LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — NASCAR kicked off race weekend in Las Vegas with its hauler parade on the Strip Thursday night.
A long line of 18-wheelers transported the race cars up Las Vegas Boulevard and, ultimately, to Las Vegas Motor Speedway as spectators lined the sidewalks.
The nearly 20-year tradition was a neat experience to witness for racing fans in and out of Vegas. I caught up with some of them at the start line outside the Luxor when the semi-trucks began their route at 6 p.m.
"You get to cheer for your own driver as he's rolling by with the hauler there," Canadian tourist Steve said. "It's spectacular."
"It's our first time in Vegas," Canadian visitor Monique said. "The lights and everything make it pretty worthwhile and pretty exciting to say the least, so put NASCAR on top of it, and it's pretty cool."
Valley locals also made the trip as they gear up for one of two Las Vegas NASCAR weekends of the year.
"It's very cool, it's a great experience," Vegas resident Eran said.
"I liked NASCAR since I was a little kid. To see this and see everybody come down here and check it out, it's a thrill."
"So exciting," said Michele, who has lived in Vegas for over 20 years.
"It's unbelievable to come down here with the lights and the trucks, it's just awesome to see and great for Vegas."
Race weekend begins at Las Motor Speedway on Friday with practice and qualifiers, followed by more practice, qualifiers, and the XFinity Race Series on Saturday. The main event, the Pennzoil 400, gets off to the races on Sunday at 12:30 p.m.
