The talk among NASCAR fans at Las Vegas Motor Speedway recently was “a new track in Washington,” in particular, Marysville.

My wife and I were among thousands who boarded planes to Las Vegas to be part of the exciting NASCAR weekend. The average person took a conservative $1,500 out of Washington this weekend. For a weekend package, we spent $725 for two tickets for time trials on Friday, the Busch race on Saturday and the Nextel Cup on Sunday. Add in hotel, airfare, food, souvenirs and transportation. Many of the people we met on the airplane, bus, hotel or the track were from the Pacific Northwest; Marysville, Bellingham, Seattle, Bellevue, Federal Way, Wenatchee, Yakima, Spokane, Idaho and Montana are a few that come to mind.

Transportation is a major concern for NASCAR fans. We are patient but it must move smoothly. We used public transportation to avoid being caught behind the wheel in traffic, so we paid $25 for a NASCAR bus pass for the weekend. I would guess that close to half of the 160,000 fans used a bus system, public or from a hotel, which was a huge revenue generator for the public transportation system. Many public bus employees were very concerned that a positive, well-orchestrated image was projected for NASCAR fans. Local residents on the bus route to the track had “Welcome NASCAR” and “God Bless America and NASCAR” signs in their front yards! The mayor of Las Vegas, who spoke at open ceremonies, announced, “We want a second NASCAR race in Las Vegas.” Several people around us stood up and yelled, “Try telling Washington that,” and surprisingly many cheered in support of Washington.

NASCAR has become the largest spectator sport for both men and women alike, and chances are in the Pacific Northwest, if you are not a NASCAR fan, your neighbor is!

Marysville