Nascar in Vegas

Along the strip in Vegas there are pedestrian bridges built at all major intersections. People walking in Vegas pay no attention to traffic signals. We see it all the time where a family with a baby in a buggy walk against a red light.

Wednesday morning we went back to the mall to buy some Christmas gifts for our kids. On the way home (walking over the bridge from Fashion Show to Treasure Island) we saw a billboard at the Palazzo mentioning Nascar. I saw 3:30, Beth saw 2:30 but we didn't catch anything else. The billboards change frequently and it can take a long time before the ad comes up again. We decided to come back the next day at 2:30 to see what was happening.

At 3:30 they were closing the Strip (something that is never done) and the drivers were driving from Mandalay Bay up to Fashion Show where Jimmie Johnson was going to do some burnouts. They would then travel back to Mandalay Bay.

When we arrived at 2:30 people were already lining the street. We went out around 3 and were close-only one row of people in front of us. We didn't think we were going to be outside and just had on long sleeve shirts. It was freezing!! There was a cold wind blowing and the temperature wasn't warm to start.

The people in front of us jumped up on the barrier to the street so we could look between their legs. Jimmie came down the strip and started his burnouts. When he was done he parked his car. OOPS. He blew the engine.

The other drivers were sitting not knowing what to do. Jimmie jumped on the back of a truck and a flatbed came in to get his car.

Mark Martin must have been sitting in his car wondering why Jimmie hadn't done that in one of the previous races.

The other drivers just did the U-turn and started down in the other direction until the end when Carl Edwards did a few burn outs. Then Brian Vickers came around the corner and we were sure they would hit but they didn't.

You can read more about this from a reporter who rode with Jimmie in his car.