The USAC Championship Car series held a race on the short-lived Stardust International Raceway in 1968.

In 1996, Las Vegas Motor Speedway was announced as a venue for the newly formed Indy Racing League.

In 2004–2005, the Champ Car series held a 400-kilometre (250 mi) race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Both editions were held under the lights on a Saturday night as part of the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series weekend in the fall.

The 200-lap IndyCar feature ended on lap 12 after a 15-car crash that claimed the life of fellow Sam Schmidt Motorsports driver Dan Wheldon.

[2] As a result of the incident, on December 8, 2011, Bernard announced that the IndyCar World Championships would not return to Las Vegas in 2012.