| Location | Las Vegas,Nevada |
|---|---|
| Opened | September 4, 1953 |
| Closed | 1959 |
| Former names | Las Vegas Jockey Club |
| Major events | AAA, NASCAR, USAC |
| Surface | dirt track |
| Length | 0.99 mi (1.6 km) |
TheLas Vegas Park was a horse and automobile racing facility inLas Vegas, Nevada. It was built to be a horse racing facility and it held single races inNASCARGrand National Series, AAA, and USAC Stock cars before it was demolished.[1] It opened as theLas Vegas Jockey Club.[1]
Joseph M. Smoot hitched a ride from lawyerHank Greenspun to get fromNew York City to Las Vegas. He claimed to have helped build tracks inCalifornia andFlorida which turned out to be untrue.[1] The track was built to be a major horse racing facility on the south side of Las Vegas.[1] Smoot funded the track by convincing 8000 shareholders to give him $2 million.[1] "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.[1] After the construction was delayed well past its original opening date, Smoot published an apology in a local newspaper.[1] Smoot and two others were charged withfelonyembezzlement after he could not provide receipts for missing $500,000.[1] Atrustee was appointed by a federal judge to run the track.[1] Smoot remained indicted until he was found dead in a hotel room two years later.[1]
On September 4, 1953 the track was opened named the Las Vegas Jockey Club.[1] Ticket booths and tote boards did not work properly and only one entrance discouraged customers.[1] Customers had to wait one hour in traffic to park and some went home without attending.[1] 8200 customers attended in the first day and the board of directors closed the track for two weeks after the third day to replace the ticket booths.[1] The track was rapidly losing money, so the board closed after operating 13 days.[1] It opened back up in 1954 to hostquarter horse racing but closed after seven weeks.[1]
Three major auto racing event were held on the track.[2] In 1954, anAmerican Automobile Association (AAA)Champ Car event was held at the track, followed by a 1955NASCAR Grand National race.[2] The final race was aUnited States Auto Club (USAC) Stock Car event in 1959.[2]
TheAmerican Automobile Association held its final Indy Car race of the 1954 season on November 14.[3] The 100-mile (160 km) event was won by season championJimmy Bryan.[4] 16 cars started the race and six of them were unable to return after being involved in a second lap wreck.[4]
The track's only NASCAR event was held at the 1-miledirt track on October 16, 1955.[1] The 43rd event for the season was scheduled for 200 laps.[1] The race was won by three-timeUSAC stock car championNorm Nelson after darkness shorted the event to 111 laps; it was his only NASCAR win.[1][5] He led the final 106 laps in aChrysler owned by 1955 championship ownerCarl Kiekhaefer.[5] Nelson won the race by two laps.[5][6]
USAC held a 250 lapUSAC Stock Car race which it co-sanctioned withAutomobile Racing Club of America (ARCA) on November 29, 1959.[7] The race was shortened to 147 laps on account of darkness;Fred Lorenzen won the race after starting from thepole position.[7] 16 of 35 starters finished the race.[7]
The board decided to destroy the track.[1] It divided the land into four parcels and it is occupied by theWestgate Las Vegas,Las Vegas Convention Center, and part of theLas Vegas Country Club.[1]
36°08′06″N115°08′43″W / 36.1350°N 115.1454°W /36.1350; -115.1454