PRESS RELEASE: NASCAR renews agreement to hold awards ceremony in Las Vegas

NASCAR announced today that the annual NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Awards -- and all of NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Champion's Week --€“ will return to Las Vegas in 2015 as part of a renewed partnership with the destination. The agreement ensures that Las Vegas will continue hosting the week-long celebration, offering fans and industry members a chance to see the sport's stars and congratulate the 2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion.

The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Awards will headline NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Champion's Week at Wynn Las Vegas on December 4, 2015. The 16th annual DAYTONA Rising / NASCAR Motorsports Marketing Forum, hosted by SportsBusiness Journal, will kick off NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Champion's Week festivities at The Mirage on December 1-2.  

"We've had a great experience in Las Vegas and are very pleased to extend our partnership with the city," said NASCAR Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer Steve Phelps. "Las Vegas has consistently set the stage for a vibrant, exciting NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Champion's Week, when the sport looks back on the season and toasts its newest Champion."

NASCAR began hosting its premier series awards show in Las Vegas in 2009 following a 28-year run in New York City. Since then, the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Awards and Champion's Week has hosted events at over 30 venues along the famous Las Vegas Strip, drawing the sport's top drivers and an assortment of high-profile musical and celebrity guests.

"We are thrilled that NASCAR and Las Vegas will continue their strong and successful partnership as the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Awards and NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Champion's Week return for the seventh year," said Rossi Ralenkotter, president/CEO of Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority. "Each year this event gets bigger and better, and Las Vegas provides the ultimate backdrop to this unrivaled experience in the most exciting city in the world."

For the first time, the DAYTONA Rising / NASCAR Motorsports Marketing Forum will expand to a third day and make its debut at Daytona International Speedway on February 17, providing sports industry executives an inside look at the newly completed DAYTONA Rising project. The DAYTONA Rising / NASCAR Motorsports Marketing Forum has established itself as the premier event where thought leaders both in and out of the racing community gather to discuss, debate and share insights that impact the future of racing. Registration is required at www.MotorsportsMarketingForum.com, and more details on the agenda will be shared in the weeks and months ahead.

"We're very happy to expand our 2015 NASCAR Motorsports Marketing program to include a Daytona component on February 17, given how much excitement there is surrounding the DAYTONA Rising project," said Richard Weiss, Publisher of SportsBusiness Journal. "It's a win-win combination for attendees who will join in our December Motorsports Marketing Forum discussions in Las Vegas who will now also be able to get an insider's perspective on the Daytona International Speedway project."

The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Awards will air on NBCSN beginning at 9 p.m. ET. MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio will carry the awards show live at 8 p.m. ET.