ORIGINAL 3-3-2017

Las Vegas is close to getting a second top-tier NASCAR race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority board of directors scheduled a special meeting Wednesday to consider an annual $2.5 million sponsorship agreement with NASCAR that would include the addition of a fall race at the speedway.

Since 1998, NASCAR has had a Las Vegas race, usually in March. This year's race, the Kobalt 400, a part of the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup race series, is March 12.

--- Las Vegas Review Journal ---

The question would be? which of Speedway Motorsports race tracks would give up a race date (Atlanta, Bristol, Charlotte, Texas, New Hampshire, Sonoma, Kentucky)

UPDATE 3-3-2017

NASCAR issued a statement from Jim Cassidy, senior vice president of Racing Operations and NASCAR Event Management, that said: "We are constantly working with promoters to discuss and develop NASCAR schedules. We have not finalized any schedules for 2018 or beyond, but will announce them as they become final."

Las Vegas Motor Speedway, which has hosted one Cup race a year since 1998, issued a statement that read:

"All of the information regarding a potential sponsorship opportunity between Las Vegas Motor Speedway and the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority can be found at www.lvcva.com. When there is more information to provide, we will do so subsequent to the LVCVA Board of Directors meeting on March 8."

--- NBC Sports ---

UPDATE2 3-5-2017

The chief executive officer of Speedway Motorsports Inc., describes the chances of a second NASCAR Cup Series race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway as "always a possibility.''

When pressed if Las Vegas could get a second Cup date for 2018, Marcus Smith told NBC Sports on Sunday: "You just never know. The schedule is something that we're always working on. But there are a lot of moving parts. A lot of dominoes that kind of have to fall into place."

Questions about a second Cup date for Las Vegas emerged after a Las Vegas Review-Journal report Friday that stated the track is close to landing an additional Cup race.

Cup tracks are in the second year of five-year sanctioning agreements with NASCAR. That doesn't prevent track companies from moving dates.

Speedway Motorsports Inc. owns Las Vegas Motor Speedway, along with Atlanta, Bristol, Charlotte, Kentucky, Texas, New Hampshire and Sonoma. If it decided, SMI could decide to move a race from one of its tracks to Las Vegas to give it an additional track, pending NASCAR approval.

--- NBC Sports ---

UPDATE3 3-8-2017

After years of teasing, pleading and politicking, Las Vegas Motor Speedway is on its way to hosting a second NASCAR Cup race in 2018.

Las Vegas Motor Speedway has scheduled a press conference for 5:30 p.m. ET Wednesday to make a"special announcement.'' The press conference will be held 30 minutes after the board of directors of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority meets to approve a sponsorship agreement that would pay the track $2.5 million a year for seven years to promote two Cup races at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

-- NBC Sports --