This morning, NASCAR race fans will get their first look at the new track and pit facilities at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, but LUXE LIFE has the first photos from the private VIP party to celebrate the opening of Neon Garage, where fans are guaranteed fastest ever speeds, hitting 200mph and many more pit stops of car interaction! Ever since the NASCAR crews and drivers left town after the days of racing a year ago, construction crews have razed the infield, demolished the buildings and completed the major part of a nearly $400-million makeover. It's open for the first time today , just in time for the 10th anniversary. (Click here for our LUXE LIFE edition posted Monday this week for the advance rundown of all this weekend's activities).
It's already a sell out crowd of more than 160,000 in perfect sunny weather for one of the richest weekends in sports history. It provides a a billion-dollar boost to our economy which is far larger than the recent Super Bowl in Miami and the NBA All Star weekend here last month!

The world-famous Blue Man Group and recording star Uncle Kracker are just two of the entertainment offerings for race fans during the NASCAR Weekend. The Sirens of TI will burn up the stage at the brand new Neon Garage today opening day with three, heart-racing performances at 3, 4 and 5PM. The Blue Man Group, who performs nightly at The Venetian, will perform throughout the day Saturday and Sunday in the Neon Garage and present a 20-minute show on the pre-race stage prior to the start of Sunday's major 400.race. Uncle Kracker, famous for his remake of Dobie Gray's "Drift Away" and his duet with Kenny Chesney ("When the Sun Goes Down"), will play at 11:30AM on the speedway's midway stage on Sunday. Sierra Boggess, who plays the lead in Phantom of the Opera will perform the National Anthem on Sunday and country singer Darryl Worley, remembered for " Have You Forgotten" after the 9/11 tragedy, will sing it tomorrow . Rugged actor Mark Wahlberg and basketball star Magic Johnson are expected in the owner's suite overlooking the track for the big race and LUXE LIFE will have their viewpoints here on Monday.

I have the privilege of being emcee for the 267 lap, 400-mile event, and introducing all 43 drivers. Many have already told me that the changes and faster track at the Vegas speedway would be fantastic and challenging improvements for the sport. Speedway general manager Chris Powell talked with me about racing's biggest money-day in Vegas. "NASCAR has grown into the fastest growing sport in all of America," he said. "We are only behind the NFL as far as television ratings. Last year's event drew over $170 million dollars in one-time expenditures here in southern Nevada. That economic rollover computes somewhere to a billion dollar impact on the local economy. So everybody, locally, gets excited about it because it brings so many people to town; the beds, gaming tables, the shows and the restaurants are full. It is just a great weekend, not just for Las Vegas motor speedway, but also for southern Nevada, and the danger has a lot to do with it." Incidentally, the Las Vegas Hilton SuperBook has already set its odds to win and over/under finishing positions plus more than 30 different match-ups. Defending champion Jimmie Johnson is 6-1 to defend his title. Others include Tony Stewart 6-1, Jeff Gordon 10-1, Matt Kenseth 8-1, and Las Vegans Kyle and Kurt Busch are 18/1 and 25/1 respectively.

Owner Bruton Smith (below, left, with Chris Powell) told me at the VIP opening 36 hours ago: "I wanted to take it to the next level of fan interactivity, and no other sport in the world lets you get this close. It literally is being in the locker room! This has all turned out better than I expected. I love what I see. It makes me feel real proud to have everybody coming up and congratulating me. They love it. It is totally unique this puts us 10 years ahead of anybody else. We're in Vegas and we wanted to be part of what it's all about, so our new facilities match the city's glamour and excitement now. It revolutionizes the sport. It makes it more fan friendly. 12,000 people this weekend in the Neon garage area almost touch the drivers hands, watch over their shoulders as they work on their cars and that's important because its what we set out to achieve."

"Our new banking will increase the speed by about 18mph, there'll be above 200mph in places but the qualifying speed wile about 191mph. We have safe walls so we hope no more danger, but certainly a lot more entertaining for the fans. The turning radius is a little more than any other track although there are pother tracks with bigger banking than Atlanta and Texas. But there will be guys going through those turns going a complete lap without ever lifting their foot off the accelerator. On the straight aways there'll be getting above 200mph. We have the worlds best drivers for our Vegas racing weekend."

Chris continued: "We're tickled to death. It's turned out more spectacular state of the art and ahead of every other track in the world. It's the most dazzling makeover anywhere and in time for our 10th anniversary. The entire project we hd no idea it would be as nice as it is. Bruton's vision has been totally manifested. The fans now get something here unlike anything else in the world. The race fan always comes first. Let's give the fan to get close to the heroes of the sport while they are going about their business. The race fan is so close to the stars as they work; live and in person a few feet away. They'll be able to peer right into see Jeff Gordon, Dale Earnhardt Jr, Kyle Busch going about their business. It'll take some getting used to by the teams with the fans literally looking over their shoulders while they are tightening the engine parts. Fans will be able to come into the garage and look down at the cars, as a surgeon's class would be able to look down at an operation. They will be able to see Jeff Gordon come out and talk to his crew chief about what needs to be done to the race car and watch the race team work on the race car. It is going to bring a whole new element to Las Vegas. We will have created the most wonderful sports facility center anywhere and we'll do it in the greatest city anywhere."

"Speeds will increase but we're actually looking for the increased competition. The cars racing side by side for the lead; the increased banking won't increase danger aspect but will increase the really good close hard racing. Pole speed last year was 174mph and we'll see 188mph this year, but there will be speeds over 200mph on the straight aways. It'll be fast and some drivers will complain. Not about the speed, but they were comfortable here for years and years. I work for a man who says "When the drivers are happy the fans are unhappy when the drivers are unhappy, the fans are having a great time,' and they're sure going to have a better time in Las Vegas from now on."

"We have tremendous sight lines at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, wonderful backdrop, mountains on the Eastside of LV, and off in the distance the Las Vegas Strip. You have the fan from small town, USA that comes here to watch NASCAR and returns to the strip, to downtown and gets to enjoy all that Las Vegas has to offer, whether it is a show, the gaming, or the great restaurants that we have. It has got to be the number one attraction in all motor sports to come to Las Vegas for NASCAR weekend. There is no better place, no other city to get this."

Incidentally, this afternoon, the Madame Tussaud's wax models of Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Richard Petty will be unveiled out at the Neon Garage public opening and will remain there through the weekend before being moved to the Venetian museum on the Strip.

Tomorrow, it's the Sam's Town 300 race and then on Sunday when I emcee the drivers introductions we'll have singing of the Star Spangled Banner right in synch with split second timing as the U.S. Thunderbirds tight formation flying team from neighboring Nellis Air Force base roars overhead. It is a magical and emotional moment as the command "Gentlemen Start Your Engines," the four most famous words in motor sports, is given. Standing on the inside racetrack, talking to 160,000 outrageously enthusiastic fans and millions watching on the Fox Network worldwide is a pretty heady experience, but as impressive and as mind-blowing it is to realize that one single $170 million day of racing causes a billion-dollars roll out ripple to our economy you have to smile and say those " Good Ole Boys" from the South sure knew what they were doing outracing the cops in the days of Moonshine runs where NASCAR was originally born!

OTHER NASCAR NOTES

That was Vegas native Kyle Busch ( #5 Kelloggs/Delphi Chevrolet) flying high at supersonic speeds in an F-16 jet fighter with the Air Force Thunderbirds out of their Nellis base on Wednesday night. ... The QVC shopping channel will broadcast live today from Harrah's at 5PM for two hours with hero Mark Martin as featured guest on a" For Race Fans Only", shopping show. ... The next race after Vegas, the fourth in the Nextel Cup series, will be next weekend, March 19 from Atlanta Motor Speedway.

STARDUST EXPLOSION

If the rumors are correct the venerable old Stardust resort hotel casino will end its life and be blown up at 2am either Monday or Tuesday morning depending on weather and traffic conditions. As part of the ongoing mega-building boom here the razed property will then be turned into a giant $4-billion, 63-acre complex to be known as Echelon Place with as many as four hotel towers, in direct competition to MGM's 10,000 room City Center project already under construction between the Bellagio and the Monte Carlo. Click here for our LUXE LIFE lookback at the Stardust's history and its film credit as the hotel for the 'Casino' movie!

SHOWEST STARS

Hollywood's heroes and its stars of tomorrow are gearing up for next week's ShoWest convention, the largest annual convention for the motion picture industry. It is the only international gathering devoted exclusively to the movie business and the single largest international gathering of motion picture professionals and theatre owners in the world. It gets underway Monday and runs thru Thursday at the Bally's and Paris resort hotels. More than 5,000 members of the motion picture industry will attend with delegates from more than 50 countries around the world. Prolific producer Jerry Bruckheimer, who has the 'Pirates of the Caribbean' smashes, will make welcoming remarks on Tuesday and he picks up the Producer of the Year Award on Thursday night. Nancy O'Dell and Billy Bush from Access Hollywood will co-host that event and make awards to Quentin Tarantino, Director of the Year; Steve Carrell, Comedy Star of the Year, Kirsten Dunst, Female Star of the Year, Don Cheadle, Male Star of the Year, and Dane Cook for Breakout Performance of the Year. Emma Roberts will be presented with the ShoWest Female Star of Tomorrow award. Last year's honoree, Jennifer Hudson won an Oscar this year for her 'Dreamgirls' success. Emma will be seen as teen detective Nancy Drew in the family mystery adventure 'Nancy Drew' opening nationwide June 15, 2007. Although she's only 16 she's already had a startling movie career and played Johnny Depp and Penelope Cruz's daughter in 'Blow' out of her first ever audition. In addition to her big screen successes Emma has also starred for the past three years in the Nickelodeon hit comedy series 'Unfabulous.' Two major summer movies will also be premiered at ShoWest: married movie couple Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony will screen their salsa drama 'El Cantante' and Kevin Costner will show his new 'Mr. Brook's' film with Demi Moore, William Hurt and Dane Cook yet again!.

STRIP SCRIBBLES

Tennis world TV personality Murphy Jensen did an interview with Master Magician Lance Burton (seen above) after his show at the Monte Carlo and brought along tennis player Jaroslav Levinsky, who competed at the Tennis Channel Open held here last week up at the Darling Tennis Center. Levinsky, from the Czech Republic, said, "Lance Burton in unbelievable. He did amazing tricks for us right in front of our eyes. I was speechless when he even made Murphy disappear right beside me. Nobody's ever been able to do that!" ... Some of the cast of NBC's new hit 'Heroes' visited the Light Group venues here: Milo Ventimiglia, stopped by Light Nightclub at Bellagio to celebrate the a friend's birthday. He does not drink but ordered rounds of shots for his friends and was bombarded with kisses and hugs from Light's beautiful cocktail waitresses. Hayden Panettiere, the young blonde actress, dined at Stack Restaurant & Bar with her parents and boyfriend, 'Laguna Beach' star Stephen Coletti. They enjoyed Caesar salads and Executive Chef Brian Massie's signature Sea Bass dish. Also at Stack for two consecutive nights dining twice on rotisserie chicken was comedian David Spade while NFL stars Eric Dickerson and Michael Strahan enjoyed drinks at the bar. ... Former MTV star and late night TV host Carson Daly entertained his sister and a group of their friends to dinner at Stack dining on Hot Rocks and monstrous Cowboy Steaks before hitting the next-door JET Nightclub, where he sipped on Grey Goose and Red Bull in the club's VIP section listening to d DJ Roonie G and a special drum set by famed percussionist Ravi Drums. Now it's time for our weekly feature we've come to know and love as ...