LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — For the first time in more than a year, NASCAR fans are back in the stands at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway. And they are happy to be back.
"After coming for so long, you'd think you'd get a little burned out of it but I missed it," said Rick Olson of Santa Rosa, California. Olson said he's been coming to the speedway for races for more than 20 years.
Delaina Wilson said she's been coming out here for motorsport races since before NASCAR even arrived in Las Vegas. She said after a long year in the pandemic, being able to camp in the Geico RV park is a welcomed experience.
"It's like letting us out of a jail to come and spend time with our friends," said Wilson.
Blake Reagan and his dad CJ have been going to NASCAR racestogether since Blake was 6, only missing four years when Blake was deployed as a Marine. COVID-19 threw a wrench in their tradition but as soon as tickets were released, they snagged two.
"We bought out tickets not even knowing if we were going to be able to come. So to get the word that we were able to come out and camp out here and see all the races, it's awesome," said Reagan.
While everyone we spoke to in the Geico RV park plans to watch the weekend's races from the stands, across the Speedway on the RV hill, Joe Gandolfol and his crew don't plan to move a muscle, as their RV is parked looking out over the track.
"Actually they give us tickets but we've never used them," Gondolfol said, with a laugh.
"Why would we want to go sit over there when we can sit here and drink our own beer?"
