Chris Powell of Las Vegas Motor Speedway has responded to a letter distributed to professional nitro racers not attending the upcoming Nitro Blast Off, January 18 - 20, 2008 at the Strip in Las Vegas.

RELATED ARTICLE - NHRA NOT SANCTIONING VEGAS TEST 

Chris Powell of Las Vegas Motor Speedway has responded to a letter distributed to professional nitro racers not attending the upcoming Nitro Blast Off, January 18 - 20, 2008 at the Strip in Las Vegas. 

 

January 8, 2008

Dear Members of PRO:

The Top Fuel and Funny Car test session set for Jan. 18-20, 2008 at the Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway will be conducted as scheduled.

The track will be prepped to accommodate vehicles in the Top Fuel and Funny Car classes.  In the past, LVMS has conducted preseason test sessions in January strictly for vehicles in the Top Fuel and Funny Car classes, and in February we've staged test sessions meant primarily for the cars in the Pro Stock class.  Top Fuel and Funny Car vehicles no longer will be permitted to test during the February session (set for Feb. 1-2, 2008) that will be conducted for Pro Stock cars.  In the past, some observers had concerns that the racing surface had been "over-prepped" for fuel cars when it had been prepared for the Pro Stock class.

During the Jan. 18-20 test session, our vice-president of racing operations, Chris Blair, will be in communication with the crew chiefs and drivers as to the level of preparation on the LVMS quarter-mile.  Chris and his team have my full confidence.

As has been the case in the past, NHRA does not "sanction" such test sessions, nor does it oversee the test or provide safety personnel.  Safety personnel, also similar to past test sessions, will be supplied by LVMS employees who have completed safety training and are certified by both the SFI Foundation Inc. and NASCAR.  We have the utmost confidence in the LVMS safety team, which stands ready at hundreds of events each year at our speedway.

Our Nitro Blast-Off event has become the premier preseason test session in the sport.  Since 2002, we've seen the debuts of new teams, been the launching pad for safety and technical advances and helped a significant number of new drivers earn their competition licenses.  We've been able to accomplish this by paying attention to detail, providing the best racing conditions and making driver safety our No. 1 priority.

We welcome those of you who wish to test in January.  As always, we're available for questions or comments as the need arises.

Best of luck to all the teams of NHRA in 2008!

Sincerely,
Chris Powell
Exec. VP/General Manager
Las Vegas Motor Speedway