Houston Track...poof? Dreams of the Houston Superspeedway opening in Alvin [TX] appear to be fading. Alvin Mayor Andy Reyes met last week with Tom Floyd, chairman and CEO of Star State Investment, the company that planned to build the racetrack on land near CR 51 at FM 1462. Reyes said the company hasn’t been able to come up with the equity the bank wanted for the project.(The Facts), the tracks website has been down for months.(4-1-2005)
Houston Work Started: Construction has begun on the Houston SuperSpeedway. Many different projects are underway to establish the infrastructure for the actual track construction. See images at the Houston SuperSpeedway site.(8-28-2003)
New Houston Track Sets Dimensions and will have full SAFER walls: the planned Houston Superspeedway. due to open on 2005, will be 1.367 miles in length, the front stretch will be 2,463 feet and the backstretch will be 2,103.61 feet. The width of the track will be from 68 to 75 feet. Banking will vary with the front stretch at 6 degrees, turns 1 & 2 at 17 degrees, the backstretch at 4.5 degrees and turns 3 & 4 at 14.7 degrees. The backstretch will be elevated approximately 14 feet above the front stretch. And something announced in June [oops] it was announced that the SAFER Wall System has been incorporated in the overall track design making the track the first on where the SAFER Wall System incorporated into the overall design.(see more at the Houston Superspeedway site)(7-25-2003)
Houston looking for races: Groundbreaking ceremonies for the new Houston Superspeedway were held April 22 without fanfare in Indianapolis. But the new track located 25 miles south of downtown Houston could have an IRL race when it opens in 2005. The link between the IRL and the 1.3-mile oval is IMS engineer Kevin Forbes, who designed the Houston track. Forbes also designed the Walt Disney World Speedway in Orlando and was a consultant on Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Pikes Peak International Raceway and California Speedway, each of which has had IRL races. Neither the IRL nor track officials are prepared to discuss future schedules this far in advance. "But I'd say with me being the designer, it looks pretty good," Forbes said. With 75,000 grandstand seats, officials of the Houston track will certainly lobby for some NASCAR representation, although there is no confirmation that it is part of Bill France Jr.'s long-range plan. The Houston track will be the first built with the SAFER barrier in mind, which means the system introduced by IMS in 2002 will be flush against the wall.(Indianapolis Star)(5-5-2003)
Houston Track Breaks Ground: Houston Superspeedway officials, along with Brazoria County officials, broke ground on the new racetrack to be placed between CR 51 and FM 1462 off Highway 288 near Rosharon [TX] Tuesday. Speedway officials say they are 30 days away from the start of construction on the track.(The Facts) and see a diagram of the track at the site: houstonsuperspeedway.com.(4-23-2003)
Houston Track News: Houston Superspeedway officials will pursue a sports authority created by Brazoria County [TX], and say chances of attracting a race are getting better. Steve Martin, vice president of Star State Investment, which is developing the speedway in Brazoria County, said he’d like to see a way for the speedway to capture a portion of the taxes generated by the development it could promote. Current law allows county commissioners to establish an authority. “A hotel would come out there and they would sell beverages,” Martin said. “There would be a tax on those beverages. There’s a chance to capture some of that tax to pay for the infrastructure.” Martin said the money would be used toward infrastructure supporting development around the track and wouldn’t go to the speedway itself. A law authored several years ago by then-State Rep. Kim Brimer, R-Fort Worth, allows counties to create a variety of funding mechanisms to fund sports authorities. Voters in the county involved must approve the authority first. Brazoria County Judge John Willy will meet with Star State officials next week to discuss the county’s options. Star State’s plans for the 2,800-acre site include a golf course, commercial development, a hotel and convention center, in addition to the 75,000-seat speedway. Recent news that NASCAR is considering moving several Winston Cup races that are struggling at the gates is a good sign, said Tom Floyd, Star State’s president. Floyd said NASCAR hasn’t even discussed moving Winston Cup races in the past. Martin agreed any movement in NASCAR’s crowded Winston Cup schedule is positive, but he said Winston Cup isn’t a prerequisite to success. “If you just do the research and find out what the other new tracks have gotten, they haven’t gotten Winston Cup the first year and they’re doing fine,” Martin said.(The Facts)(3-14-2003)
Plans for a proposed motor speedway south of Houston are shifting into high gear: Construction on the project in Brazoria County is expected to begin within two months, and the track could open for business by 2005, said Tom Floyd, chairman of Star State Investments, which is developing the facility. The track, which hopes to host NASCAR and Indy Racing League events, will sit on 2,800 acres southeast of Houston near Alvin along Texas 288 and FM 1462. About 1,300 acres and $100 million will be devoted to completing the 1.2-mile oval track. There are also plans to build a regional conference center, hotel and golf course on the site, which could push the total price tag above $300 million. Star State already has pumped $10 million into the project. The Texas-led consortium of investors cleared a major hurdle in December when the land was annexed by the city of Alvin. The track will be called Houston Super Speedway, although a search for a corporate naming rights partner is under way. The complex will include a 75,000-seat grandstand and between 50 and 60 luxury suites, Floyd said. A proposed second phase will increase capacity to 150,000 permanent seats.(Houston Chronicle)(2-3-2003)
More on the Houston track: Investors behind a proposed racing track that can host both Indy Racing League and NASCAR events say their facility has overcome major hurdles and could be open for business by 2005. Tom Floyd, chairman of Star State Investments, which has pumped $10 million into the project, said the project got a boost when the city of Alvin annexed the property devoted to the super speedway, Houston television station KRIV reported Tuesday. The track will sit on 2,800 acres southeast of Houston near Alvin. About 1,300 acres and nearly $100 million will be devoted to completing the 1.2 mile oval track. Construction is set to begin in two months. The goal is to have auto racing's sanctioning bodies test the track by 2004 and the facility open a year later. Houston resident and four-time Indy 500 winner A.J. Foyt said he is looking forward to the day the track opens. "It's great to see (Star State Investments) doing what they are doing getting some big major races in my hometown,'' said Foyt, who owns cars that race in the IRL and NASCAR. "I definitely would like to be a part of it and I will be involved in it some way.''(ESPN/AP), see past news on the track at my Houston Track News page.(1-30-2003)
Houston Racetrack: A Houston-based investment group is shifting plans into high gear on a motor speedway development south of Houston. Star State Investments, a group of eight mostly local businessmen, is quietly acquiring land surrounding the proposed Brazoria County speedway. Last summer, Star State purchased 2,700 acres of land in the area and announced plans to build a tri-oval, 1.76-mile speedway — as well as a regional conference center, hotel and golf course — on the site. Star State this month purchased an additional 96 acres, bringing the total amount of land the group controls to nearly 2,800 acres. The additional land was acquired to build a grand entrance to the planned complex. When the $100 million project was first announced last summer, it was scheduled to break ground by Fall 2002. Now, Martin says construction will begin this May. The racetrack will be called Houston Super Speedway, although a quest to bring in a corporate naming rights partner is under way. Initially, the facility will seat 75,000 patrons. A proposed second phase will increase capacity to 150,000 permanent seats. If all goes as planned, Star State expects the Houston racetrack to rival the Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth and the Kansas International Speedway in Kansas City, hosting sanctioned open-wheel and stock car races such as the Nascar series, Championship Auto Racing Team and the Indy Racing League.(Houston Business Journal - need to register to read)(1-27-2003)
Houston Track News: Official with Star State Investments, a Texas-based consortium, which has already purchased 2,700 acres of farmland near Rosharon, said construction a major speedway could begin as early as March [2003] and races could begin as early as the fall of 2005. Star State Chairman Tom Floyd said the entire complex will be named Brazoria Meadows and the race track, unless a company buys naming rights, will be called Houston Super Speedway. Martin and Floyd talked to city officials from across the county about the group’s plans for the speedway during the Brazoria County Cities Association meeting Wednesday in Oyster Creek. Floyd said the speedway, which will be built primarily for stock car and open wheel car races and have a 75,000-seat grandstand, will cost between $85 million and $90 million. The group has retained the MP Group of Birmingham, Ala., to assist in design and construction. Floyd said he hopes to have four or five major racing events at the speedway a year, and employ as many as 2,000 people on race days. Martin said the group is looking to sign three major racing bodies for events at the speedway, such as NASCAR and the Indy Racing League. The group is in the process of a drainage and traffic analysis. Floyd said several retention ponds will have to be built on the property for drainage purposes, but at this point he did not know how many. Floyd said a traffic study has been ordered and the group has a meeting with state transportation officials. The proposed speedway site is on land that fronts the east side of Highway 288, FM 1462 on the north and extends a mile south of CR 51. Floyd said there are preliminary plans to build an entertainment complex of some sort and there have been discussions of developing other parts of the property for businesses and a residential golf course community, but no concrete plans have been made.(The Facts)(9-22-2002)
More Houston Track News: Star State Investment, plans to build a stock car racing track that could bring in as many as 150,000 fans for a big race. Drawing a crowd of that size would require an affiliation with a racing network like NASCAR, and the track developers do not have a deal like that in place. But the developers say they will start the project with or without an affiliation with a racing circuit. Star State has just acquired 2,700 acres about 25 miles south of downtown, on the east side of Texas 288 and the south side of FM 1662. Veteran realty broker Pete Stewart of Pete Stewart Properties, which handled the sale, is hoping the racetrack will churn up a lot of other deals in Brazoria County. The master plan for the 2,700-acre development is being created, said Steve Martin, senior vice president of Star State Investments, a firm led by Houston race car enthusiast Tom Floyd. Martin said the racetrack facilities will take up about 1,000 acres, leaving 1,700 for other development. A golf course is also planned. The dirt excavated for the racetrack could be conveniently recycled for creating berms, hills and fairways for the golf course. The racetrack would have about 50,000 parking spaces, Martin said. The abundant parking would also enable the group to pursue theme parks or water parks, which need a large amount of parking. The developers expect to break ground in November and have the track open by late 2004 or early 2005. (Houston Chronicle)(7-21-2002)
Houston Proposed Track: haven't heard much on this in a while: Star State Investment Inc. purchased 2,700 acres of land and announced Tuesday its intention of developing a superspeedway along Texas 288 in Brazoria County [TX]. The company plans a privately funded, $100 million venue, with construction tentatively beginning in late 2002 or early 2003, said Tom Floyd, Star State's chairman and chief executive officer. The last time big-time racing was held in Houston was an appearance by the CART series in October 2001. Because of construction downtown, CART racing will not return to Houston this year. Floyd's track would be able to handle a NASCAR Winston Cup race, but the Winston Cup schedule is full, and NASCAR officials have said in the past they will not expand it. NASCAR officials could not be reached for comment Tuesday. The superspeedway would seat 75,000 people and accommodate 150,000 people, counting the infield. Floyd said it was premature to begin lining up races but isn't worried about the speedway going unused. Floyd said he is confident in the investment in a track that would be 25 miles from the heart of the nation's fourth-largest city. A former marketing officer for Pennzoil, Floyd has met many people in the racing business. He said he has a leg up on the competition because he knows the sport.(Houston Chronicle)(7-17-2002)
Houston Track News: Cities across the nation are racing to be part of NASCAR's fast track to success, but Houston appears to be a lap behind. Two local businessmen are working to try to build a superspeedway in Houston that could host a NASCAR Winston Cup race. But the two major track builders in the United States -- Bruton Smith's Speedway Motorsports Inc. and NASCAR's International Speedway Corp. -- say the city is not in their immediate plans. International Speedway Corp. also has no plans to build in Houston in the near future. Also mentioned: The only thing that could open up the Winston Cup schedule would be for the series to split into two leagues, similar to major-league baseball. That idea was proposed by Smith, but NASCAR has no plans of making such a drastic change in the near future. See full story at the Houston Chronicle(7-22-1999)
Houston Track? Bobby Wayne, a Houstonian who says he has the resources he needs to build a major motor speedway in Houston. He held a news conference this week in the Astrodome parking lot to announce his plans to build a $500 million sports and entertainment complex that will have a super speedway as its anchor. He expects to break ground in 3-4 weeks after an environmental study of the land is completed. Wayne has purchased land on Highway 288 between Fuqua and Beltway 8 where he wants to build the facility. The preliminary drawings call for a two-mile oval that would include a three-mile road course through the infield. The facility would have 100,000 seats, 142 luxury suites, a 500-room hotel, a 27-hole golf complex, a row of restaurants and an amusement park(Houston Chronicle Archives)(6-16-1999)
Houston Track? Where is NASCAR going next? Houston, Texas. Mark it down. Lesa Kennedy, daughter of William C. France, was part of a delegation that cased the joint (the nation's fifth largest market) recently. Apparently Texas will be the latest skirmish in the cold war between International Speedway Corporation (the France family) and Speedway Motorsports Inc. (Bruton Smith) for (NASCAR) world domination. A Houston incursion might be seen as an invasion of Smith's turf, seeing as how the Charlotte tycoon built the speed palace north of Fort Worth and that track draws heavily from Houston and other parts of Texas. Smith has repeatedly sought a second date at his Texas track. ISC's Houston interest might explain why it has not been granted(SpeedNet/Monte Dutton)(5-4-1999)
