Misplaced Pages

#602397

35-566: It was built on the site of a 1950s horse and automobile racetrack named Las Vegas Park and later the Las Vegas Park Speedway . It was developed by businessmen Moe Dalitz , Allard Roen , Irwin Molasky and Merv Adelson . The 18-hole golf course was completed in the fall of 1967, followed by the completion of a 44,000-square-foot (4,100 m) clubhouse in April 1968. The clubhouse architect

70-419: A stock car division from 1956 to 1984. * The inaugural season featured two subtitles: Pacific Coast (won by Sam Hanks ) and Short Track ( Troy Ruttman ). From 1958 until 1962, USAC sanctioned a road racing championship. It was held for sports cars from 1958 to 1961, and adopted Formula Libre rules in 1962. TORC: The Off-Road Championship was founded in 2009 by motocross racer Rick Johnson and it

105-564: A common points structure for a season-long championship. The 2012 season did not award a national champion, however the respective regional champions were honored at USAC Night of Champions. National Champions Regional Champions USAC started the Speedway Motors Lightning Sprint National Championship in 2017 for local tracks running Lightning Sprint cars. The points format counts the 12 best races at USAC sanctioned tracks. Pirelli World Challenge ,

140-665: A relatively peaceful co-existence, with USAC continuing to sanction the Indianapolis 500 and no other Championship car races, and CART including the race in its schedule between other CART-sanctioned races. USAC continued to sanction the Indy 500 until 1997, when the Indy Racing League (itself product of the second American open-wheel split in 1996) terminated the sanctioning agreement following two consecutive officiating controversies that year; subsequent Indy 500s (and IRL races, as USAC

175-438: A second lap wreck. The track's only NASCAR event was held at the 1-mile dirt track on October 16, 1955. The 43rd event for the season was scheduled for 200 laps. The race was won by three-time USAC stock car champion Norm Nelson after darkness shorted the event to 111 laps; it was his only NASCAR win. He led the final 106 laps in a Chrysler owned by 1955 championship owner Carl Kiekhaefer . Nelson won

210-446: A variety of ways. The inaugural championship, 2005, was decided by a two-race series (one dirt, one pavement). Subsequent national champions were determined by a single "national championship race" held at various locations. This format was used until 2010. In 2011, a points system was instituted to determine the national champion. Counting only a drivers twelve best finishes, the system allowed drivers from multiple regions to compete under

245-624: A while there was a separate series of specifications for championship cars designed to be run on dirt, rather than paved, tracks. Today, USAC sanction open-wheel racing series such as the Silver Crown Series, National Sprint Car Series , National Midget Series , and Quarter Midgets . The "triple crown" is earned in USAC racing when a driver claims all three national championships (silver crown, sprint car, and midget car). Only two drivers, Tony Stewart (1995) and J. J. Yeley (2003), have achieved

280-741: Is occupied by the Westgate Las Vegas , Las Vegas Convention Center , and part of the Las Vegas Country Club . United States Auto Club The United States Auto Club ( USAC ) is one of the sanctioning bodies of auto racing in the United States. From 1956 to 1979, USAC sanctioned the United States National Championship , and from 1956 to 1997 the organization sanctioned the Indianapolis 500 . USAC serves as

315-588: The GT World Challenge America and Porsche Sprint Challenge North America under the newly formed Road Racing Division under the direction of Randy Hembrey . Beginning in 1971, all dirt races were split from the National Championship. From 1971 to 1980, the series was named "National Dirt Car Championship", then renamed "Silver Crown Series" in 1981. * As of the end of the 2022 season From 1956 to 1960, USAC's National Sprint Car Championship

350-659: The LPGA Takefuji Classic on the LPGA Tour from 2003 to 2006. The club was sold in 2018 to Samick Music Corp. This golf club or course-related article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . This article about a sports venue in Nevada is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Las Vegas Park Speedway The Las Vegas Park was a horse and automobile racing facility in Las Vegas , Nevada . It

385-498: The Le Mans disaster and the death of Bill Vukovich at Indianapolis as contributing factors, both the SCCA and NASCAR were mentioned as its potential successor. Ultimately, USAC was formed by Indianapolis Motor Speedway owner Tony Hulman . It became the arbiter of rules, car design, and other matters for what it termed championship auto racing , the highest level of USAC racing. For

SECTION 10

#1732855114603

420-719: The Western States Midgets in 1982 utilizing the same cars & engines that race in the USAC National Midgets. The series solely races on dirt ovals across California and Arizona but in past raced on pavement ovals as well. The series does run co-sanctioned races with USAC's National Midget Series (including the historic Turkey Night Grand Prix race) and the Bay Cities Racing Association Midgets. Champions Source: USAC sanctions several regional 360 c.i.d. non-wing sprint car series across

455-473: The sanctioning body for a number of racing series, including the Silver Crown Series, National Sprint Cars, National Midgets, Speed2 Midget Series, .25 Midget Series, Stadium Super Trucks , and Pirelli World Challenge . Seven-time USAC champion Levi Jones is USAC's Competition Director. When the American Automobile Association (AAA) withdrew from auto racing after the 1955 season, citing

490-489: The Indy 500. After 1983, however, the Gold Crown schedule would consist of only one event per season (Indy 500), and the Gold Crown title would be regarded largely as ceremonial. The winner of the Indianapolis 500 would be the de facto Gold Crown champion, as it was the lone points-paying event. The title and the "series" were retired after the 1994–1995 season with the advent of the Indy Racing League . USAC featured

525-570: The United States on both dirt & pavement oval tracks. With exception to the engine, the cars used are the same as National & Western States Midget cars. The powerplants currently used are 4-cylinder production-based engines with stock internal dimensions to save costs for competitors. The series started out as a spec engine class, originally with Ford supplying their Zetec engine from 2002 to 2012, and then HPD supplying their K24 engine starting in 2013. National Championship The Speed2 Midget Series National Champion has been determined in

560-419: The amount of fuel that could be used. Finally, most car owners banded together to form Championship Auto Racing Teams (CART) in 1978, with the first race to be run in 1979 . USAC tried unsuccessfully to ban all CART owners from the 1979 Indianapolis 500 , finally losing in court before the race began. Both the USAC and CART ran multi-race schedules in 1979. Indianapolis Motor Speedway president John Cooper

595-772: The country. USAC's West Coast Sprint Car Series was launched in 2009 by Santa Maria Speedway promoter Chris Kearns, and joined forces with USAC in 2010. The West Coast series primarily races at tracks across California while also having special event races in Nevada. USAC's Southwest Sprint Car Series was launched in 1991 as the Arizona Sprint Car Racing Association. The series joined forces with USAC in 2012. The Southwest series primarily races at tracks in Arizona, Nevada and New Mexico while also having special event races in Arkansas, Kansas & Oklahoma. The Southwest series

630-448: The death of Indianapolis Motor Speedway owner Tony Hulman. The plane crash came at a time when Indy car owners and drivers were demanding changes from USAC. Aside from the Indianapolis 500, USAC events were not well attended, and the owners felt that USAC poorly negotiated television rights. The owners also wanted increases in payouts, especially at Indy. Though some think the plane crash was used as an opportunistic way to force change in

665-419: The first day and the board of directors closed the track for two weeks after the third day to replace the ticket booths. The track was rapidly losing money, so the board closed after operating 13 days. It opened back up in 1954 to host quarter horse racing but closed after seven weeks. Three major auto racing event were held on the track. In 1954, an American Automobile Association (AAA) Champ Car event

700-659: The inaugural championship, topping runner-up Levi Jones by 14 points. As of 2013 it has been known as the Mike Curb "Super License" National Championship Award. USAC national drivers champions On April 23, 1978, returning from a race at the Trenton Speedway in New Jersey , eight USAC officials, plus the pilot, were killed when their 10-seat Piper Navajo Chieftain crashed during a thunderstorm 25 miles southeast of Indianapolis . Killed were: The incident closely followed

735-427: The race by two laps. USAC held a 250 lap USAC Stock Car race which it co-sanctioned with Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA) on November 29, 1959. The race was shortened to 147 laps on account of darkness; Fred Lorenzen won the race after starting from the pole position . 16 of 35 starters finished the race. The board decided to destroy the track. It divided the land into four parcels and it

SECTION 20

#1732855114603

770-442: The same year. USAC had awarded a national championship until A. J. Foyt won his seventh title in 1979. It has announced that it will begin awarding a national championship starting in 2010. A driver's best 25 finishes are counted toward the championship and the 2010 winner received $ 40,000. Points are accumulated in the three national series: sprints, midgets, and silver crown. Bryan Clauson of Noblesville, Indiana claimed

805-634: The series. The USAC also sanctions the American Rally Association , Nitro Rallycross , King of the Hammers and Great American Shortcourse . Starting in 1981, USAC scaled back their participation in Indy car racing outside of the Indianapolis 500. The preeminent national championship season was instead being sanctioned by CART . USAC developed a split-calendar season, beginning in June, and ending in May with

840-456: The sport, it was merely an unfortunate coincidence. The seed of dissent had been growing for several years before the accident, and claims the crash was an immediate cause for the 1979 CART/USAC "split" are considered for the most part unfounded. Also unpopular were the attempts of USAC to keep the aging Offenhauser engine competitive with the newer, and much more expensive, Cosworth DFX engine using boost-limiting "pop off valves" and limiting

875-447: The triple crown in a single season. Six other drivers, Pancho Carter (1972–78), Dave Darland (1997–2001), Jerry Coons Jr. (2006–08), Tracy Hines (2000, 2002, 2015), Chris Windom (2016, 2017, 2020), and Logan Seavey (2023-2024) have claimed each of the three championships at least once in their careers. In 2012 Mike Curb and Cary Agajanian became the only car owners to win the triple crown by winning all three championships in

910-511: Was Julian Gabrielle; the golf course designer was Edmond B. Ault. Amenities include two pitching and chipping greens, a 9,500-square-foot (880 m) putting green, Indoor and outdoor tennis courts, racquetball, swimming pool and a complete exercise facility. The club served as the host for the Las Vegas Invitational golf tournament between 1983 and 1991, and also hosted events on a rotational basis from 1992–1995. The club also hosted

945-774: Was also involved in IRL's racing-related matters up to that point) were sanctioned by the IRL itself, which was renamed the IndyCar Series in 2003. Since 2022, the United States Auto Club has sanctioned the USF Juniors , USF2000 Championship , and USF Pro 2000 Championship series, which serve as a ladder series to Indy NXT, along with the Radical Sportscars North American Championships, Skip Barber Racing School , as well as continued sanctioning of

980-489: Was appointed by a federal judge to run the track. Smoot remained indicted until he was found dead in a hotel room two years later. On September 4, 1953 the track was opened named the Las Vegas Jockey Club. Ticket booths and tote boards did not work properly and only one entrance discouraged customers. Customers had to wait one hour in traffic to park and some went home without attending. 8200 customers attended in

1015-596: Was built to be a horse racing facility and it held single races in NASCAR Grand National Series , AAA, and USAC Stock cars before it was demolished. It opened as the Las Vegas Jockey Club . Joseph M. Smoot hitched a ride from lawyer Hank Greenspun to get from New York City to Las Vegas. He claimed to have helped build tracks in California and Florida which turned out to be untrue. The track

1050-542: Was built to be a major horse racing facility on the south side of Las Vegas. Smoot funded the track by convincing 8000 shareholders to give him $ 2 million. "Old Joe knew a track wouldn't have a chance and he said so when he came here in 1946," Greenspun later said in his biography. After the construction was delayed well past its original opening date, Smoot published an apology in a local newspaper. Smoot and two others were charged with felony embezzlement after he could not provide receipts for missing $ 500,000. A trustee

1085-636: Was divided into two regional divisions in the Midwest and the East. * As of the end of the 2020 season The USAC/CRA AMSOIL Sprint Car Series debuted in 2004 utilizing the same cars and 410ci engines that race in USAC's AMSOIL National Sprint Car Championship at dirt oval tracks across California and Arizona. The series also features combination races with the AMSOIL USAC Sprint Car National Championship. Champions Source: USAC started

Las Vegas Country Club - Misplaced Pages Continue

1120-420: Was held at the track, followed by a 1955 NASCAR Grand National race. The final race was a United States Auto Club (USAC) Stock Car event in 1959. The American Automobile Association held its final Indy Car race of the 1954 season on November 14. The 100-mile (160 km) event was won by season champion Jimmy Bryan . 16 cars started the race and six of them were unable to return after being involved in

1155-671: Was instrumental in forming a joint body of CART and USAC with the creation of the Championship Racing League in March 1980. However, in mid-1980, Cooper forced USAC to renounce their agreement with the CRL if they wanted to keep officiating the Indy 500. After USAC's attempt at a 500-mile race at Pocono Raceway  – which was boycotted by the CART teams, forcing USAC to fill the field with silver crown cars – USAC and CART eventually settled into

1190-670: Was put on hold after the 2019 season and has not made its way back into the sport since then. USAC and URC Sprint Car Series promoter Curt Michael joined forces to create the USAC East Coast Sprint Car Series, with the first season beginning in 2018. Champions USAC formed the Speed2 Midget Series (formerly known as the Ford Focus Midget Series, Ignite Midget Series and HPD Midget Series) in 2002 with several regional divisions running across

1225-489: Was started in 1990 and switched to USAC sanctioning in 2017. The championship currently races on road and street courses across the United States and Canada with seven different classes for GT cars & Touring cars. Founded by WC Vision, the series is presently owned by SRO Group . The Stadium Super Trucks series was founded in 2013 by former NASCAR driver Robby Gordon . It is sanctioned by USAC, though Gordon and sponsorship marketing company The Elevation Group co-own

#602397