004 in the casino parking lot. The event is free to participants and spectators. The show is open to all vehicles that regularly compete at any of Las Vegas Motor Speedway¿s venues (the Bullring, The Strip, etc.) and to any motorsport enthusiast that just loves to show off their wheels. The show will feature classic vehicles, hot rods, trucks, motorcycles, street rods, classics, drag bikes, late models and more. All entrants will receive a gift pack, event t-shirt, and discount coupons for area businesses. The event will run from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway will honor its 2003 NHRA drag racing champions during its annual awards banquet on Saturday, Jan. 24, 2004, at 6 p.m. at the LVMS Clubhouse.

Tickets for the fourth annual NHRA SummitRacing.com Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway are now on sale. The event, which features nitromethane-burning dragsters dueling at 320-plus mph, is set for April 3-6, 2003. The NHRA SummitRacing.com Nationals is the first of two NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series events scheduled for The Strip in 2003.

The Budweiser Shootout, an all-star event that showcases the NHRA¿s best-performing Top Fuel teams, has a new home. The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway will host the popular event beginning Oct. 30, 2004 as part of the ACDelco NHRA Las Vegas Nationals.

Dan Nickelson of LaVerne, Calif., won the Nitro Coupe finale at the AutoZone Super Chevy Show at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway Sunday evening. The event featured all-Chevrolet -- or Chevrolet-powered -- drag racing and a car show.

Teams from Idaho and Las Vegas area dominated the three-day meet. Mark Kidd of Twin Falls, Ida., and Bob Coulter of Las Vegas won overall points championships in the Super Pro and Pro classes during the three-day Las Vegas Bracket Nationals at The Strip at LVMS.

Super Pro (Electronics) ¿ 7.50 sec. and slower, .5 full tree, open top bulb. ($5,000 to win each day.) Pro/Footbrake (Non-electronics) ¿ 7.50 sec. and slower, .5 full tree, transbrake permitted. ($1,000 to win each day.) Street/Sport Compact Trophy ¿ 12.00 sec. and slower, .5 full tree, DOT tires and mufflers required. Thanksgiving food drive -- Racers and fans are encouraged to bring non-perishable food items to The Strip during the Las Vegas Bracket Nationals. There will be two drop-off points: The Strip¿s officials¿ tower and at Ron Landram¿s hauler. The food will then be delivered to local charities for distribution to needy families.

The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway will host its next-to-last Titan Auto Insurance Midnight Mayhem of the 2003 season on Friday, Nov. 7. In addition to street-style racing, the X-Treme Mayhem Jam will feature a drifting exhibition, extended hours, $300-to-win bikini contest and live performances by Melanie Hines, BZ Collins, E-Mac and Edward Soul.

Hometown favorite Duane Shields is the No. 1 qualifier in TAD. Duane set the pace with a pass of 5.374 sec./270.00 mph. Currently, there are 19 competitors in the TAD class vying for Sunday's eight-car field.

The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway has converted its ¿Christmas Tree¿ starting system from incandescent bulbs to LEDs (light-emitting diodes) immediately following the third annual ACDelco Las Vegas NHRA Nationals Oct. 26. The National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) has utilized LEDs in its Christmas Tree at all 2003 POWERade Drag Racing Series events, beginning with the season-opener in Pomona, Calif.

Fred Hahn of West Seneca, N.Y., should head over to Von Smith¿s souvenir trailer and buy a t-shirt or two. Smith¿s victory over Thomas Patterson in the Prop Mod finale allowed Hahn to win the 2003 DRO/NMM Pro Modified championship by only five points. After Hahn¿s Summit-sponsored Corvette struggled in qualifying and failed to make the eight-car field, he and his team had to endure the eliminations to see if the title would land in their camp or Patterson¿s. Mathematically, Patterson had to win the final round to earn enough points to pass Hahn.

Two of three local racers and riders entered in Pro categories made the final cut Saturday evening to advance to first-round eliminations Sunday at the ACDelco Las Vegas NHRA Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Tony "Sarge" Schumacher -- 1999 NHRA Top Fuel World Champion and driver of the U.S. Army dragster -- is awaiting the birth of his second child, a son. While Mom is at home waiting to deliver, Tony earned No. 1 Qualifier status with a blazing night run of 4.529 sec./331.45 mph. Meanwhile, Funny Car points leader Tony Pedregon grabbed top honors after two rounds of qualifying and soon-to-be-retired Shirley Muldowney drew standing ovations each time her "Last Pass" Top Fueler pulled to the starting line.

NHRA POWERade Top Fuel champion Larry Dixon and his Snake Racing/Miller Lite team have won the 2003 NHRA POWERade championship title and would like to add a fourth straight win in Las Vegas. The Don Prudhomme-owned team is eager to revisit The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway site of this weekend¿s ACDelco Las Vegas Nationals.

For the first time in 11 years, John Force rolls into the next-to-last race of the season with no realistic chance of winning the NHRA POWERade Funny Car Championship. Nevertheless, down 177 points to Castrol SYNTEC¿ teammate Tony Pedregon as the tour moves this week to The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, the 11-time Auto Racing All-America selection is anything but dispirited about the likely end of the most incredible singular performance in sports history ¿ 10 consecutive series championships.

The battle for the DRO/NMM Pro Mod Cup, which goes to the driver who emerges from this weekend's NHRA AMS Staff Leasing Pro Mod Challenge with the most points, is down to the wire. As the final event on this year's NHRA AMS Staff Leasing Pro Mod Challenge schedule unfolds, Fred Hahn, from West Seneca, N.Y., driver of the Jim Oddy-owned Summit Racing Corvette, holds a slim lead over newly crowned IHRA Pro Mod champion Mitch Stott, from Mill Spring, N.C., in the Radiac Abrasives Corvette.

Race fans attending this weekend's ACDelco Las Vegas Nationals may need to take a little extra time to find Warren Johnson among the expected large turnout of Pro Stock competitors. Gone will be Johnson's trademark GM Performance Parts yellow paint scheme with the patriotic red, white and blue tail, replaced by a dramatic new look highlighting ACDelco's title sponsorship of this event.

With just two races left in the 2003 POWERade Drag Racing Series, the Funny Car championship will be won by a first-timer, either Whit Bazemore or Tony Pedregon. And, unless there's a major catastrophe between these two, John Force, although mathematically in the running, is not likely to win his 13th crown.

What a difference a year makes! One year ago at the 2002 NHRA ACDelco Las Vegas Nationals, David Baca, driver of the Henkelman & Baca American Racing/Waterloo Tool Storage/ Skill Clean Top Fuel Dragster, made his NHRA Top Fuel professional debut. The end result of that debut was the first, and thus far, only DNQ of his professional career. Since then the Brentwood, Calif., driver has been among the leading performers on the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series.

Micah Roberts sets the odds for the sports books at Station Casinos. Roberts has chosen two champions and one title contender as his favorites in this weekend¿s ACDelco Las Vegas NHRA Nationals. Larry Dixon has locked up the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series Top Fuel championship and is listed at 2/1. Greg Anderson, who dominated the Pro Stock ranks and earned the 2003 title, has been listed at 3/2. Tony Pedregon could clinch the Funny Car crown on Sunday and is Roberts¿ top pick at 3/1. Perennial fan favorite John Force, who will drive a Three Stooges 75th Anniversary Funny Car this weekend, is third at 4/1.

Complete schedule for the ACDelco Las Vegas NHRA Nationals, Oct. 20-27.

The Strip at LVMS utilizes a low-power FM transmitter in conjunction with its p.a. system. If you cannot hear p.a. announcements in the pit area, please tune your radio to our new frequency of 103.9 FM.

Congratulations to Las Vegas¿ Chris Naffziger, winner of Sunday¿s Race of Champions at the NHRA Division 7 E.T. Finals at Southwestern International Raceway (Tucson, Ariz.). Chris also won The Strip¿s 2003 Jerry¿s Nugget Championship Drag Racing Series Super Pro title.

The Strip will introduce the latest automotive craze ¿ drifting ¿ to Las Vegas with a special exhibition to be held Friday, Nov. 7. The exhibition will launch a six-event points series in 2004. This will mark the first time that a continental U.S. motorsports facility has offered a drifting competition program. Drifting consists of racing on a specially-designed road course while trying to maintain a controlled slide. Racers are judged on their lap times and sliding ability. The sport of drifting has attracted huge followings in Japan and Hawaii but it just starting to catch on in the U.S. Several venues in southern California have hosted independent drifting events but none have created a regular point-based program.

All venues at Las Vegas Motor Speedway are quiet this weekend as we prepare for major NHRA, AHDRA and Bullring events.

Don Kruse of Las Vegas won the NHRA National Dragster Challenge for the Outlaw Eliminator class at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway Saturday night. Kruse, driving the Kruse & Raymond Beretta, defeated Kenny Yeoman to claim the coveted NHRA "Wally" trophy. Although he was defeated in the first round of eliminations, Antonio Hite of Las Vegas earned enough points to claim the 2003 Jerry's Nugget Championship Drag Racing Series Outlaw Eliminator title. The points race ended as two-man battle for the crown. Carl Cannavo was second in points going into the final night of racing, but was defeated in the semi-final and lost to Hite by a mere three points.

Las Vegas¿ Leo Shaver, a past Jerry¿s Nugget Championship Drag Racing Series Motorcycle champion at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, won the GAME2003 Pro ET finale over Boulder City¿s Jason Whitenack. Shaver and Whitenack were the only local winners and runners-up during the final day of the Great American Motorcycle Experience.

Entry forms are now available for the 2003 Las Vegas Bracket Nationals to be held Nov. 14-16 at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The three-day event will pay $5,000 to the winner of the Super Pro category and $1,000 to winner of the Pro Bracket class each day. More than 250 participants competed in the 2002 edition of the event. Jim Bruns of Bremerton, Wash., won the weekend points honors in the Super Pro class and Mark Kidd of Meridian, Ida., captured the Pro title.

The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway will present its 2004 Blast-off Feb. 13-15. This event is the final opportunity for NHRA POWERade professional and NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Sportsman teams to test prior to the start of the 2004 season. The first two drag-racing Blast-off events have featured the debut of new body designs and paint schemes, last-minute licensing passes by new drivers and the final opportunity for many teams to grasp their tune-up packages.

Henderson residents Tristan Craig and Justin Lamb won final rounds of competition in their respective categories and also clinched season championships at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway Saturday morning. Craig, 10, defeated Jon Irving of Boulder City to win the Thunder class in The Strip's 2003 Shortline Express Markets NHRA Jr. Dragster Series. His victory also secured the championship in that division. Lamb, 16, defeated Steven Holmes of Henderson to claim Lightning division honors as well as the championship.

The Jerry¿s Nugget Championship Drag Racing Series took center stage at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway Saturday for a late-night points show following the second annual Back-to-School Monster Truck Bash. The next-to-last points race of the 2003 season concluded in a 4 a.m. Super Pro finale that was anything but a yawn. Carl Cannavo, a Queens, N.Y., native who grew up in the shadow of Shea Stadium, faced Speedway Children¿s Charities good guy Bob Farnum of Las Vegas. Both drove rear-engine dragsters with near-identical dial-ins. Cannavo made it to the finish line first and the "22 Hours of Vegas" was over. (The Strip opened at 6 a.m. on Saturday for Jr. Dragsters and was in operation for nearly a complete day.) Other winners included Nick Ariotti (Pro), Rich Winters (Street) and straight-line veteran Bill Dudley (Sport Compact). The Motorcycle final was not won by a bike, but a snowmobile. According to NHRA rules, snowmobiles may compete against each other or race with bikes. Bonnie Benner of Las Vegas brought a Polaris snowmobile, outfitted with a special rear track for driving on asphalt, and won the Motorcycle class.

2003 schedule for The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, including Jerry's Nugget Championship Drag Racing Series, NHRA, AHDRA and Titan Auto Insurance Midnight Mayhem events. Click on full story for complete(revised)schedule.

Local drag racers will participate in a charity Run-for-the-Money event during the second annual Back-to-School Monster Truck Bash on Saturday, Sept. 6 at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. All proceeds from the race will benefit The Las Vegas Chapter of Speedway Children's Charities. Racers will pay a $20 entry fee to participate and the Nevada Contractor¿s Insurance Company has donated three electric-powered pit scooters ¿ each valued at $200 ¿ for first-place prizes in each of the three categories.

Keith Livsey of Green Valley, Calif., ran 200 mph ¿ seven mph slower than his opponent ¿ to win the Top Eliminator class during the Labor Day weekend PSCA Edelbrock Nationals The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Mike Stewart, the weekend's No. 1 Qualifier, ran 207.43mph but Livsey got to the finish line first in heads-up competition. Other winners included: Matt Schmidt (Real Street), Bobby Frye (True Street), John Mihouetz (Pro Street), Rick Snavely (X-Treeme Street), Doug Sikora (Outlaw 10.5), Christopher Chow (Heavy Street), Casey Vantol (Wild Street), Al McGuinness (Open Comp), Henderson's Justin Lamb (Bracket 1), Bill Walloe (Trophy), Antonio Hite and Bill Webber (Outlaw Eliminator), Mike Saiki (Limited Street) George Mitchell (Hot Street), Jeff Klopp (F-Body Heads-up) and Aaron Crowe (F-Body Bracket).

As the traditional summer season comes to a close, The Strip's busy season kicks into high gear with a Labor Day Weekend spectacular. The Titan Auto Insurance Midnight Mayhem End-of-Summer Bash lights the fuse on Friday night, followed by the Pacific Street Car Association, Outlaw Eliminator Series and Short Line Express Markets NHRA Jr. Dragster Series on Saturday and Sunday!

BRACKET TEST N¿ TUNE / Titan Auto Insurance MIDNIGHT MAYHEM FRIDAY, August 15, 2003 SCHEDULE OF ACTIVITIES 4 p.m. - Test N¿ Tune Gates Open / Tech Inspection Begins 5:30 p.m. - Test N¿ Tune Staging Lanes Open 5:55 p.m.- Jr. Dragster Run #1 6:00 p.m. - Test N¿ Tune Begins 6:30 p.m. - Jr. Dragster Run #2 8 p.m. - Test N¿ Tune Credential Sales Conclude / Tech Closes 7 p.m. - Alcohol Funny Car / Dragster Test Run (1st of 2 sessions) 7:30 p.m. - Jr. Dragster Run #3 8:30 p.m. - Jr. Dragster Final Test Run 8:45 p.m. - Bracket Gambler Round 1 ($10 to enter ¿ lane 9) 9 p.m. - Alcohol Funny Car / Dragster Final Test Run 9:30 p.m. - Test N¿ Tune staging lanes close 9:55 p.m. - Test N¿ Tune / Bracket Gambler concludes 9 p.m. - Titan Auto Insurance Midnight Mayhem Credentials / Tech Opens 10 p.m. - Titan Auto Insurance Midnight Mayhem Street Racing 12 a.m. - Credentials / Tech Closes 2 a.m. - Midnight Mayhem Staging Lanes close

It'll be a case of "hello, hello again and goodbye" when the biggest names in professional drag racing converge on The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway for the third annual ACDelco Las Vegas NHRA Nationals Oct. 23-26.

Qualifying for the inaugural GM Performance NHRA Sport Compact Nationals at The Strip is complete. This national event for the NHRA Summit Sport Compact Series was to have opened the 2003 season here in March but was rained out. The summertime return of the series promises hot action both on and off the track! Click on the story for a complete schedule, prices and highlights.

Friday night's Titan Auto Insurance Midnight Mayhem was postponed due to severe thunderstorms in the area. The storm reached The Strip at LVMS just as Midnight Mayhem had begun. In the interest of public safety, the evening's racing was cancelled and spectators and racers were given the option of using their rain checks (wristbands for racers, tickets for race fans) for the Titan Auto Insurance Midnight Mayhem on Friday, July 25 (at 9 p.m., after the NHRA Sport Compact Nationals) or Friday, Aug. 8.

The summer heat wave has hit Las Vegas but it didn't stop the area's top bracket racers ¿ and some new faces -- from converging on The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway for Saturday night's Jerry's Nugget Championship Drag Racing Series event.

Los Angeles native Abel Ibarra is coming back to Las Vegas to compete in the inaugural NHRA GM Performance Sport Compact Nationals. The event, originally scheduled as the 2003 season's opening event on March 15-16, was rained out. Ibarra, currently in the top 10 in Pro Rear Wheel Drive points, needs a good showing at The Strip to boost his championship run.

The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway will be dark for the July 4 holiday weekend and will resume July 11-12 with a Test 'n' Tune session and Titan Auto Insurance Midnight Mayhem on Friday, followed by the Jerry's Nugget Championship Drag Racing Series, Hustlers Car Club cruise-in/show and Motorcycle Madness on Saturday.

Las Vegas Motor Speedway security guard Evert Sherwood passed away today at his home after a long, courageous battle with cancer.

The summer of 2003 will begin with a bang as The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway presents a special edition of Titan Auto Insurance Midnight Mayhem on Friday, June 20, at 7 p.m. The 2003 Summer Kickoff Party will include late-night street racing from 7 p.m.-2 a.m., a rave party with DJ Prism, a $500-to-win bikini contest, Insanevideos.com model search and a burnout contest. In addition, Euro Phi Psi will sponsor a cruise night at The Strip, featuring 21 car and motorcycle award categories. There is no increase in admission: $5 for spectators, $10 to race.

The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway is famous for its expansive pits, and that area will expand as work crews are paving an additional 46,000 sq. ft. this month. The paving will include both sides of the drag strip pits (which currently are gravel). The Strip also is paving the trackside RV parking spaces to provide a dust-free environment for campers.

Last year, Scott Machael of Las Vegas won The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway's NHRA King of the Track title. This year, it was dad's turn. Dwight Machael, Scott's father and The Strip's 2000 Sportsman champion, won Saturday's hotly contested NHRA King of the Track competition. The final-round winner in each class was placed in the King of the Track category and raced each other for the crown.

Only licensed drivers are permitted to operate any type of vehicle in the pits at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. This includes, but is not limited to golf carts, ATVs, scooters, bicycles, full-size cars and motorcycles. Participants may be required to produce proof of liability insurance for pit vehicles used at the track. The following are prohibited: roller-blades, skateboards, razor skooters and roller skates. Children who are caught riding any vehicle or skating device will be escorted back to their pit area by security and the vehicle will be held by security until the end of the evening. Anyone with repeat violations of the rule will be disqualified from competition.

Monster Garage TV show star Jesse James is famous for his outrageous mechanized creations, but this one may be his wildest ¿ and we saw it here first. James and his Monster Garage TV crew wanted to see how fast they could make a New York City hot dog vendor cart go, so they mounted one on a front-engine dragster and tested it at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway April 8. The hot dog cart dragster episode will air on The Discovery Channel on Monday, June 2, at 8 p.m.

The Pacific Street Car Association (PSCA) Innovative Turbo/Borg Warner Airwerks Memorial Weekend Shootout is now history and a surprise winner claimed the biggest prize. Jim Knight of Phoenix defeated favorite Ed Thornton of Chino Hills, Calif., in the final round of Tom's Differential Pro Street competition. On Saturday, Antonio Hite of Las Vegas defeated Mike Giordano for Outlaw Eliminator (Super Quick) honors. On Sunday, Carl Cannavo of North Las Vegas breezed to victory when opponent Joe Niswonger fouled at the starting line. Cannavo won the No. 1 Qualifier Award from Jerry's Nugget Casino on Saturday and Sunday. Las Vegas' Corey LeClair was declared Bracket 1 victor.

Ron Landram, whose '67 Camaro is aptly named "Eazy Money," scored $850 for winning the final round of Super Pro competition. It was the Las Vegas resident's first Super Pro victory of the 2003 Jerry's Nugget Championship Drag Racing Series. Landram now leads the Super Pro points -- by just one -- over Jeremy Rapp. Defending Motorcycle champion Leo Shaver performed his rendition of "deja vu all over again" with yet another two-wheeled victory. Alfred Sweeting claimed the Pro trophy, Bill Dudley won yet another Sport Compact title and Roger Keller aced the final round of Street competition.

The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway will be dark this weekend in preparation for the three-day Memorial Weekend Classic May 23-25. The holiday weekend begins Friday evening with a Test 'n' Tune session, followed by Titan Auto Insurance Midnight Mayhem ¿ The Strip's safe alternative to illegal street racing ¿ at 10 p.m. On Saturday, the Pacific Street Car Association (PSCA) and The Strip's Outlaw Eliminator class will hold qualifying runs from 5:30-11 p.m. The Strip will open at noon on Sunday with eliminations at 7 p.m.

Several drag racers who participate at the The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway will display their cars at the Cinco de Mayo Festival at Lorenzi Park in Las Vegas on Sunday, May 4, from 11 a.m.-6 p.m.

The All Harley Drag Racing Association (AHDRA) makes its first of two visits to The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway May 2-4. The all-Harley-Davidson drag-racing series features the nitromethane-burning Top Fuel class, capable of speeds in excess of 200 mph.

There has been a lot of discussion involving the official rule of driver eligibility ever since a 15-year-old with a Nevada driver's license won our opening Pro Bracket event. We¿ve received numerous calls from racers who have questioned the participant¿s eligibility. As a result of these questions, we felt it was necessary to provide a written clarification for anyone interested in this issue.

This weekend's drag-racing action at The Strip includes the Jerry's Nugget Championship Drag Racing Series, Titan Auto Insurance Midnight Mayhem, Short Line Express Markets NHRA Jr. Dragsters and a Test 'n' Tune.

The Jerry's Nugget Reaction Time Bonus Award -- a $25 casino gift certificate -- is earned by posting the best reaction time on a winning run during the first round of competition during a Jerry's Nugget Championship Drag Racing Series event at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Winners from the April 12 race meet at The Strip: Nick Ariotti (Street), Bob Moudree (Pro), Denise Sasser (Super Pro), Andy Lewis (Motorcycle) and Michael Dudley (Sport Compact).

Purses and awards for drag racing programs at The Strip.

The Southern California Super Eliminator Association will make its first appearance of the 2003 season at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Saturday night. The touring dragster group plans to donate all race profits to the Larry Winter Recover Fund. Winter, 52, suffered head injuries in a finish-line crash on March 30 during an NHRA Division 7 event at Tucson, Ariz. He remains hospitalized in the Intensive Care Unit in a Tucson hospital.

Larry Dixon (Top Fuel Dragster), Tony Pedregon (Funny Car) and Greg Anderson (Pro Stock) won final rounds of competition at today's NHRA SummitRacing.com Nationals at The Strip. Story includes results for local racers.

Larry Dixon, driver of the Miller Lite Top Fuel Dragster, set a new NHRA national speed record of 332.75 mph during the evening qualifying session at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Generally, national records are reserved for tracks at or near sea level. Las Vegas' 2,100-ft. altitude is not conducive to record-setting runs, since "thin air" usually fails to create the necessary horsepower. The Indianapolis native and his crew defied science and lit up the cool, windy night with a record pass that, in his own estimation, may not last long since a total of five professional category records were set during two rounds of qualifying.

Racing events in Las Vegas have become a gathering place for celebrities for the past several years. After next weekend¿s NHRA Summitracing.com Nationals, music superstar Kid Rock can add his name to that list.

Last year, the Las Vegas' George Marnell won the season-opener at Pomona, Calif. This year, he failed to qualify. In fact, the two-time winner has been shut out of the 16-car ladder at all three 2003 NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series events. Watching eliminations from a suite, instead of the seat of his Pontiac, is not his style.

Micah Roberts, oddsmaker for Station Casinos in Las Vegas, has spoken. Larry Dixon (Top Fuel Dragster), John Force (Funny Car) and Jeg Coughlin (Pro Stock) are Roberts' picks to claim final-round victories at this weekend's NHRA SummitRacing.com Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Hometown hero George Marnell is listed at 20-1 in the Pro Stock ranks.

Rhonda Hartman-Smith and teammate-husband, John "Bodie" Smith, will participate in Top Fuel Dragster competition at the NHRA SummitRacing.com Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway April 4-6.

Some of the NHRA¿s biggest stars have committed to appear at Las Vegas Motor Speedway¿s Club Nitro hospitality area during the NHRA Summitracing.com Nationals April 4-6. Club Nitro is a public hospitality area with meals served during set hours and driver appearances.

The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway has signed up as a participant in the Contingency Connection program for the 2003 Jerry's Nugget Championship Drag Racing Series.

Sunday's GM Performance NHRA Sport Compact Nationals at The Strip was cancelled due to rain. The race, including all NHRA Stylefest events, has been rescheduled for July 25-26.

The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway will present the Mean Machine Super Show March 22-23, featuring the Pacific Street Car Association (PSCA) and Outlaw Eliminator classes. Gates open at 8 a.m. each day.

Complete schedule for the fourth annual NHRA SummitRacing.com Nationals at The Strip, April 3-6. Event features the biggest names in professional drag racing in Top Fuel Dragster, Funny Car, Pro Stock, Top Alcohol Dragster, Top Alcohol Funny Car, Comp Eliminator and Sportsman categories.

The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway will host the opening race of the 2003 NHRA Summit Sport Compact Drag Racing Series. The three-day event, the inaugural GM Performance NHRA Sport Compact Nationals, will take place on March 14-16.

Entry form for the bikini contest to be held at the NHRA Summit Sport Compact Series event at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Five Las Vegas area racers won final rounds in their classes at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway during Sunday's Pro Nitro Nationals.

Officials at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway have announced a new program: Motorcycle Madness, a five-event series, will debut April 12. The series targets illegal street racers who compete on motorcycles on the roads of Las Vegas and Clark county.

While many other parts of the country shoveled snow, The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway opened its 2003 season under sunny skies. Ron Landram of Las Vegas won the top prize in Sunday's Bracket Free-For-All and The Strip honored its 2002 champions on Saturday night.

The Strip will honor its 2002 E.T. Bracket Racing Series champions at its annual awards banquet on Saturday, Jan. 25, 2003, at Surf City Bar & Grill.