Vegas SuperNationals On The Move
| 28 October 2014 |
| Tweet | |
This year's famous SKUSA SuperNationals will be the last to be held in the carpark of the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas.
The organisation has inked a deal to move the annual race to 'The Vegas Strip' and the world-renowned Las Vegas Convention Center.
This years event (Nov 19-23) will be the 18th edition of the meeting, which has been held at the Rio since 2008.
“We are beyond excited to begin early preparations for the new location for SuperNationals XIX,” stated Superkarts! USA CEO Tom Kutscher.
“The Las Vegas Convention Center hosts some of the largest events in the world. The location is no stranger to motorsport and automotive events, regularly playing host to the SEMA and Motor Trend International Auto Show. The venue is substantially bigger and logistically accommodating, and will allow us to do things that we have been unable to do in the past.”
The Superkarts! USA SuperNationals were first held in 1997 at the Race Kart City Raceway, located just south of downtown Las Vegas directly alongside Interstate-15. For five straight years, the event was the national shifterkart championship event. In 2002, then SKUSA CEO Jim Murley relocated the event into the city thanks to a new connection with the popular Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino and this was a two-year stint on the hotel grounds. SKUSA then moved the event out to Sam Boyd Stadium on the eastern edge of the Las Vegas area from 2004 to 2007. Current SKUSA CEO Tom Kutscher was able to bring the growing event back to the Rio in 2008, where it has remained until next year in 2015, as the organization prepares a move to the Las Vegas Strip.
The parking lot of the Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC) is at least 30% larger than the lots that are utilized at the Rio, allowing for more overall space to include the track and the paddock area. This could equate into more space to allow more teams and more entries in the future. Without any physical limitations built within the parking lot, Superkarts! USA will have the ability to more easily change the layout each year the SuperNationals returns to Las Vegas.
One major benefit with the move is a new partnership with the Riviera Hotel and Casino as the host hotel for the 2015 SKUSA SuperNationals. An iconic facility located on the Las Vegas Strip, the Riviera holds more than 2,000 hotel rooms, the R Steak & Seafood restaurant, Wicked Vicky Tavern, a 24-hour café and plenty of options in the large food court. The Riviera’s entertainment options include outstanding shows and performances nightly and the hotel features more than 100,000 square feet of casino space. Nightly rates will be very affordable and will be less than previous SuperNationals. Overall, the move will make the entire event more affordable for those participating or attending as a spectator.
While the 2014 SuperNationals will be the primary focus of the organization for the next two months, plans for the 2015 version are slowly being developed with the goal of making the 20th edition of the race the "biggest and baddest event in the history of the sport".
On November 18-22, 2015, the 19th annual SKUSA SuperNationals will be held at the world-renowned Las Vegas Convention Center.
