Republicans visit Richard Petty Driving Experience at LVMS: U.S. Sen. John Ensign, R-Nevada, brought his Battle Born Classic fundraiser to the Richard Petty Driving Experience at Las Vegas Motor Speedway today. Ensign is chairman of the Battle Born PAC (political action committee) and his decision to add a 160-mph racing experience to the golf tournament and reception was a popular one, especially with Congressman Jim Talent, R-Missouri. That was cool — really neat, exclaimed Talent, who is challenging for a U.S. Senate seat in his home state. I enjoyed the experience. It was awesome, said Ensign, who drove an RPDE stock car around Las Vegas Motor Speedway’s 1.5-mile oval I’m ready to come back (to the school) for the next level. It was scary — a thrill — yet you feel safe. I know that’s a contradiction, but to feel the power of the engine under the hood… Ensign explained why he added motorsports to the Battle Born Classic, a fundraiser for Republican candidates who are challenging for U.S. Senate seats. We were looking for something that would be unique, Ensign said. Everybody does golf tournaments. This is the experience of a lifetime for these people. They’ll be talking about it when they get back to Washington and they’ll still be talking about it a year from now. Since we added the Richard Petty Driving Experience at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, participation from Washington has doubled, and we expect it to double again next year, said Battle Born PAC Director Mike Slanker.(LVMS PR)(5-30-2002) (5-29-2002)
