Long Drivers of America (LDA) announced today that Las Vegas Motor Speedway will be the host venue for the Open Division finals of the 2013 RE/MAX World Long Drive Championship.
‘The setting is simply awesome,” said Art Sellinger, LDA Owner and CEO. “With the iconic backdrop of the Las Vegas skyline, there is not a more spectacular stage for the $250,000 winner-take-all finals live on Golf Channel. Our elite power hitters create ball speeds upward of 220 mph, roughly matched by the speed merchants at LVMS. It’s speed on speed for a cool quarter million dollars.’
‘We’ve always said we have the most diverse motorsports facility in the world, and hosting the finals of the RE/MAX World Long Drive Championships further illustrates that claim,’ said LVMS president Chris Powell. ‘We’ve had a lot of events other than racing, but this will be our first golf event. We really appreciate Art Sellinger and his team adding a unique twist to this very popular event and hosting it here at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.”
Sellinger said the championship tee would be placed in a section of seats that will accommodate thousands of fans. A special platform will be constructed in the grandstand on turn four approximately 75 feet above the track, setting up a straight shot to the natural grass infield. Finalists will be competing on a 50-yard grid that stretches well over 400 yards. The surface for the shootout will be an over-seeded rye grass that will be maintained by an area golf superintendent.
‘To have the open 8 finalists back under the lights in Las Vegas at this venue promises to be both exciting an memorable. It’s a spectacle that will have viewers and fans talking about for a long time.’ Added Sellinger.
“Like never before, the World Long Drive Championships will be a live primetime event and the Las Vegas Motor Speedway will provide a spectacular setting,” said Tom Knapp, Golf Channel’s Senior Vice President of Programming. “Golf Channel will be home to long drive programming throughout October, capped by the final 8 competitors squaring off under the lights with a life-changing $250,000 on the line for the winner.”
Players will begin their “Road to Vegas” at qualifying sites around the globe starting March 1-3 at LDA’s Desert Launch in Mesquite, Nevada. Regional and international qualifiers take place throughout the summer. More than 150 open division competitors will compete for the eight spots at LVMS in Mesquite on September 18-27.
“We’re pleased to host the 2013 RE/MAX World Long Drive Championship in two of the country’s premier golf destinations – Las Vegas and Mesquite – and to be able to showcase Southern Nevada across the globe through the new broadcast partnership with Golf Channel and NBC Sports,” said Julian Dugas, director of sports marketing for the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority. “The new format and the worldwide exposure bring the event to a whole new level, and there is no better destination to provide the excitement and energy for the fans and the elite power golfers than Southern Nevada.”
