TRACK OWNER WANTS NASCAR AWARDS DRIVEN TO VEGAS: A big-wheel racetrack owner wants to drag the Nextel Cup awards ceremony from the Big Apple to Sin City:

David Caraviello of NASCAR.com revs up news that Burton Smith has been lobbying the racing organization to move the annual end-of-year party from New York to the warmer climate of Las Vegas.Smith is the chairman of Speedway Motorsports, a group that operates seven racetracks used in the Nextel Cup competition - including the Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

According to Caraviello, Burton wants to “move the thing to Vegas, put it in a huge arena, open the upper level for fans and turn it into a motorsports version of the Grammys or the People’s Choice Awards.”However, Caraviello argues against the idea, calling Sin City “conquered territory”, and supports the show’s stay in New York, as a way to keep NASCAR in the minds of Manhattanites.

With Wednesday’s attempt at a racing reminder closing streets and causing traffic delays, many NYC commuters won’t easily forget.

BIG APPLE DRIVERS SOURED OVER NASCAR TRAFFIC JAM: New York commuters were taken for a ride, as a NASCAR appearance backed up traffic even worse than usual:

The NEW YORK POST reports Manhattan motorists were delayed by over an hour Wednesday morning, as NASCAR held its Victory Lap promotion. Drivers like Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson wound their way through Midtown, closing off streets to other vehicles trying to get to work.The event also took place on the same day as the annual lighting of the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree, adding to the city’s gridlock woes.

Of course, the drivers didn’t seem to mind. The SAVANNAH (GA) MORNING NEWS raced down this reaction from Carl Edwards: “It’s neat to be able to drive a race car through downtown New York. That’s pretty cool. It’s cool to see all the people amazed at what’s going on.”And cool to see all the people flipping you off, since you’re holding up traffic.

FATHER OF ALLISON STOKKE WORRIED ABOUT UNSAVORY CHARACTERS, EVEN THOUGH DEFENDING THEM IS HIS JOB: The family of Allison Stokke is a bit wary of the internet attention the high-school vaulter has been receiving lately:

However, as WITH LEATHER points out, it’s hard to believe you want out of the spotlight when you appear on the front page of the Washington Post and on Fox News.

There are lots of unsavory characters out there, but dad Allan should know how to deal with them, since his job as a lawyer requires him to defend such folks.

In some of his legal actions, Al helped a cop get off who was accused of getting off on a motorist.And during the trial of a teacher accused of having sex with 3 of her students (one was only 11 at the time), he argued, “Where was she when *I* was 13?“