Las Vegas Grand Prix

Number of times held
 First held
 Most wins (drivers)
 Most wins (constructors)
 Circuit length
 Race length
 Laps
 Last race

The **Las Vegas Grand Prix**, currently known as the**Verizon Wireless Las Vegas Grand Prix** for sponsorship purposes, is an auto race held in the Las Vegas-area on-and-off since 2007. It was first staged at a temporary street circuit surrounding the Fremont Street Experience in Las Vegas. The race returned 10 years later in 2017 at a temporary street circuit on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada.

The event was left off of the 2008 and 2009 calendars, removing it from competition for the next five years. The race was included on the 2017 calendar on a new 2.67-mile (4.3 km) street circuit that passes by multiple tourist attractions, hotels and casinos leading to the circuit earning the nickname of "The Tourist Trap." This layout was extended to 3.47 miles (5.58 km) for 2018 and 2019.

The event was left off of the revised 2020 calendar due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the logistical issues with establishing a street circuit on short notice. The race was scheduled to return in 2021 on a new street circuit surrounding Allegiant Stadium but these plans were shelved and the race was not held in 2021. It will return in 2022 on a new temporary circuit at Henderson Executive Airport, called the Las Vegas International Autodrome.

## History

The Las Vegas Grand Prix debuted in 2007 as a support event for the Champ Car Vegas Grand Prix on a temporary street circuit surrounding the Fremont Street Experience. The 2.440 mile (3.927 km) circuit was popular with fans and the 60-lap, 146.4-mile event was expected to become a regular feature for the ASCRA Formula Series (AFS). Despite these hopes, the event was left off of the 2008 calendar as well as the 2009, removing it from competition for at least five years. 2009 marked the first time the AFS featured a set schedule that would be reviewed every four years. The 2007 edition of the race was won by the Dutch driver Broos Alexander for Team Ligier.

 File:Fremont circuit.png
The event was left off of the 2013 calender, but was included on the provisional 2017 calendar with the race scheduled for the original Fremont Street circuit. The 2017 calendar was made official on July 10, 2016, and the Las Vegas Grand Prix was included for the first time in ten years.

The 2017 edition of the race took place on a new street circuit on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada. This new circuit was slightly longer than the previous one at 2.67-miles (4.3 km). For the 2018 race the circuit was extended to 3.47 miles (5.58 km). The track's pit straight takes the cars down the Las Vegas Strip towards the left-hander of Turn 1, just past the Bellagio resort and fountains. The track goes through a short chute and 90 degree section before opening up down the straight towards the High Roller Stadium section, taking the drivers around and under the support structure of the High Roller ferris wheel. After a short straight, there's a double 90-degree corner section, named for the Sands Expo and Convention Center the track surrounds. Turns 8 and 9 are sweeping left-right turns before the cars quickly brake for Turn 10 past The Palazzo hotel and Turn 11, past Wynn. The track opens up heading into Turn 13 past the Trump International Hotel before heading into a slight esses section. Cars head uphill through turns 15 and 16 as the track thins out for turns 17 and 18 past The Mirage and back onto the main straight. It is the only street race the ASCRA Formula Series runs under the lights at night.

The event was left off of the revised 2020 calendar due to the COVID-19 pandemic and logistical issues with establishing a street circuit on short notice. The race return to the calendar in 2021, although a new circuit surrounding Allegiant Stadium has been proposed.

## Ten-year hiatus

The Las Vegas Grand Prix was dropped from the 2008 Lucas Oil Series calendar as well as the 2009 four-year calendar. Promoters for the race cited finanical struggles with staging the race without Champ Car who were not returning to Vegas in 2008. ASCRA had made it clear they wanted a race back in Las Vegas and a Grand Prix scheduled for a circuit at the North Las Vegas Airport was included on the 2013 provisional schedule but ultimately left off of the official calendar. The provisional 2017 calendar featured a race scheduled for the original Fremont Street circuit. The 2017 Las Vegas Grand Prix was made official on July 10, 2016, with the new Las Vegas Strip circuit being previewed at the announcement.

## Official names

* 2007: Las Vegas Grand Prix
* 2017–2019; 2022: Verizon Wireless Las Vegas Grand Prix