NASCAR fans, who were patient with the rain Friday, got their “need for speed” fix on Saturday.
And with all that adrenaline rush, there is a lot of money being spent in Las Vegas this NASCAR weekend.
“You can't describe the excitement and the feelings you get when 43 cars go by and 800 horsepower and the roar,” said Carl Hilbush who has a large RV parked in the infield.
He and his wife along with friends paid $1,100 for a spot. They say to be there in the middle of the track is worth every cent.
“We're up close; we're up close to the track. It’s just a whole different experience,” Hilbush said.
His wife, Dionne Ducote says they wouldn’t have it any other way.
“We love our spot. We picked an obviously nice spot. We have great neighbors. We all share. you know if you need something, you can always go to your neighbor and say hey you know you have ice or if you're out of something, and the track takes excellent care of us,” Ducote said.
Fans are expected to pour $240-million into the Las Vegas economy this weekend. The Beers’ of Upstate New York are part of the pulse. They say they probably have spent about $5,000 on this trip. And they have loved Las Vegas.
“Worth every penny, yup. It’s something you save up for, yup. We've been to several tracks and so far I like this one the best,” said Fred Beers.
“It's the closest we've been able to get to the drivers,” said Elaine Beers.
And apparently they aren’t the ones. It’s helping to drive sales of souvenirs, especially t-shirts, caps and jackets. Fans can’t get enough.
“If you're a diehard NASCAR fan you're gonna. You're gonna want to spend the money for your driver and enjoy all the drivers because they are very friendly. You can go up to any one of their booths and they will sign their autographs,” said vendor Trish Jorgensen.
NASCAR fans are living it up in Las Vegas and loosening up their wallets for an experience that drives their passion.
