Powell tries to lure NASCAR banquet to Vegas

UPDATE #3 The NASCAR Nextel Cup Series banquet will return to New York City for the 27th consecutive year in December, NASCAR Vice President Jim Hunter confirmed Friday.

01/24/07 NASCAR is considering moving its annual Nextel Cup awards banquet from New York City to Las Vegas and the change could occur as soon as this season, The Charlotte Observer has learned. Mark Dyer, NASCAR's vice president of licensing, was among NASCAR and Las Vegas Motor Speedway officials who met in December with the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority about the possibility, multiple sources said Tuesday.

Also Tuesday, NASCAR's vice president for racing operations, Steve O'Donnell, told NASCAR Scene that the site of this year's awards banquet had not been finalized. NASCAR officials were not immediately available for further comment. Asked Tuesday if the awards banquet would be held in Las Vegas this year, Bruton Smith, owner of the Las Vegas track said, "I hope so. That's certainly where it needs to be.