Head2Head: Second race to Darlington or Vegas?

The bright lights of The Strip, the atmosphere, the racing -- if any track currently with just one race deserves another, it's Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

NASCAR belongs in Vegas, it's that simple. Each weekend the sport tries to put on a show and Vegas is more than willing to oblige. Why do you think the Cup awards banquet is moving from stuffy New York to Sin City? Because it will be a spectacle, which is exactly what Vegas provides.

Drivers love the track, especially now with the added banking that allows for side-by-side racing and multiple grooves. Fans love the race because it's about the only intermediate-style track that isn't a snoozefest with cars riding around in circles.

Vegas equals excitement. Vegas equals drama. Vegas needs to be seen twice.

Sure, Darlington has history. Sure, Darlington has two nicknames -- both no reason to reward the track with a second date. And if we are looking at history, didn't the track recently have two races?

The Lady had her chance and she couldn't keep up with the times.

I'm all for history and nostalgia. It's important to remember where you came from. But this isn't the '60s or '70s anymore. NASCAR is NOT just a Southern sport no matter how many want it that way. To succeed you have to move forward, not backward -- so in the immortal words of Elvis: "Viva Las Vegas!"

In a world where new is in demand, I prefer the classics. Give me Wrigley and Fenway, a Stingray and a Fastback, The Stones and The Doobies. The only "throwback" track on the schedule is Darlington and we need to return a second date to the rightful owner.

Today's NASCAR bears little resemblance to that of yesteryear. The cars are vastly different and although the good ol' boys are still good, the "ol'" is all but gone. Wilkesboro is just a memory and The Rock is gathering plenty of moss.

Darlington oozes classic racing: fast, narrow and borderline out of control. Remember Craven vs. Busch? Now that's classic. We've stripped the sport of its history enough already -- why give a second date to a city that's more into "sin" than speed?

A handful of tracks have monikers, but how many can say they have two? The Lady in Black is definitely the track Too Tough to Tame -- it's earned a reputation throughout the years and rightfully so.

Dale Earnhardt said, "You never forget your first love, whether it's a high school sweetheart, a faithful old hunting dog or a fickle race track in South Carolina with a contrary disposition. And, if you happen to be a race car driver, there's no victory so sweet, so memorable as whipping Darlington Raceway."

NASCAR -- born and raised in the South -- has sold its soul to the western world ... time to do tradition and the fans a favor and return a morsel to its roots.