GM- Set To Open an 11 acre test track in Las Vegas

[Fubar]

This will be interesting. I bet this will not be tailored to Hummer enthusiasts.

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Sahara to host GM test track near Las Vegas Strip
LAS VEGAS (AP) — A parking lot behind the Sahara hotel-casino will be converted into an automotive playground and the Strip's newest attraction with the addition of test tracks where would-be racers can take cars, trucks or SUVs for a spin.
Officials from General Motors, the Sahara and the Las Vegas Monorail announced a deal Tuesday that will lease the 11-acre lot to GM for a public test track.

"The Drive" could open by mid-March, offering licensed drivers the chance to drive GM vehicles on a high-performance test track or an off-road demonstration course for a fee.

GM also will buy theming and naming rights to the monorail's Sahara station, giving the rapid transit line a much-needed cash infusion and more potential riders.

Financial terms on the lot lease from the Sahara, the sponsorship deal with the monorail and construction costs for GM were not disclosed.

The test tracks will open for an initial six-month run.

The Drive is an outgrowth of AutoShow in Motion, a GM traveling test track that toured nationally and set up shop briefly at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway last year.

Drivers must at least 18 years of age, hold valid driver's licenses and pass alcohol breath tests before being allowed to drive accompanied by a professional driver, officials said. Fees have not been set.

As many as 15 GM vehicles will be available, including Corvette sports cars and Hummer sport-utility vehicles.

The proximity to the monorail's northernmost stop was key to the deal, allowing easy access for tourists staying at other Strip hotels.

Curtis Myles, the monorail company's president and CEO, hopes that the GM attraction will entice more people to ride the monorail.

"At the end of the four-mile service line, there will be this attraction that GM is setting up for us," Myles said.

The monorail deal will allow GM to decorate and rename the Sahara station for a six-month period, with multiyear options to extend the pact and advertise on monorail trains.

Such rights typically cost $2 million per year to name a station and $1 million annually to ad-wrap a train.

Last month, the monorail averaged just 23,448 riders per day, its lowest turnstile count since last February.

For the hotel, the arrangement dovetails with its marketing efforts. The hotel hosts a NASCAR Cafe and bills itself as a home for auto racing fans.

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Information from: Las Vegas Review-Journal, http://www.lvrj.com

Copyright 2006 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.