Las Vegas native and NASCAR champion Kurt Busch headlined a special media luncheon on Friday, March 13, as excitement builds for the Pennzoil 400 Presented by Jiffy Lube at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
The luncheon, held at Joe's Seafood, Prime Steak & Stone Crab, featured a moderated panel discussion hosted by veteran broadcaster Doug Rice. Busch was joined by Patrick Lindsey, Vice President and General Manager of Las Vegas Motor Speedway, for a conversation with media about the continued growth of NASCAR in Las Vegas and the significance of hosting top-tier racing in the city.
Following Rice's opening remarks, the panel explored how motorsports is evolving in Las Vegas, the excitement surrounding NASCAR Weekend, and the deep connection between Busch and the local racing community. Media in attendance also had the opportunity to participate in a Q&A session and conduct brief one-on-one interviews following the discussion.
A former NASCAR Cup Series champion and Daytona 500 winner, Busch remains one of the most recognizable figures to come from Las Vegas. Growing up racing on the city’s short tracks, he has always carried a hometown pride to NASCAR’s highest level.
“Las Vegas will always be home for me,” said Busch. “To come back during NASCAR Weekend and talk about how far the sport and this city have come is really special. The support from this community has meant everything throughout my career, and it’s exciting to see the energy continue to grow around racing here.”
Lindsey echoed that sentiment, highlighting the importance of Las Vegas as the speedway prepares to welcome fans for one of its biggest events of the year.
“Being here in Las Vegas is great; it has helped make this experience even easier. This is the hospitality capital of the world, even before it became the sports and entertainment capital of the world, and to be able to host races here for our spectators and clients is a great advantage. It really makes this special. The Pennzoil 400 is special because of this city,” said Patrick Lindsey, Vice President and General Manager of Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
The media luncheon offered journalists a unique opportunity to hear directly from Busch and Lindsey and to preview storylines surrounding the NASCAR Cup Series race weekend in Las Vegas. Lunch was served following the discussion.
