Starting times announced for Las Vegas NASCAR Weekend

LAS VEGAS – The lights of Las Vegas will shine on the NASCAR Busch Series in 2006. A nighttime finish for the 10th running of the Sam’s Town 300 highlights the event schedule for the 2006 NASCAR Weekend at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. On Monday, speedway officials announced starting times for races and qualifying sessions for the March 10-12 event. The most significant changes from previous years involve the Sam’s Town 300. For the first time at LVMS, Busch cars will qualify and race on the same day. Time trials for the Sam’s Town 300 are set for 12:05 p.m. on Saturday, March 11 and the race will begin at 3:20 p.m. The late start of the Busch race should guarantee a finish under the lights. “We’ve run several successful NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series races at night here, but we’re looking forward to our Busch race finishing under the lights for the first time,” said LVMS general manager Chris Powell. “There’s an excitement level associated with racing at night that gets fans on the edge of their seats.” The NASCAR Nextel Cup event will start at 12:05 p.m. Pacific Time on Sunday, March 12. Qualifying for the UAW-DaimlerChrysler 400 is set for Friday, March 10 at 3:40 p.m. The Busch cars will practice on Friday and there will be two Nextel Cup practice sessions on Saturday morning prior to Busch qualifying.