Jayski's® NASCAR Silly Season Site - Texas Motor Speedway News Archive

TEXAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY NEWS ARCHIVE

Texas World Speedway sits silently during testing ban: With the news that NASCAR has banned testing at its sanctioned tracks for its three national series in 2009, a few people wondered if that might mean increased curiosity in Texas World Speedway, which last hosted a Cup event in 1981. But if Sprint Cup teams have shown increased interest in testing at the 2-mile oval that is a carbon copy of Michigan International Speedway, they haven't made that known to track president Bill Mather, who hadn't even considered the idea of NASCAR teams visiting College Station until he read a recent magazine article about the testing ban. "I have been focusing on the testing business but the Autoweek story was the first time I ever thought about NASCAR," Mather said. "NASCAR's a different world to me. I've never met anybody affiliated with NASCAR. I'd like to. But I've been focused in on the road racing world. None of [the Sprint Cup teams] have set foot on the track, I can tell you that much."
Built in 1969 and repaved in 1993, Texas World Speedway mainly hosts regional sports-car events, testing for Star Mazda and American Le Mans Series teams and driver education courses. However, a portion of the superspeedway -- particularly 22-degree banked Turns 3 and 4 -- were unsuitable for high-speed testing because of bumpiness. But Mather said a recent 35-foot wide, 2,200-foot long grinding of the track surface in those areas has hopefully corrected those flaws. "Our oval will be hopefully test ready [by the first of the year]," Mather said. "We've just finished grinding [Turns] 3 and 4, which allows us to run our Grand Prix course, also. Turns 1 and 2 are in pretty good shape. The problem is that our Grand Prix course runs Turns 3 and 4. When the grinding company came in, they said to us, 'This is really good asphalt. It's amazing how good this asphalt is for its age.' And that made me happy, because I can't justify the cost of repaving it." Mather said some spot grinding was also done to Turns 1 and 2. This week, a process known as asphalt rejuvenation will be applied to the banking, a section of the road course and the paddock area.
NASCAR ran eight races at Texas World Speedway between 1969 and 1981. Three of Richard Petty's 200 career victories came on the 2-mile oval situated approximately 100 miles northwest of Houston. In 1980, Cale Yarborough won a 400-mile race that featured no caution flags. Also, Mario Andretti set the world closed-course speed record at 214.158 mph while qualifying for an IndyCar event in 1973, a record that stood for 12 years.(NASCAR.com)(12-19-2008)

Texas adds 'Burnout Alley" for RV's; Downsizes: Texas Motor Speedway President Eddie Gossage unveiled a $2 million capital improvement project for the auto racing facility that will transform the upper half of the backstretch area into a lavish motorcoach area known as Burnout Alley. Burnout Alley will consist of 74 expansive sites with numerous amenities that will make it the ultimate destination for fans traveling and entertaining in their motorcoaches for NASCAR and IndyCar Series race weeks. Each gated courtyard will be 30x60 feet and include full service hook-ups for water, electric and live race feeds; concierge service that will include grocery shopping; catering options; free wireless internet and 24-hour restroom access. The ticket package for each race week will consist of 10 VIP passes for Burnout Alley; 10 pre-race passes for each NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race; 10 pit/infield passes; two access passes for The Speedway Club; 10 souvenir event programs; and three reserved parking spaces nearby. Each site in Burnout Alley will sell for $15,000 annually for an entire Texas Motor Speedway race season that consists of a pair of NASCAR weeks and one for the IndyCar Series. The project has a targeted 75-day construction period, which would have a projected completion date for Burnout Alley of early to mid-March. The construction of Burnout Alley will eliminate approximately 21,022 seats on the backstretch and reduce the capacity in that section from approximately 30,850 to 9,850. The overall seating capacity for Texas Motor Speedway will move to approximately 138,100 [was 154,861], which still ranks among the largest sports facilities in the United States. For additional information or to reserve a 2009 site in Burnout Alley, please contact Texas Motor Speedway at (817) 215-8518 or visit the speedway website at www.texasmotorspeedway.com.(TMS PR)(12-1-2008)

Fort Worth, TX, speedway strike deal on natural gas revenues: Fort Worth, Texas City officials have reached a tentative agreement to split the estimated $40 million to $50 million to be gained from natural gas drilling beneath Texas Motor Speedway. Under the deal, the city-owned Fort Worth Sports Authority would use the bonuses and royalties to pay off an estimated $15.5 million that the city owes Speedway Motorsports Inc. for building the track. Once the debt is paid off, Speedway Motorsports would get 75% of the royalties and Fort Worth would get 25%. Fort Worth would be able to keep $350,000 a year that it had been paying from a special tax district toward its debt. Speedway Motorsports would be required to spend its share on public improvements at the track, including improvements to adjacent roads. The deal breaks a deadlock over who will benefit from drilling at the track. The arrangement would last until the bonuses and royalties total $50 million, at which point the sports authority would turn over the mineral rights to the speedway.(Fort Worth Star Telegram)(11-14-2008)

Woman hit by stray bullet at Texas NASCAR race UPDATE: A NASCAR fan in her recreational vehicle at Texas Motor Speedway was wounded by a stray bullet after someone apparently fired a gun into the air, police said. A bullet suddenly pierced through the motor home's roof Sunday morning before the Dickies 500 race, hitting a woman in the right arm, relatives said. "She immediately (screamed), 'I've been shot. I've been shot.' She took off running out the door," her son-in-law Bobby Cook told Dallas-Fort Worth television station KTVT. The 62-year-old woman, whose name was not released by authorities, was taken to a nearby hospital with a "significant wound" and was listed in stable condition, police Lt. Paul Henderson said Monday. The bullet is believed to be a rifle round and appears to have been fired from a long distance because it penetrated the roof at a slight angle, Henderson said. He said he did not have information on whether investigators had any suspects. Some 40,000 fans in about 10,000 to 10,500 recreational vehicles camped at Texas Motor Speedway for the weekend's races, said TMS spokesman Mike Zizzo, who declined to comment on the shooting.(Associated Press)(11-4-2008)
UPDATE: Fort Worth police are investigating reports from a 49-year-old Benbrook man who says he may be responsible for the stray bullet that hit an Arlington woman Sunday morning at Texas Motor Speedway. Kennith Jaramillo contacted Fort Worth police on Monday after hearing that Jill King Moss, 62, was hit in her arm by a .50-caliber bullet that pierced the roof of her RV, authorities said. Ms. Moss was taken to Harris Methodist Hospital and is expected to recover from her injuries. Given the bullet’s trajectory, Fort Worth police investigators believe the bullet came from a long distance away. Mr. Jaramillo told police he was target shooting five miles away from Texas Motor Speedway between 10 and 11 a.m, said Lt. Paul Henderson, a Fort Worth police spokesman. Mr. Jaramillo fired five or six rounds at a berm, a mound of dirt, with his .50-caliber Vulcan single shot rifle. Fort Worth police confiscated his weapon for ballistics tests. If tests confirm the bullet was fired from his weapon, Mr. Jaramillo could be charged with deadly conduct for recklessly firing a weapon, Lt. Henderson said. Mr. Jaramillo has not been arrested or charged in the incident.(Dallas Morning News)(11-5-2008)

Texas race dates stay the same in 2009: Texas Motor Speedway's 2009 race schedule will mirror this season's line-up with two races each in NASCAR's three top-tier series - Sprint Cup, Nationwide and Craftsman Truck - and one visit by the IndyCar Series, speedway president Eddie Gossage announced Monday. The Sprint Cup Series Samsung 500 (April 5), IndyCar Series Bombardier Learjet 550k (June 6) and Sprint Cup Series Dickies 500 (Nov. 8) once again serve as the marquee events of the season and anchor 11 days of racing action.(Texas Motor Speedway PR)(8-18-2008)

WinStar World Casino new sponsor for Texas June race: Texas Motor Speedway's 2009 race schedule will mirror this season's line-up with two races each in NASCAR's three top-tier series. WinStar World Casino recently agreed to a multi-year deal with Texas Motor Speedway to become the title sponsor of the truck series event, replacing Sam's Town. WinStar World Casino is located in Thackerville, Okla., just 75 minutes north of the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex, and is in the midst of an expansion project that will transform it into Oklahoma's largest casino. In conjunction with the [schedule] announcement, 2009 season tickets will officially go on sale beginning 9:00amTuesday at the TMS ticket office (817-215-8500), on the speedway website, and at FanFest II at Texas Motor Speedway.(TMS PR)(8-18-2008)

Gossage not interested in Humpy's job Texas Motor Speedway president Eddie Gossage has no desire to take over for Lowe's Motor Speedway president Humpy Wheeler, who announced Wednesday he was retiring as president of the track after this weekend's Coca-Cola 600. "As long as I'm in racing, I'll be here in Fort Worth," Gossage said Wednesday. Gossage said he's confident the SMI board of directors will find the right person to replace Wheeler. He said he has a person in mind he would like to see take over at the track but didn't want to say who it was. "The board of directors will come up with a person who is in the best interest of the track," Gossage said. "It won't be me." Gossage worked for Wheeler in Charlotte from 1989 until leaving for TMS in 1995.(Fort Worth Star Telegram)(5-24-2008)

TMS's Gossage offer Dale Jr. $100k to run Indy car; Dale Jr turns it down: IndyCar Series star Danica Patrick recommended on Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s XM Satellite Radio show Thursday evening that if the NASCAR superstar ever wanted to swap cars and run an Indy car that Texas Motor Speedway would be the place to give it a shot. Texas Motor Speedway President Eddie Gossage is wholeheartedly backing that recommendation by Patrick and giving Earnhardt Jr. 100,000 reasons why "The Great American Speedway!" is indeed the ideal choice. Gossage is offering $100,000 to Earnhardt Jr. if he would pay the IndyCar Series a visit and compete June 7 in the Bombardier Learjet 550k at Texas Motor Speedway. Gossage is open to presenting Earnhardt Jr. $100,000 in cash or a check to his favorite charity for that amount if that is more to his liking.(TMS)
AND Dale Earnhardt Jr. ON EDDIE GOSSAGE OFFERING HIM $100,000 TO RUN THE INDY CAR RACE. “He thinks I’m a cheap date I guess. I wouldn’t be able to do it, my conscience wouldn’t let me. If they offered me more money, my conscience wouldn’t let me feel comfortable with doing it. I know his intentions are well and we had that discussion with the billboard thing and I totally understand what his approach is advertising now. If I had the opportunity if I was there testing my car and somebody had their car there, I’d like to jump in it and run a couple of laps but that would be the extent of the adventure.”(Team Chevy PR)(5-3-2008)

Texas Fall Tix on Sale Wed: Tickets for the NASCAR triple-header weekend at Texas Motor Speedway Oct. 30 - Nov. 2 featuring the NASCAR Sprint Cup, Nationwide and Truck Series go on sale Wednesday, April 16th. The marquee event is the Dickies 500, the eighth race in the 10-event Chase for the Sprint Cup championship format, and tickets prices for the “playoff” race range from $52 to $130. The Dickies 500 will be joined that weekend by the O’Reilly Challenge Nationwide Series race and Silverado 350k Craftsman Truck Series event. Tickets begin as low as $25 for the O’Reilly Challenge and $34 for the Silverado 350k. Tickets are available by calling the Texas Motor Speedway ticket office at (817) 215-8500, by visiting texasmotorspeedway.com.(TMS)(4-15-2008)

Honorary Officials at Texas: One NASCAR fan, Kerrie Rogers of Forney, Texas, will get a Lone Star thrill this weekend at Texas Motor Speedway. She’s scheduled to serve as Grand Marshal of Sunday’s Samsung 500, after winning the Samsung 500 Ultimate Fan Sweepstakes. The 36th Infantry Division Band, Texas Army National Guard, from Austin, will perform Sunday’s National Anthem.(NASCAR PR)(4-2-2008)

Goodyear to use same tire compound at Texas as last year: Texas Motor Speedway officials were informed by Goodyear that the tire manufacturer will utilize the same tire compound that produced dramatic racing in both Sprint Cup Series races last season for the upcoming Samsung 500 on April 6. Following several driver complaints at Sunday’s event at Atlanta Motor Speedway where the new Sprint Cup car (formerly the Car of Tomorrow) competed for the first time, Texas Motor Speedway President Eddie Gossage reached out to Goodyear because that Speedway Motorsports, Inc. sister track is nearly identical to TMS. Both are 1.5-mile ovals with 24-degree banking in the corners, among the fastest tracks on the circuit and play host to the new car for the first time in competition. “I called Goodyear and they told us they never planned to use the same tire they used in Atlanta for our upcoming race,” Gossage said. “The tire they will use for the Samsung 500 will be effectively the same tire they used in Texas last year, and those two races resulted in a last-lap pass in April and a side-by-side duel for the lead down to the finish in November. Both the left-side and right-side tires will effectively use the same compound as in 2007, but with a slightly different construction for the new car. The engineers feel quite good about their plans.” Once again as Gossage did last week with NASCAR, he will make Texas Motor Speedway available to Goodyear should they be interested in additional testing prior to the Samsung 500. Sprint Cup drivers Juan Pablo Montoya and Clint Bowyer participated in a two-day Goodyear test Jan. 15-16 at TMS.(TMS PR)(3-12-2008)

Drivers...throw a helmet, get $15k? TMS president Eddie Gossage said ticket sales for the Sprint Cup Samsung 500 on April 6 have been flat since Jan. 1, then made an announcement he hopes will increase the buzz. "I'm offering $15,000 to any driver who throws their helmet between now and the Samsung 500," Gossage said. The conditions: the helmet must be tossed in anger on the "field of competition," according to Gossage. And Gossage gets the helmet for his extensive office collection. While he acknowledged it was a tongue-in-cheek offer, he said he would definitely pay. NASCAR officials did not immediately return messages seeking comment.(Dallas Morning News)(3-1-2008)

TMS replaces billboards referencing Earnhardts: Four identical Texas Motor Speedway billboards referring to the strained relationship between Dale Earnhardt Jr. and his stepmother, Teresa, will be replaced within the next two weeks. The flap is over ads featuring a picture of the driver and the wording "Reason #88: Step-Mom." TMS president Eddie Gossage said Thursday night that the billboards, part of a series of similar ads to promote the Sprint Cup weekend at the track in April, will be changed after a request from Kelley Earnhardt Elledge, the driver's sister and business manager. "The first thing I told her when I answered the phone was if you guys are uncomfortable with it, all you have to do is say the word," Gossage said. "We had a very pleasant talk." #88 is a reference to Earnhardt's new car number with Hendrick Motorsports, the team he went to after last season when he decided to leave Dale Earnhardt Inc., his late father's company that is run by Teresa Earnhardt. He left DEI after months of contentious negotiations with his stepmother. Earnhardt will still be displayed on the billboards, but the wording will change to "Reason #88: New Car Smell." Gossage said Elledge thought the new slogan "was cool, and Dale Jr. loved it."
There are billboards with catchy slogans featuring the car numbers of three other drivers. One features a wide-eyed, grinning Tony Stewart with "Reason #20: Road Rage!" Then there is one for Jeff Gordon with "Reason #24: 81 Cup Wins. Zip At Texas!", and one for two-time defending Sprint Cup champion Jimmie Johnson, "Reason #48: Twice As Good As 24!" After getting the call from Elledge, Gossage decided to make sure Stewart was all right with the #20 ad. "I e-mailed Tony, 'What do you think?' He thought they were hilarious," Gossage said. Gossage said he didn't follow up with Gordon and Johnson, Earnhardt's new teammates with Hendrick, because the TMS president considers those slogans "benign" despite one small glitch. Johnson's slogan "Twice As Good As 24!" was supposed to end with a question mark, not an exclamation point.
Elledge told Gossage that she and her brother still have friends and family at DEI and want to see the company succeed, but that they were "excited about Hendrick Motorsports" and saw no reason to point to past issues. "We were trying to be edgy," Gossage said. "If this went over the line, in their opinion, we don't want to." There are 15 billboards, three featuring Johnson and four for each of the other drivers, displayed on Interstates and busy highways throughout the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Gossage said there will be similar-themed broadcast and print ads in the coming weeks.(ESPN.com/AP)(2-1-2008)

Nowitzki grand marshal at Texas: The Dallas [NBA] Mavericks' Dirk Nowitzki will serve as grand marshal for today's Dickies 500 at Texas Motor Speedway.(Dallas Morning News)(11-4-2007)

Vince Vaughan to drive pace truck at Texas Cup race:: Vince Vaughn will be starring as Santa Claus' lesser-known brother in the upcoming holiday comedy "Fred Claus," but on Sunday the actor is getting an early Christmas present that definitely didn't come from the North Pole. The gift comes courtesy of Texas Motor Speedway as Vaughn will get the rare opportunity to drive the official pace truck that will lead the 43-car field to the green flag for Sunday's Dickies 500 Nextel Cup Series race. Traditionally, special race guests such as Vaughn get the chance to ride in the lead pace car or perhaps drive a secondary pace car. But by virtue of special permission from NASCAR, Vaughn will actually take the wheel from customary pace car driver Brett Bodine following an on-track orientation prior to the race. Vaughn will drive a 2007 Chevrolet Silverado to officially start the the Dickies 500.(TMS PR)(11-2-2007)

Texas Motor Speedway Unveils Traffic Tracker for Dickies 500 Weekend: Texas Motor Speedway has unveiled a free program that gives race fans the ability to monitor traffic flow while traveling to and from the speedway for this week's Dickies 500 NASCAR triple-header. The program, in partnership with 1310 The Ticket, is a text messaging system that sends automatic traffic alerts out via text message, providing updates on the status of the route fans are taking to and from the speedway this week. Fans can sign up for this service by visiting the Texas Motor Speedway website and clicking on the "Traffic Alert" button on the home page. In addition to having this service for race weeks, Texas Motor Speedway plans to keep the service active 365 days a year to also assist the numerous visitors to the facility throughout the year.(Texas Motor Speedway PR)(10-31-2007)

TMS to Make 1200 Tickets for Dickies 500 Available Friday: Texas Motor Speedway has secured just over 1,200 prime frontstretch tickets from corporate sponsors for next Sunday’s Dickies 500 Nextel Cup Series race that will be made available to the general public beginning 9 a.m. CT Friday. "When some of our corporate sponsors make it clear that they will not be using all of their tickets for an upcoming marquee event like the Dickies 500, we always make the effort to make them available to our general race fans this late in the game,” Texas Motor Speedway President Eddie Gossage said. “I expect them to go fast considering their frontstretch location and the Dickies 500 being the biggest race in the Chase for the Nextel Cup.” The tickets, which range in price from $99 to $130, will be available on a “firstcome, first-serve” basis by visiting or calling the Texas Motor Speedway ticket office at (817) 215-8500.(TMS PR)(10-25-2007)

New record for Dickies 500 purse: The purse for next week’s Dickies 500 will be the largest in the history of Texas Motor Speedway and rank third overall for the 36-race NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series season, Texas Motor Speedway President Eddie Gossage announced today. The Dickies 500 purse is set at $7,255,977 to topple the previous track record of $7,253,642 for the Samsung 500 in April, and the total ranks among the most prestigious speedways in the country. The Dickies 500 purse only trails that of Daytona International Speedway’s Daytona 500 ($18,386,023) and Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s Allstate 400 at the Brickyard ($9,449,587). The purse for next Sunday’s [Nov 4th] race at “The Great American Speedway!” also will be the largest in the 10-race Chase for the Nextel Cup championship for the third consecutive year. The Dickies 500 purse has increased nearly $400,000 since the inaugural event in 2005. The 2005 purse was $6,880,880 and topped the $7 million mark for the first time last season at $7,139,515. The combined purses for next week’s NASCAR triple-header weekend at Texas Motor Speedway will exceed $9 million. In addition to the Dickies 500, the O’Reilly Challenge Busch Series race will have a purse of $1,244,106 and the Silverado 350k Craftsman Truck Series race will be at $588,064 for an overall total of $9,088,147. Tickets still are available for the Dickies 500, O’Reilly Challenge, Silverado 350k as well as the 7-Eleven Qualifying Days. For ticket information, call (817) 215-8500 or visit www.texasmotorspeedway.com.
TOP 5 NASCAR NEXTEL CUP SERIES PURSES FOR 2007
Daytona 500 – Daytona International Speedway $18,386,023
Allstate 400 at the Brickyard – Indianapolis Motor Speedway $ 9,449,587
Dickies 500 – Texas Motor Speedway $ 7,255,977
Samsung 500 – Texas Motor Speedway $ 7,253,642
Coca-Cola 600 – Lowe’s Motor Speedway $ 6,559,628.(TMS PR)(10-24-2007)

Texas Motor Speedway announces 2008 schedule: The 2008 race schedule will once again be anchored by the three largest single-day sporting events in Texas as the Sprint Cup Series Samsung 500 and Dickies 500 along with the IndyCar Series Bombardier Learjet 550k return as the showcase events, Texas Motor Speedway President Eddie Gossage announced today. The Samsung 500, Bombardier Learjet 550k and Dickies 500 will remain in their traditional months of April, June and November, respectively, and those three marquee weekends will offer seven races, 11 days of racing action and a special concert featuring a superstar country group. The Samsung 500 is scheduled for Sunday, April 6, a week earlier than this past season, and will mark the 12th running of the NASCAR event that debuted when Texas Motor Speedway opened in 1997. The Sprint Cup Series race will be partnered with the Busch Series as the O’Reilly 300 will be held Saturday, April 5. The Dallas Morning News Qualifying Day for both the Sprint Cup and Busch Series will be Friday, April 4, while race week will officially open Thursday, April 3, with Busch practice. In addition to the racing action, Texas Motor Speedway will present the Rockin’ Roundup concert with country superstars Big & Rich. The concert, which will be held on the frontstretch, will follow qualifying on April 4. The Bombardier Learjet 550k, another staple event since the speedway opened in 1997, is set for Saturday, June 7, and will once again provide fans with a taste of the IndyCar Series and NASCAR in the same weekend. The Bombardier Learjet 550k, “America’s Original Nighttime IndyCar Series Race,” will be preceded Friday, June 6, by the Sam’s Town 400 Craftsman Truck Series race.
The TMS season closes in a flourish with the Dickies 500 headlining a NASCAR triple-header weekend. The Dickies 500, which debuted in 2005, is set for Sunday, Nov. 4, and remains the eighth event in the 10-race Chase for the Sprint Cup that determines the series champion. The Dickies 500 will be partnered with the O’Reilly Challenge Busch Series race on Saturday, Nov. 3, and the Silverado 350k Craftsman Truck Series race on the evening of Friday, Nov. 2. The 7-Eleven Qualifying Days will be held Thursday, Nov. 1, (Craftsman Truck Series) and Friday, Nov. 2 (Cup and Busch). Season ticket packages go on sale Wednesday for the 2008 schedule of events. Season tickets may be purchased by visiting or calling the Texas Motor Speedway ticket office at (817) 215-8500 or through the speedway’s website (www.texasmotorspeedway.com). The ticket office is open from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. CT Monday through Friday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday and Noon-5 p.m. Sunday.(TMS PR)(8-28-2007)

Texas looking for different race date: TMS president Eddie Gossage met with NASCAR president Brian France last week and, as usual when they get together, requested an earlier date for the Dickies 500. Gossage, of course, wants the race to remain one of 10 in the Chase for the Nextel Cup. But since TMS got a second Nextel Cup date in 2005, the race has fallen on the opening weekend of deer hunting season in November. "We need to get off that date because it affects some of our fans," Gossage said. "We hope something can be done about it at some point, but I don't think it will change for 2008."(Dallas Morning News)(8-17-2007)

Samsung re-ups with Texas thru 2009: The logo for Texas Motor Speedway's spring race will stay the same for at least two more years. Samsung extended its title sponsorship agreement with TMS through 2009 plus three years of options. Terms weren't immediately available. "We have two hometown sponsors and stability with our races," TMS president Eddie Gossage said, also referencing the fall Dickies 500. "It means we can market the brand names of those races and do some things long term. It's a great position to be in." Before this year, Samsung's Richardson-based Telecommunications American division shared co-sponsorship with Fort Worth-based Radio Shack for five years.(Dallas Morning News)(4-16-2007)

Texas Busch sponsor re-ups: O'Reilly Auto Parts has signed a four-year contract extension with TMS to continue as title sponsor of both Busch Series races. Under terms that run from 2009-12, O'Reilly also will remain the speedway's "Official Auto Parts Store." The O'Reilly 300 will continue to be run in the spring and the O'Reilly Challenge will remain part of TMS' fall schedule. The renewal was announced by TMS president Eddie Gossage and Ron Byerly, O'Reilly's vice president of advertising and marketing. No financial terms were disclosed..(Fort Worth Star Telegram)(4-15-2007)

"Stone Cold" Steve Austin Grand Marshal of Samsung 500: The Samsung 500 will get kicked off with a bang - and perhaps a body slam - as six-time World Wrestling Entertainment champion "Stone Cold" Steve Austin will give the command for Sunday's Nextel Cup Series event. Austin is serving as the grand marshal of the Samsung 500 and also will be a special guest in the pits of wrestling fan and Nextel Cup Series driver Elliott Sadler for the start of the 334-lap event. Austin recently has turned his attention from the wrestling ring to Hollywood. The WWE superstar headlines the action-packed thriller, "The Condemned," which hits theaters April 27. The Austin, Texas native will be returning to his college roots in his visit to Texas Motor Speedway, having played football at the University of North Texas in nearby Denton. World champion bull rider Tuff Hedeman will be serving as the honorary starter of Saturday's O'Reilly 300 race. He will have the honor of waving the green flag to start the Busch Series event. Texas Motor Speedway also has a special ticket for $79 for fans who want to be close to the pre-race activities. The 7-Eleven Pre-Race ticket provides access to the infield and pre-race show stage area, a prime spot for viewing the entertainment as well as pre-race driver introductions. Fans who purchase a pre-race ticket also receive a free t-shirt from 7-Eleven. To purchase, call the speedway ticket office at (817) 215-8500.(TMS PR)(4-12-2007)

Traffic Routing Information For The Samsung 500 NASCAR race weekend: Texas Motor Speedway will utilize the same traffic patterns as utilized during the race in November for Saturday and Sunday races to assist spectators in both entering and leaving the Speedway. The only change will be in Friday's traffic. Due to no scheduled race for that day, the crowds will be smaller and traffic patterns will be only minimally changed with no contra flow anticipated. However, traffic flow may dictate changes at any time. Drivers should follow cone patterns and directions from officers.
In addition to SH 114, it is planned to run an outbound contraflow on FM 156 from Petty Drive south to Eagle Parkway on Sat and Sun. This will provide an extra lane of exiting traffic for persons parked on the west side of the complex. These patterns along with added changes on the interior will allow for traffic to move more efficiently into and out of the complex.
Persons coming to the Speedway are asked to follow the directions of both the police and the traffic control attendants. These people are there to help the spectators get to parking lots and to exit the parking lots. The cones and barricades are there to provide routing into and out of the complex, please follow the patterns. All lanes and gates will permit entry so we ask that patrons stay in their designated lanes once in a cone pattern.
INBOUND
I-35W both north and south will have adequate access to the speedway. When exiting, there will be two lanes available. FM 156 both north and south provides efficient and expeditious routing to the Speedway. From the south, access to FM 156 can be had from both Loop 820 and Hwy. 287. FM 156 can be accessed from I-35 north of Sanger.
Travel from the east will be improved by using the 114 bypass, which will provide two lanes of traffic into the Speedway. This route provides an efficient route from the mid-cities area.
WEST IS BEST- One of the easiest and quickest routes inbound is to utilize SH 114 from the west. Access to this route can be made from Hwy. 287, approximately 11 miles west of the Speedway. Use of this route will allow you to enter the Speedway through Jarrett Drive, which may also be utilized as an exit gate.
OUTBOUND
Traffic exiting the Speedway after the race will be placed into different traffic lanes from the exit gates from the Speedway. Each of these lanes will go to a specific major roadway. The following information provides driving instruction from each exit gate:
Gordon Road: Inbound campground only.
Mark Martin: On Friday-Sunday, Vehicles exiting Mark Martin will initially be directed onto the southbound Service Road of I-35W, and into the "Texas Turnaround." Vehicles will travel south to turnaround, under IH35, then northbound on the IH 35 Service Road. Vehicles may access IH 35 northbound from the Service Road, or continue traveling to Earnhardt Drive where they will be directed back onto the southbound Service Road in the left lane and continue south the IH 35 access ramp and on to the freeway. Those who must travel east who have exited the track to IH 35 W (S) follow IH 35 south to SH 170 then east on 170 to SH 114. Those who have exited IH 35 W (N) travel north to FM 1171, then East to HWY 377 and South to HWY 114 E. At such time as contra flowed traffic volume east on 114 allows, the south bound service road of I-35 from Mark Martin will be allowed to proceed east on 114 in the contra flow lane into Roanoke.
Earnhardt: Traffic will be directed south if in the far right traffic lane to the south access ramp to IH 35 W (S), or around the turnaround to the IH 35 service road northbound and onto the freeway. Vehicles in the contra-flowed two left traffic lanes will be directed north on IH 35 W. For any vehicle exiting north that desires to travel south, routing should proceed to the 1171 exit and turn around to go south. To travel east to Dallas the best route is to travel north on I-35W to Denton and then use I-35E southbound to Dallas.
Labonte (Gate A): There are two lanes of traffic exiting this gate, and will be directed eastbound in the westbound traffic lanes. The left or north lane will be directed east on the west bound side of 114 into Roanoke, or north on to the I-35 service road and into the Texas Turnaround. The south or right lane will be directed east onto SH 114 east as a normal directional traffic flow. For persons wanting to travel south from the Speedway, the most efficient routing is east to the SH 114 and Hwy 377 intersection and travel south. Southbound vehicles may then proceed south to Loop 820. Those who must travel north and find themselves on 114 east bound may utilize Hwy 377 north to 1171, then west to IH 35 W (N) or south to Hwy 170 and west to IH 35.
Allison: There are two lanes of traffic exiting this gate, and both will be directed east on SH 114. For persons wanting to go north or south on I35, they will travel east on 114 to Hwy 377. Go south on 377. Southbound vehicles can continue south on 377 to Loop 820, which is only 12 miles. Persons needing to go north should exit at westbound SH 170 to I35W. SH 170 intersects 377 just south of the 114/377 intersection.
Jarrett: There are four lanes of traffic exiting Jarrett. The two left lanes will be directed east to the southbound I-35W entrance ramp for travel south on I-35W. For persons wanting to travel north they need to go to Eagle Parkway and turn around to take I-35W north. Persons who have the need to travel east should proceed to SH 170 and take it east to SH 114. Sunday only will allow for the left lane to also allow an option for the east 114 route. The two right lanes of traffic exiting Jarrett Drive will be directed west and formed into one lane of traffic. This traffic needs to go west to 287, which is about 11 miles. At 287, traffic needing to go south can use 287 or Business 287. Business 287 leads to Loop 820 and avoids the I-35W traffic.
Petty: There are four lanes of traffic exiting Petty. The far right lane will go north on FM 156. Traffic needing to access I35W can use 407 east in Justin or go north to 380. Traffic needing to go north can stay on 156 to I-35. The second lane to the north will have the option of going northbound or southbound. The two left lanes we be directed south onto 156, using a contraflow to Eagle Parkway. The left or contraflow lane will go to Eagle Parkway and then go east on Eagle to I-35W. North or southbound I-35W can be accessed at SH 170, which is several miles to the south of Eagle Parkway. Persons needing to go east on 114 can use SH 170 east to get to 114. The regular lane of 156 will be directed south on 156 to Loop 820, which is 16 miles south of the Speedway. No access to southbound 287 will be allowed from FM 156. During the contraflow, no northbound 156 traffic will be allowed from Eagle Parkway. All northbound traffic will be directed onto Eagle Parkway to I-35W.(TMS PR)(4-12-2007)

National Anthem at Texas: MercyMe, the contemporary Christian rock band that will be performing the National Anthem for the start of the Samsung 500 at Texas Motor Speedway, has added a 15-minute acoustic set of musical entertainment as part of the 7-Eleven Pre-Race Spectacular.(TMS PR)(4-12-2007)

Dale Jr. happy TMS fixed dip: #8-Dale Earnhardt Jr. said that he's excited that Texas Motor Speedway has repaired the dip that Earnhardt complained about in the week leading up to the Dickies 500 in November. Earnhardt won't know how that area between Turns 1 and 2 feels until he practices next Friday in preparation for the Samsung 500. "I told them if they could fix that they'd have a better racetrack," said Earnhardt, on a conference call after testing the Car of Tomorrow in Richmond. "[TMS president Eddie Gossage] was upset I used the media to tell him that, but sometimes you guys got the loudest microphone."(Dallas Morning News)(4-5-2007)

Samsung 500 boast third largest purse of 2007 season: Texas Motor Speedway President Eddie Gossage announced that the upcoming Samsung 500 purse will be in excess of $7 million and rank as the third largest for the entire 36-race Nextel Cup Series season. The total posted awards for the Samsung 500 officially will be $7,253,642 and that purse will only trail the season-opening Daytona 500 ($18,391,423) at Daytona International Speedway and the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard ($9,236,620 in 2006) at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in July. The Samsung 500 had an increase of $166,466 from the 2006 purse total of $7,087,176, but the bump established a new record for a single-race purse in the history of Texas Motor Speedway. Race tickets, including limited prime frontstretch seats, for the April 12-15 Samsung 500 weekend, which also includes the O'Reilly 300 Busch Series race, are still available by calling (817) 215-8500 or by visiting www.texasmotorspeedway.com.(TMS PR)(4-1-2007)

Gossage denies yet another rumor: Eddie Gossage's name has been dropped for another job he insists he does not want. A weekend report carried on the SpeedTV Web site speculated that Gossage, the president of Texas Motor Speedway, would be approached to take over Brian Barnhart's duties as chief operating officer of the Indy Racing League. Barnhart reportedly would continue as president of the IRL, and oversee its technical side, while relinquishing his mainly promotional duties as COO. Gossage said he has not been contacted by either IRL founder Tony George or Barnhart, and that his answer to such an offer would be: "No. Unequivocally no. I don't know where these things come from, but it's frustrating. I'm not looking for a job. This is what I do and I can't imagine doing anything else."Gossage issued a similar disclaimer last month, when he was mentioned as a possible replacement for NHL commissioner Gary Bettman.(Fort Worth Star Telegram)(3-15-2007)

Texas IROC race cancelled, TMS to premiere "Dale" in it's place: Due to a lack of title sponsorship, the International Race Of Champions (IROC) has cancelled its event scheduled for Friday, April 13 at Texas Motor Speedway, and speedway President Eddie Gossage announced today that the race will be replaced with a special viewing party of the much-anticipated motion picture, "Dale."
"Dale," a documentary on NASCAR icon and seven-time series champion Dale Earnhardt, premiered recently in Daytona Beach, Fla., but Texas Motor Speedway will serve as the local market venue for the premiere of the movie in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area during April's Samsung 500 NASCAR race weekend. The movie will be shown on five giant NextelVision screens situated on the speedway frontstretch and the screening is expected to begin at approximately 8:30pm/ct. The film is expected to play to one of the largest movie crowds ever and Nextel Cup qualifying has been moved from 3:10pm to 4:10pm/ct [5:10pm/et] to accommodate the throng of fans who plan to attend both Dallas Morning News Qualifying Day and the screening on April 13.
Fans attending this special event will be treated to a movie introduction and conversation with NASCAR team owner Richard Childress, for whom Earnhardt drove the legendary #3 GM Goodwrench Chevy, and FOX Sports NASCAR analyst Larry McReynolds, who served as the Daytona 500-winning crew chief for Earnhardt, among others. In addition, each fan will receive a collector's edition "Dale" poster as well as enjoy a firework spectacular following the movie screening.
All Texas Motor Speedway season tickets will be honored at the movie event, as well as individual tickets that were purchased for the IROC event. For those who have not yet purchased tickets for the activities surrounding April 13, Texas Motor Speedway is offering two ticket specials. For a $40 ticket, fans will receive a full day of racing action including Nextel Cup practice and qualifying as well as admission to the "Dale" movie. A $20 movie ticket also will be available for purchase at Gate 4 following the conclusion of qualifying. Race tickets, including some prime frontstretch seats, are still available for the Samsung 500 NASCAR weekend April 12-15 by calling (817) 215-8500 and by visiting www.texasmotorspeedway.com.(TMS PR)(2-28-2007)

Zizzo named Speedway PR Person of the Year: Texas Motor Speedway Director of Media Relations Mike Zizzo was honored by NASCAR as the Speedway PR Person of the Year. Zizzo was recognized with the award during the annual NASCAR PR Summit held in Daytona Beach. Zizzo arrived at Texas Motor Speedway in 2005 after serving as senior manager of communications in NASCAR's Media Relations department. Prior to his tenure at NASCAR, Zizzo spent six years with CART as communications manager before being promoted to director of public relations. In 2000, he was promoted to CART vice president of competition public relations. Prior to his NASCAR and CART experience, he worked for 12 years as a sportswriter for The Orlando Sentinel, covering a variety of major beats, including motorsports, the NFL and NHL. In addition to this NASCAR award, Zizzo has been honored with the Jim Chapman Award as the most outstanding public relations representative in the CART series, becoming the first from the sanctioning body to ever receive the prestigious award.(TMS PR)(2-17-2007)

Gossage to the NHL? denied: Is hockey on the horizon for Texas Motor Speedway president Eddie Gossage? Gossage says no. But the man generally regarded as one of the top promoters in racing has been approached by people involved with the NHL about joining the league and eventually replacing commissioner Gary Bettman, sources confirmed Wednesday. Bettman's contract expires after the 2007-08 season. Gossage attended the NHL All-Star Game in Dallas last week, but insists the subject wasn't addressed. "I haven't spoken to any NHL official about this," Gossage said Wednesday. "It's all very flattering, but I'm very happy where I am and enjoy what I do." Frank Brown, media relations director for the NHL, denied the league is involved in any way. "The NHL has not hired a headhunter to contact anyone," Brown said in an e-mail Wednesday. "Any reports stating otherwise are fictitious."(more at ESPN.com)(2-1-2007)

Texas Motor Speedway fixing 'the bump' UPDATE: #8-Dale Earnhardt Jr. spoke and Texas Motor Speedway listened. TMS will announce Thursday that it is repairing the dip in the track that Earnhardt complained about before and during the Dickies 500 last November. TMS sent out a release Wednesday saying it would announce a track reconstruction, which sources say is the dip between the first two turns. Earnhardt said the dip over the South Tunnel between Turns 1 and 2 kept the drivers from racing side-by-side through the turns. TMS president Eddie Gossage was surprised at Earnhardt's remarks and wondered why Earnhardt didn't mention the problem after the TMS race last April. Gossage said the dip was a normal settling of the ground above the tunnel and didn't have any affect on the racing. But Gossage will make Earnhardt happy by hiring crews to repair the dip this week. The process is expected to take a couple of days.(ESPN.com)(1-24-2007)
UPDATE: Texas Motor Speedway will conclude a special track renovation process today [Thursday] that is expected to help alleviate a dip that has formed between Turns 1 and 2 on the 1.5-mile superspeedway, Texas Motor Speedway President Eddie Gossage announced. The delicate process, known as “Concrete Lifting By Structure Urethane,” will in essence “pump” up the surface below the track and ultimately raise targeted areas in the affected 200-foot stretch over the South Tunnel that is situated in the middle of the two turns. The depth of the dip varies throughout, but it is at a maximum of two inches at any given point. The track work is being addressed in response to the comments made by #8Dale Earnhardt Jr. during the Dickies 500 race weekend in November and the previous week at the race in Atlanta. Earnhardt Jr. said that the dip was an issue for drivers and the speedway further investigated his claim. Speedway officials, known for being pro-active to drivers’ suggestions over the years, spent the time since his comments consulting with a variety of surveyors and going as far as having structural x-rays taken of the area. “While Junior’s comments at the time surprised me since he never mentioned it before, it was a concern and we thought it would only be appropriate to investigate the issue further and determine if it warranted any action,” Gossage said. “We spoke with several drivers, team owners and NASCAR officials in carrying out our due diligence. After further consultation, we decided it would be beneficial to alleviate the dip as much as possible through this process. We’ve been pro-active since Day 1 to the suggestions of the drivers and fans of this facility and we will continue to do so in the future.”
The process is being undertaken by Uretek ICR of Arlington, Texas, which is in the midst of the second day of the expected two-day procedure. The method employs high-density special polymers to lift, realign, underseal and fill voids under the concrete slabs, which are resting directly on base soils. As the resin mixture expands, voids are filled and a controlled mold pressure is exerted on a limited area of the slab. Uretek uses multiple-pattern drilled injection locations to re-support and accurately realign the slab. The composite material quickly cures into a strong, stable and long-lasting replacement base material. This process involves drilling roughly 15 to 20 half-inch holes in the area, inserting a 3/8-inch copper tube through the asphalt and into the soil below in each hole, and then injecting a special structure urethane through the tubing. The urethane is expected to raise the different surfaces that exist between the track and the soil – an 8-inch thick drainage mat, a 12-inch thick concrete slab and four inches of asphalt – and help alleviate the dip.(TMS PR)(1-26-2007)

Speedway Motorsports distributes to Speedway Children's Charities:
Texas: Texas Motor Speedway and Speedway Children’s Charities-Texas Chapter (SCC) lit up the holiday season by giving more than a half-million dollars to area children’s groups as part of its annual Christmas Tree Lighting and Grant Ceremony on Tuesday, Dec. 5 at Texas Motor Speedway. Speedway Children’s Charities-Texas Chapter will awarded $501,266 in grants to 164 area children’s charities, with both the grant total and amount of charities being awarded establishing record marks for the chapter. The record amount pushes the 10-year fundraising total by SCC to more than $4 million.(TMS site)
Speedway Children's Charities is the primary charitable arm of Speedway Motorsports, Inc., which owns and operates Infineon Raceway. Speedway Children's Charities is a non-profit organization with the purpose of raising funds to be distributed to qualified children's organizations. Founded in 1984 by Bruton Smith, chairman of Speedway Motorsports Inc., Speedway Children's Charities originated at Lowe's Motor Speedway in North Carolina. Fifty-five youth groups will receive funding from Speedway Children's Charities in 2006.(12-8-2006)

7-Eleven Holiday 4-Pack at Texas: Texas Motor Speedway and 7-Eleven have partnered to provide you with the ultimate holiday gift, the 7-Eleven Holiday 4-Pack. This incredible offer includes four backstretch tickets, four hot dogs, and four cokes to the April 15 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Samsung 500 for only $159. Purchase by December 23, and receive a free coupon for a 12-pack of Coca-Cola Classic or Coke Zero redeemable at any participating 7-Eleven store in the DFW Metroplex. Call Texas Motor Speedway's Ticket Office at (817) 215-8500 to purchase your 7-Eleven Holiday 4-Pack now or visit the Ticket Office in person before the offer expires.(TMS PR)(12-6-2006)

Texas Tree Lighting Ceremony, Dec 5th: Texas Motor Speedway and Speedway Children's Charities-Texas Chapter (SCC) will light up the holiday season by giving more than a half-million dollars to area children's groups as part of its annual Christmas Tree Lighting and Grant Ceremony on Tuesday, Dec. 5 at Texas Motor Speedway. Speedway Children's Charities-Texas Chapter will award $501,266 in grants to 164 area children's charities, with both the grant total and amount of charities being awarded establishing record marks for the chapter. The record amount pushes the 10-year fundraising total by SCC to more than $4 million. The tree lighting and grant awards ceremony will be held in front of The Speedway Club at Texas Motor Speedway. The giant Douglas Fir, measuring 62 feet tall - the largest live Christmas tree in Texas, arrived recently at the speedway and will be placed on the circular lawn in front of The Speedway Club. Speedway workers will string more than 10,000 lights and ornaments on the spectacular holiday tree. More info at texasmotorspeedway.com.(TMS PR)(11-30-2006)

Dickie's re-ups as Texas race sponsor: Dickies has extended its sponsorship of Texas Motor Speedway's fall Nextel Cup race through 2009. The Fort Worth-based company also has options to extend the contract through 2011. The announcement was made Saturday by TMS president Eddie Gossage and Dickies vice president of marketing Jon Ragsdale. Dickies' original three-year contract, signed before the 2005 race, had two option years. Dickies had until next June to exercise the option but chose to do so early. Gossage said it is beneficial for TMS to have sponsorship through a local company, as well as branding value in having the name of the facility's fall Nextel race remain the same. TMS' spring Cup race, initiated in 1997, had six different names in its first six years. TMS' contract with Radio Shack for the spring Samsung 500 is scheduled to expire after next year's event. Gossage said Radio Shack has an option to add up to two years.(Dallas Morning News)(11-5-2006)

No Plates planned at Texas: Despite Brian Vickers blistering Texas Motor Speedway with a pole-winning speed in excess of 196mph, NASCAR Vice President of Corporate Communications Jim Hunter said restrictor plates will not be used in Sunday’s Dickies 500 to slow the speeds of the cars down. Probably not, anyway. At Talladega last month, NASCAR said it wouldn’t slow the cars down either, but reversed themselves on race morning, when they issued smaller restrictor plates. “That was Talladega and this was Texas,” Hunter said. “But if you’re asking me, ‘Is this in concrete?’ No it isn’t.” Hunter said the qualifying speeds were unusually high because of the extremely cool weather late in the day, when the sun had set. During Saturday’s practice, speeds should drop into the low- to mid-190 mph range.(Speed Channel)(11-4-2006)

Pre-Race Entertainment at Texas on Sunday: Disney*Pixar's CARS, the No. 1 animated movie of the year, comes to life when the film's star characters anchor the pre-race stage for the Dickies 500 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup race on Sunday at Texas Motor Speedway. Buena Vista Worldwide Home Entertainment, a division of the Walt Disney Company, is the title sponsor for the pre-race show for the Dickies 500. CARS will be the theme, celebrating the fast-paced comedy adventure movie, available on DVD on Tuesday, Nov. 7. The 154-foot long stage will feature three re-creations of the stars from CARS - hot-shot Lightning McQueen, Mater - a rusty but trusty tow truck - and Sally, the snazzy Porsche - as part of the pre-race display. Lightning McQueen is approximately 4.5 feet in height, 15 feet in length and 4,500 pounds; Mater is approximately 8 feet tall, 15 feet long and 4,000 pounds; Sally is approximately 4½ feet in height, 14 feet in length and 3,000 pounds. The CARS Pre-Race Show will be an extravaganza of entertainment of more than three hours prior to the green flag for the Dickies 500. The show will be highlighted by a concert by Van Zant and special tributes to retiring two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion and native Texan, Terry Labonte.
Other highlights of the CARS Pre-Race Show include: * Performance by the Texas Christian University Marching Band * Skydive performances by the U.S. Army Golden Knights, Red Bull and RE/MAX teams * Video countdown of the top-10 moments in TMS history as voted upon by the fans * Former American Idol semi-finalist Celena Rae singing "God Bless Texas"
AND Texas Motor Speedway, for the first time ever, will be offering special access passes for the pre-race festivities. The offer is available to all season ticket holders and purchasers of the Dickies 4-Pack. A limited number of these pre-race passes are available for $50 each. The pass will give the holder access to the special viewing area directly in front of the stage on the start/finish line for all the pre-race activities. For more information on this offer, contact the TMS ticket office at (817) 215-8500.(TMS PR)(11-2-2006)

Dr. Phil leads Toys fo Tots Campaign at Texas Motor Speedway: The U.S. Marine Corps Reserves Toys for Tots Foundation will visit Sunday’s Dickies 500 at Texas Motor Speedway – in a comprehensive effort to stage a massive holiday campaign kickoff to aid poverty-stricken children in the United States. The foundation is asking NASCAR fans to show support of the charitable program and donate a new, unwrapped toy on race day at Texas Motor Speedway. U.S. Marines and their military trucks will be stationed in the front of the parking areas of Texas Motor Speedway, across from the primary speedway entrance gates. The seven drop-off locations will be available in parking areas near Gates 2 through 6 on the frontstretch and Gates 9 and 11 on the backstretch. The drop-off locations will be identified by balloons and signage, and the Marines will be collecting toys from fans beginning at 7 a.m. CT. Dr. Phil McGraw, noted psychologist and host of the hit syndicated daytime talk show “Dr. Phil,” and his wife Robin, the best-selling author of “Inside My Heart,” have been selected as the national spokespersons for the 59th edition of the Toys for Tots campaign. The couple will be making a special visit to Texas Motor Speedway on race morning to assist in the kickoff. In addition, the Toys for Tots campaign and associated events will be highlighted in various episodes of “Dr. Phil” heading into the holidays, beginning with the Wednesday, Nov. 1 broadcast. Dale Jarrett, a former NASCAR Cup Series champion and driver of the #88 UPS Ford, also will be supporting the holiday launch by running a special Toys for Tots paint scheme for the Dickies 500. The paint scheme was designed by 12-year-old Annabelle Huffman of Napa, Calif., the winner of the “Design Dale’s Ride” contest. See more at the Texas Motor Speedway site.(TMS PR)(10-31-2006)

Dickies 500 Pre-Race to feature Van Zant: The Dickies 500 pre-race show will feature a special musical entertainment segment as legendary duo Van Zant will perform a special 45-minute concert. The Van Zant name has been linked to a rock ‘n roll legacy that spans over 30 years. Brothers Johnny and Donnie Van Zant are noted musicians, songwriters and performers. Collectively, they have sold over 50 million records worldwide, Johnny as the lead singer for legendary rock group, Lynyrd Skynyrd and Donnie as one of the lead singers and rhythm guitarist for popular Southern rock band, .38 Special. The group has been touring this year following their major Columbia Nashville label debut country disc release, Get Right With the Man. “People ask us if we’ve gone country, I tell ‘em ‘we ain’t gone country, we were born country,” Johnny said. The Van Zant brothers had a hand in writing seven of the 11 cuts on Get Right With the Man, and were joined by an impressive array of Music City writers like Rivers Rutherford, Craig Wiseman, Al Anderson, Jeffrey Steele and Tim Nichols.(TMS PR)(10-31-2006)

7-Eleven to sponsor Texas Qualifying Days in November: 7-Eleven, Inc. will become the official convenience store of Texas Motor Speedway and qualifying title sponsor for the NASCAR triple-header race weekend in November, Texas Motor Speedway President Eddie Gossage announced. 7-Eleven will serve as the qualifying sponsor for the NEXTEL Cup Series, Busch Series and Craftsman Truck Series fall races, beginning with the Dickies 500 weekend Nov. 2-5. Leading up to race weekend, drivers will qualify for race position Thursday and Friday, Nov. 2 and 3, during the titled event, 7-Eleven Qualifying Days. Financial terms and length of the agreement were not disclosed. 7-Eleven Marketing Director John Moritz said. “As the exclusive distributor of 100,000 tickets to this exciting lead-in of a triple-header race weekend, 7-Eleven will distribute them throughout our metroplex 7-Eleven stores starting later this month. 7-Eleven Qualifying Days will give NASCAR fans the opportunity to be the first to see their favorite drivers at this much-anticipated race event.” The free and discount ticket give-away is the first benefit that race fans will see from the partnership between 7-Eleven and Texas Motor Speedway. Beginning Thursday, Sept. 28, fans visiting any participating 7-Eleven store in the area can pick up a coupon valid for free admission to the Craftsman Truck Series qualifying session Thursday, Nov. 2, as well as a $10 ticket discount per ticket to all racing action Friday, Nov. 3. In addition to the NEXTEL Cup and Busch qualifying series, Friday’s ticket includes admission to the Silverado 350k Craftsman Truck Series race later that evening.(TMS PR)(9-16-2006)

TMS Announces 2007 Race Schedule: The 2007 Texas Motor Speedway race schedule will mirror this season's lineup with three marquee weekends and will be highlighted by the return of the Dickies 500 Nextel Cup race concluding under the lights of "The Great American Speedway!" The season kicks off April 12-15 with the RadioShack 500 weekend that features the Nextel Cup Series, Busch Series and Crown Royal International Race of Champions. The Indy Racing League IndyCar Series makes its annual visit June 7-9 for the Bombardier Learjet 500k weekend and will be joined by the Craftsman Truck Series. The season wraps up in grand fashion Nov. 1-4 with the Dickies 500 NASCAR triple-header weekend featuring the Nextel Cup, Busch and Craftsman Truck series. The Dickies 500 is slated for a late afternoon start (exact start time TBD) to ensure that the dramatic Chase for the Nextel Cup event will finish beneath the lights. The inaugural Dickies 500 in 2005 was the first NEXTEL Cup race at Texas Motor Speedway ever scheduled to finish in the evening, but scheduling did not allow for the same conclusion this year. "This is a prime example of a sanctioning body (NASCAR), television partner (ABC) and a promoter working together to give the fans in the stands and the viewers at home what they wanted," Texas Motor Speedway President Eddie Gossage said. "The fans want a NASCAR race under the lights and I'm extremely pleased with all the parties involved that we were able to deliver. It is decisions like these that make the sport even stronger." The only other modification of note between the 2006 and 2007 schedules will be the RadioShack 500 being moved a week back. The RadioShack 500 weekend is set for April 12-15 - a week later than this season - and the shift avoids two potential conflicts for fans. The move to Sunday, April 15 ensures that the RadioShack 500 Nextel Cup race will not be held on Easter Sunday as NASCAR will remain idle for that holiday weekend. The Cup event also will not go head-to-head on television with The Masters, golf's most prestigious tournament that will run during Easter weekend. The featured event for the weekend also undergoes a slight name change as RadioShack will be recognized as the primary race sponsor. The event has been known as the Samsung/RadioShack 500 since 2002, but will be renamed the RadioShack 500 beginning in 2007. Season tickets for the 2007 season are now available by calling 817-215-8500 or logging onto www.texasmotorspeedway.com. Those who purchase season tickets by Oct. 2 will receive a limited edition commemorative "10 Years Strong" anniversary book. Season ticket packages begin at $289. Individual tickets for the 2007 RadioShack 500 race weekend will go on sale following this season's Dickies 500 that will be run on Sunday, Nov. 5. Start times and TV partners will be announced at a later date.(Texas Motor Speedway PR)(8-17-2006)

Fall Texas Race Tix on Sale Saturday: Individual tickets for the second NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series race week in 2006, the November 2-5 Dickies 500 race weekend at Texas Motor Speedway go on sale at 9:00am/ct Saturday, April 22nd. More info at Texasmotorspeedway.com.(TMS PR)(4-21-2006)

Scoring tower will count the laps 'down' and 'up': Texas Motor Speedway received approval from NASCAR for a scoring tower innovation. Traditionally, tracks have counted "up" on the lap total. Gossage wanted to count down to zero – like NFL, NBA and NHL scoreboards. "[NASCAR] had competition reasons for the scoreboard to count up," TMS president Eddie Gossage said. "We had fan reasons to count down." A fan suggestion solved the problem. The scoring tower has room for six numbers, so why not do both? NASCAR president Mike Helton approved the change for the Samsung/RadioShack 500.(Dallas Morning News)(4-8-2006)

Randy Travis to head Bank of America Pre-Race Show at Texas: Five-time Grammy winner Randy Travis and Little Big Town, one of country music's hottest newcomers, will perform live at the Bank of America Pre-Race Fan Celebration on Sunday, April 9 prior to the start of the Samsung/RadioShack 500 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup race at Texas Motor Speedway. The Bank of America Pre-Race Fan Celebration will provide an outstanding combination of country music talent, pairing one of its veteran superstars with one of its fastest-rising bands to ignite a crowd that is annually one of the largest during the NASCAR season. Little Big Town will open for Travis, beginning at 11:00am on race day, and they will deliver two separate shows that will provide fans with more than an hour of musical entertainment. In addition to its live performance, Little Big Town also will have the honor of singing the National Anthem prior to the start of the Samsung/RadioShack 500. In addition to sponsoring the pre-race concert, Bank of America - the Official Bank of Texas Motor Speedway - is providing race fans with an opportunity that has real horsepower. Through the Bank of America Refer a Fan* promotion, customers who refer friends to open a new Bank of America checking account can get a voucher to NASCAR.com both for themselves and their friends. Visit a participating Dallas/Fort Worth banking center for details and the official rules. The offer expires May 10. Limited frontstretch tickets as well as backstretch tickets remain for the Samsung/RadioShack 500 NASCAR race weekend scheduled for April 6-9 at "The Great American Speedway!" For more information, call the Texas Motor Speedway ticket office at (817) 215-8500 or visit www.texasmotorspeedway.com.(TMS PR)(4-4-2006)

Texas Unveils Broadcast Center: Texas Motor Speedway's latest innovative concept within the motorsports industry - the Victory Lane Broadcast Center - was unveiled last Wednesday by speedway president Eddie Gossage to the media in the nation's seventh-largest market. The Victory Lane Broadcast Center is a two-story multi-purpose facility that will cater to the needs of local, regional and national television and radio media outlets with an array of sound-proof studios that overlook Victory Circle as well as offer a dramatic view of the frontstretch of Texas Motor Speedway. Gossage dedicated the Victory Lane Broadcast Center in part to the Dallas-Fort Worth media for its coverage and support from the outset as "The Great American Speedway!" embarks on its 10th anniversary season of racing. He saluted their efforts with a champagne toast during the ceremony and a banner also hung on the Victory Lane Broadcast Center that read, "Thank You DFW Media For Being 10 Years Strong." The upper level of the Victory Lane Broadcast Center consists of seven enclosed studios - ranging in size from 11'x11' to 7'x7' - with 11'x11' outdoor platforms on each end. Each enclosed studio features sound-reduction walls and glass, accessibility to fiber-optic transmission lines, multiple audio feeds, television, phone and internet lines, window film to reduce glare or offset sunlight, lighting poles and studio chairs among its amenities. Two of the smaller studios are multi-purpose, set up for television but also equipped with ISDN lines to cater to radio broadcasters. There also is a freight elevator for transporting equipment to the second-level studios.
The two outdoor platforms, which are equipped with power outlets, are ideal for live television "stand-ups" and each offers multiple backdrops for different looks. The backdrops include Victory Lane and the frontstretch, entrances/exits to both the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup and Busch garages as well as the backstretch and each turn of "The Great American Speedway!" The platforms also are an ideal television camera location for an overhead view of Victory Circle as the race winner pulls in for the post-race ceremony and celebration. The upper level will be fully operational for the upcoming Samsung/RadioShack 500 NASCAR weekend set for April 6-9. The lower level, Phase II of the project, is targeted for completion prior to the Dickies 500 NASCAR weekend set for November 2-5. The lower level will serve as the home base for television and radio media, with plans to construct a "deadline" room similar to the one utilized by the print media. The work area will be 28'x18' and include high-speed Ethernet, wireless capabilities and multiple televisions to monitor the racing action. There also will be a multi-purpose room that is adjacent to the deadline area that may be converted into an additional interview room, edit bay, prep room or additional deadline space.(TMS PR)(3-31-2006)

TMS to build new media center: Texas Motor Speedway has embarked on an innovative project designed to further attract and expand the scope of local, regional and national television and radio coverage of motorsports with the construction of an ultra-modern media broadcast center. The media broadcast center, which will encompass the speedway's Victory Lane on the frontstretch, will be a two-story multi-purpose facility for both television and radio media outlets covering events at "The Great American Speedway." The Victory Lane Broadcast Center will consist of seven media suites overlooking Victory Lane that will serve as sound-proof studios for both television and radio, two raised outdoor platforms for live stand-ups, a "deadline" work room for television and radio outlets only, an interview room/edit bay area and a conference room. Television outlets will have use of five of the studio suites, four of which measure 11'x11' and one 7'x11', and each offering a dramatic backdrop of the speedway's frontstretch, grandstands and luxury suites. The studio suites can cater to pre-race shows for the network broadcasters as well as local morning and sports shows seeking a studio environment. In addition, television outlets will have use of two 11'x11' platforms on each side of the suites for those interested in live, outside stand-ups that will feature Victory Lane and the frontstretch as a backdrop. Texas Motor Speedway also is attempting to enhance the production side for television outlets with plans to install multiple fiber lines. The fiber lines will give television outlets the ability to feed live interviews or footage directly to their studio and eliminate the need for a satellite truck.
Radio outlets will have access to two 7'x11' suites on the upper level, but also will have additional accommodations on the lower level. Four radio rooms, which are 6'x7' in size, will be on the lower level of the compound, giving them six broadcast booths overall. Similar to the print media, the television and radio media will have their own "deadline" room on the lower level. The work area will be 28'x18' and include high-speed Ethernet, wireless capabilities and multiple televisions to monitor the racing action. There also will be a prep room that adjoins the deadline room and can be used as an interview room or edit bay. The lower level also will house a conference room for Texas Motor Speedway officials that can double as an interview area if needed.
Stuckey Architects, of Weatherford, Texas, is handling the project and already has completed the construction blueprints. Initial construction began this week. The upper level of the Victory Lane Broadcast Center, which includes the media suites and raised platforms, is scheduled to be completed prior to the Samsung/RadioShack 500 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series/Busch Series race weekend set for April 6-9. The lower level is scheduled for completion prior to the Dickies 500 NASCAR triple-header weekend set for Nov. 2-5.(TMS PR)(12-2-2005)

No Countdown of Laps at Texas? huh? Texas Motor Speedway's president Eddie Gossage is upset over NASCAR officials not allowing the speedway to count down the laps on the two infield scoring towers. Other NASCAR events have the towers count upward as each lap is completed. Gossage thought it was better this weekend to count down, so the fans would see how many laps remained in the Dickies 500. Gossage said NASCAR president Mike Helton refused to allow the change. "He said it would be confusing to the fans and to the scoring officials," Gossage said. "But you watch. Come the Daytona 500 next year, [NASCAR] will do it and have a press conference saying it was their idea."(Dallas Morning News)(11-7-2005)

Ferko attends race at Texas: Francis Ferko, the man who sued NASCAR and International Speedway Corporation to bring a second Nextel Cup race to Texas Motor Speedway, arrived at the track six hours before the green flag dropped. Joe Luse, a 26-year-old fan from The Colony, read Ferko's story a few weeks ago in The Dallas Morning News and invited him to sit with his family for the race. "I read he didn't have tickets and thought if there was one person who should be at this race, it was him," Luse said. Ferko accepted the offer and was walking around the pits with Luse hours before Sunday's race. "I'm excited that it's finally here," said Ferko, wearing his Mark Martin cap and jacket. "It's pretty cool to be here and see all these fans." Ferko rode in Greg Biffle's truck as part of prerace introductions because he made a donation to Speedway Children's Charities. Ferko then sat up in the grandstands to watch the action. (Dallas Morning News)(11-7-2005)

No Attention for Ferko at TMS for race date: Texas Motor Speedway will not call attention this weekend to the man who sued NASCAR that resulted in Texas’ second race date. Francis Ferko filed the lawsuit in February of 2002 on behalf of shareholders of Speedway Motorsports seeking two race dates per season. Track president Eddie Gossage said; "What he (Ferko) did obviously paved the way for this race in so many ways but we have that relationship with NASCAR that we’ve got to maintain and so it just wouldn’t be appropriate and I would hope he understands that. What do you do if you’re us? You’re between a rock and a hard place. I empathize with Mr. Ferko’s position but I also know that it just wouldn’t be appropriate to NASCAR." Gossage noted this is not part of the settlement. "I’ve never had that conversation with anybody at NASCAR…that’s just how I was raised. NASCAR isn’t trying to tweak us and we’re not trying to tweak them and to do so they would take it as affront and we don’t want to do that. We’re incredible appreciative to Mr. Ferko for doing what he did, we really are, and it would be a great thing for the fans to shower their appreciation on him but we just can’t do that."(PRN's Garage Pass Radio Show)(11-4-2005)

Start time at Texas changed, 40 minutes later: NASCAR has changed the starting time of Sunday's inaugural Dickies 500 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series race to 3:50pm/et, 40 minutes later than originally announced. The move from the original start time of 3:10pm/et should prove beneficial to both race fans attending the Dickies 500 at Texas Motor Speedway as well as those watching the national telecast on NBC. The slightly later start time will ensure that the Dickies 500 marks the first time in the nine-year history of Texas Motor Speedway that a NASCAR NEXTEL Cup race will run under the lights at the 1.5-mile oval."It is only fitting that the Chase race with the largest purse, largest attendance and largest market has its overall ambience enhanced by the final, dramatic laps being run under the lights at Texas Motor Speedway," Texas Motor Speedway President Eddie Gossage said. "Our fans have always wanted to watch a NASCAR NEXTEL Cup race under the lights here, so I guess the Dickies 500 will serve as a trial run for the sort of night-time spectacle you can expect at a facility such as this. Someday I'd love to start and finish a NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series race at 'The Great American Speedway' under the lights."
Also, the later start will allow viewers to shift from one of America's most popular sports to a highly anticipated episode of one of its most popular shows. The Dickies 500 telecast will be immediately followed by a rare live episode of the highly acclaimed drama, "West Wing."
"With the Dickies 500 being the eighth of 10 races in the Chase and a heck of a battle going on for the championship, this race should have a large national appeal for viewers," Gossage said. "And we are extremely pleased that our television partner NBC appreciates the magnitude of this race from such a major market and pairing it with one of their most popular and highly acclaimed shows, 'West Wing'." The new green flag time will not alter the start time of the "Coca-Cola Zero Pre-Race Extravaganza," which will begin as originally scheduled at 12:00pm/et. The green-flag times for the other feature races of the weekend - Friday night's NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Silverado 350k (9:25pm/et, SPEED) and Saturday's NASCAR Busch Series O'Reilly Challenge (2:20pm/et, TNT) - will remain as scheduled.(TMS PR)(11-1-2005)

Dickies 500 Purse Richest in Chase History: Texas Motor Speedway President Eddie Gossage announced that the inaugural Dickies 500 on Sunday, Nov. 6 will have a purse in excess of $6.8 million, making it the richest payout in the two-year history of the Chase for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup. The official purse totals $6,815,880 and eclipses the previous purse high for a Chase race by nearly $1 million, which was held by Atlanta Motor Speedway at $5,889,437 for this weekend's Bass Pro Shops MBNA 500. The Dickies 500 purse, in which the winner will collect $424,350 plus any additional posted awards and contingencies, also is the fourth largest for the entire 36-race NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series season. The awards posted for the Dickies 500 trails only the Daytona 500, the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard and Texas' April NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series race, the Samsung/RadioShack 500.
In addition to the record-setting Dickies 500 purse, $1,150,720 will be awarded in the Nov. 5 O'Reilly Challenge NASCAR Busch Series race and $543,771 in the Nov. 4 Silverado 350k NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series event. Tickets are available for all Dickies 500 race week events. Tickets may be purchased daily at the speedway ticket office, by calling (817) 215-8500, online 24 hours a day at texasmotorspeedway.com and at Ticketmaster locations.(TMS PR)(10-31-2005)

National Anthem at Texas: Country superstar Sara Evans will sing "God Bless Texas," the National Anthem and some of her own songs during the Coca-Cola Zero Pre-Race Extravaganza prior to the Dickies 500. Evans' newest CD, Real Fine Place, was released Oct. 4 and A Real Fine Place to Start has been #1 on the Billboard country singles charts for two weeks. It marks her fourth single at No. 1, joining previous #1 singles Suds In The Bucket, Born to Fly and No Place That Far. An opportunity to take a look at her career, new CD, affinity to NASCAR and singing in front of 200,000, one of if not the largest crowd of her career. Evans is tentatively scheduled for a media opportunity in the deadline media center room on Sunday (Nov. 6) from 12:30-1 p.m. Contact: TMS Public Relations, 817-215-8520.(10-30-2005)

Texas/Martinsville Date Swap in 2006? UPDATE 2: NASCAR executives are reported to be interested in persuading Texas Motor Speedway to swap its April 9, 2006, Cup weekend with Martinsville's April 2 date, in order to keep the Texas race from going head-to-head against the Masters. However, Texas has already started selling tickets for the April 9 race.(Winston Salem Journal)(10-18-2005)
UPDATE: NASCAR officials have approached Texas Motor Speedway president Eddie Gossage about a possible date swap for the 2006 Samsung/RadioShack 500 Nextel Cup weekend. The race in Fort Worth currently is scheduled for April 9, one week after the series visits Martinsville Speedway. Gossage said Fox Network officials would like TMS and Martinsville to swap dates, taking TMS out of a battle for viewers against the Masters -- one of golf's biggest tournaments. "They want to maximize TV ratings [for TMS], and that's a compliment," Gossage said. "But I do want to caution people -- do not move any reservations. It's an ongoing discussion." Gossage said a decision should be announced in "a week or two." In any event, individual tickets for the Samsung/RadioShack 500 and the IRL IndyCar Series Bombardier 500 night race in June will go on sale at 9 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 9.(Fort Worth Star Telegram)(10-20-2005)
UPDATE 2: Following discussions with NASCAR over the past few weeks about the feasibility of moving up the April date of the 2006 Samsung/RadioShack 500 race weekend, Texas Motor Speedway President Eddie Gossage confirmed today that the event will remain in its previously announced weekend slot of April 6-9. NASCAR, along with television partner FOX, was considering the possibility of the Samsung/RadioShack 500 being moved to Sunday, April 2 so the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup race would not have to go head-to-head with the final round of the Masters, golf's marquee event. The move, which would have involved switching dates with Martinsville Speedway, would have further bolstered the television audience for an event that routinely is one of the top rated in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup season, but all agreed there were multiple considerations and obstacles that could not be overcome at this juncture. "We discussed the possibility of moving the race date in the best interest of the sport, but ultimately both Texas Motor Speedway and NASCAR decided that we did not want to inconvenience the tens of thousands fans that have already made hotel reservations, airline reservations and bought tickets to the Samsung/RadioShack 500," Gossage said. "The fans always come first, and we will run the Samsung/RadioShack 500 on Sunday, April 9, 2006, as originally announced." The spring event in 2006 will mark the 10th running of the Samsung/RadioShack 500 and seventh of 36 races on the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series schedule. Race times will be announced at a later date when available. (TMS PR)(10-21-2005)

Texas Motor Speedway Purchases Frontstretch Tickets For Fans: Texas Motor Speedway has purchased back 620 frontstretch tickets from corporations for the Nov. 6 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series Dickies 500 and will make them available to fans. Companies regularly purchase blocks of tickets in advance but do not always use the full allotment. Texas Motor Speedway has purchased back the unused tickets to sell to the general public. The available tickets will go on sale Wednesday, Oct. 12, at 9 a.m. at the speedway ticket office, online at www.texasmotorspeedway.com , by calling the ticket hotline at (817) 215-8500, or at participating Ticketmaster locations. The green flag drops for the Dickies 500 at 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 6. Tickets are still available for the NASCAR Busch Series O'Reilly Challenge (Nov. 5) and the Craftsman Truck Series Silverado 350k (Nov. 4) as well as Albertsons Qualifying Days (Nov. 3-4).(TMS)(10-12-2005)

Texas Motor Speedway a Staging Area for FEMA: Texas Motor Speedway will serve as a staging ground for the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which could house as many as 600 supply trucks in far north Fort Worth until they are called to aid in the recovery from Hurricane Rita, speedway president Eddie Gossage said. TMS will also open its kitchens to help FEMA prepare food, Gossage said, and FEMA personnel will have access to restrooms and shower facilties on speedway grounds. Gossage said TMS was contacted as a possible site to be used in various capacities after Hurricane Katrina. FEMA called again Wednesday. "They called and said they'd like to use our acreage and parking lots," Gossage said. "The more we talked, the more we realized we could supply even more. They love the fact that it's right on the Interstate [35], so as soon as it passes they can be on their way."(Fort Worth Star Telegram)(9-23-2005)

Gossage has plans for a book on TMS: Because 2006 will be Texas Motor Speedway's 10th season, president Eddie Gossage said TMS plans to publish a coffee table book celebrating the track's most memorable moments. "We want the people who made history here to write it," he said. "I think that would make it more meaningful to fans." For example, Gossage wants Dale Earnhardt Jr. to write about his first Busch and Cup wins coming at Texas. He wants Arie Luyendyk to write about that infamous moment in Victory Lane when A.J. Foyt slapped him to the ground. And Gossage hopes Kenny Brack will want to write about his terrifying crash. The book's probable release is Christmas 2006, after the completion of TMS' 10th season.(Dallas Morning News)(8-26-2005)

Buying Beer/Wine at Texas allowed: Governor Rick Perry has signed into law the "Fan Choice" legislation that will allow fans, for the first time in the nine-year history of Texas Motor Speedway, to purchase beer and wine in the grandstand concourse during major race weekends. As a result of this landmark legislation, Texas Motor Speedway becomes the first sports facility in the state to serve beer and wine as well as continue its "fan friendly" policy of permitting fans to bring their own coolers with alcoholic beverages into the facility. Texas Motor Speedway had the option to sell beer and wine or allow the fans to bring their own after passage of a local option election in 2000, and speedway president Eddie Gossage favored the option that most benefited the fan. Passage of SB 1331, authored by State Senator Jane Nelson of Lewisville and carried in the House by State Representative Mary Denny of Flower Mound, now allows the fans a choice, which is in line with every other major motorsports facility in the United States. The bill authorizes the granting of temporary beer and wine permits to be issued during major event weekends such as NASCAR or Indy Racing League races, and would also apply during practice and qualifying days of those specific weekends. The change only affects sales in the grandstand area, and will not apply to the infield, luxury suites or the Speedway Club.
The legislation includes responsible drinking provisions that will make Texas Motor Speedway unique among the motorsports industry. Those provisions include:
Ø Sales will be terminated after 75% of the laps in the feature race are complete or not later than one hour prior to the conclusion of non-race events such as practice and qualifying
Ø Only two drinks at a time may be served to a single customer
Ø No more than 50% of the concession areas may sell alcoholic beverages
Ø Alcoholic beverages may not be sold in factory-sealed containers.
The change in law took effect immediately upon the Governor's signature. The next step in the process is obtaining the necessary permits from the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission, handled through the commission's field office in Denton.(Texas Motor Speedway)(6-2-2005)

Texas expects a sellout for November race: Texas Motor Speedway president Eddie Gossage said tickets for the Dickies 500 on Nov. 6. are selling faster than any previous TMS event. "The question is not whether we will sell out, but when will it occur," Gossage said. "We're in great shape. There's so much excitement about this event. It's kind of like a grand opening all over again for us." The November NASCAR weekend, which includes a Busch and Craftsman Truck race, includes the second Nextel Cup race TMS officials have long wanted. The Dickies 500 is the eighth of the 10 Chase races.(Dallas Morning News)(5-20-2005)

Bruton Looking to Buy Track and Move Date: Bruton Smith [SMI, owns Atlanta, Bristol, Las Vegas, Lowe's MS, Texas and Infineons] said he's trying to purchase another speedway that has a Nextel Cup event so he can transfer that Cup date to his Las Vegas track: "I work on that every week. It's very difficult, but it's a no-brainer that the entertainment capital of the world should have two Cup races."(Dallas Morning News)(4-29-2005)

Nov. Texas go one sale May 6th: Individual tickets for the November NASCAR weekend at TMS go on sale May 6 at 9 a.m. Fans can purchase tickets to the Silverado 350 Craftsman Truck Series race on Nov. 4, the O'Reilly Challenge Busch race Nov. 5 and Dickies 500 Nextel Cup race Nov. 6.(Dallas Morning News)(4-29-2005)

Bill would OK beer sales in grandstands at Texas: Senate Bill 1331, sponsored by [Texas] state Sen. Jane Nelson, R-Lewisville, was passed by the Business and Commerce Committee on Thursday. The bill is headed to the Texas Senate floor would allow beer and wine sales for the grandstands at Texas Motor Speedway. Beer sellers would be allowed -- with limitations -- to obtain temporary wine and beer retailer's permits for NASCAR and Indy-car events at the speedway. The permits would be limited to those events. Alcohol sales, to be restricted to half of the concessions area, would cease after 75% of the laps in a race were complete. Sales of sealed containers would be prohibited. SB 1331, which can still be changed by lawmakers, would take effect after Sept. 1 -- in plenty of time for the speedway's NASCAR Nextel Cup weekend in early November. The bill would not affect policies regarding beer brought to the speedway in coolers, state officials said. Coolers are permitted in any place that has a wine and beer retail permit, according to the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission.(Fort Worth Star Telegram)(4-16-2005)

Texas Motor Speedway Salutes the Great American Hero: One of the nation's largest sports crowds gathered for Sunday's Samsung/RadioShack 500 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series race at Texas Motor Speedway will honor 500 returning soldiers from Operation Iraqi Freedom as part of the "The Great American Speedway Salutes the Great American Hero" celebration. After the troops are assembled on the frontstretch of the speedway, Lt. General Thomas Metz, the commander of the U.S. Army's III Corps in Iraq, will formally welcome the soldiers back to the United States after their service in Iraq. Texas Governor Rick Perry also will address the soldiers. The emotional ceremony will begin at 11:50am/et and be among the highlights of the pre-race activities. Texas Motor Speedway will host the soldiers for one of the most prestigious races in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series. The speedway has constructed a special grandstand in Turn 3 exclusively for the soldiers, who will also be provided food and beverages during their day. Soldiers from six Fort Hood, Texas units will participate. The units include the 1st Calvary Division, 13th Corp Support Command, 3rd Signal Brigade, 504th Military Intelligence Brigade, 89th Military Police Brigade and HHC, III Corps. Soldiers from the Army Reserve and the Texas Army National Guard, both based in Fort Worth, Texas, also will participate. Following the ceremony, 100 soldiers will remain on the frontstretch to assist in the presentation of the United States and Texas flags. The 4th Infantry Division Band will perform in a concert prior to the ceremony and will play during the exit of the troops to their grandstand seats. A flyover by AH-64 Apache helicopters will close the ceremony.(TMS)(4-15-2005)

Actor to promote recycling cell phones at Texas: Actor Richard Karn, who played Al in the sitcom Home Improvement and is the host of Family Feud, will take part in Sunday's prerace activities to inform fans about RadioShack's cellphone recycling program. The proceeds from recycled phones go to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.(Dallas Morning News)(4-15-2005)

Tickets Available for Sunday's race at Texas: Texas Motor Speedway corporate sponsors are stepping up one final time and making 218 more prime frontstretch tickets available for Sunday's Samsung/RadioShack 500 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series race. The tickets, which offer excellent viewing locations along the frontstretch, will be available for sale to the public beginning at 9 a.m. Central Time on Wednesday, April 13th. The tickets will be available at the speedway ticket office, by calling (817) 215-8500, online at www.texasmotorspeedway.com and at Ticketmaster locations. There will be a 20-ticket purchase limit on this special allocation. Corporate sponsors noticed the demand for the initial 322 seats they made available to the general public two weeks ago, and came through with another small but valuable allotment for race fans. For those fans that may not be fortunate to secure any of the 218 seats for the perennially sold-out event, there are also less than 1,000 backstretch seats still available.(TMS)(4-13-2005)

Aikman to be be co-Grand Marshal at Texas: Dallas Cowboys three-time Super Bowl champion quarterback Troy Aikman [owner of Hall of Fame Racing Cup team], highly acclaimed comedian George Lopez and former American Idol finalist and rising country star Josh Gracin headline the pre-race festivities scheduled for the April 17 Samsung/RadioShack 500 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series race at Texas Motor Speedway. Aikman and Lopez will team up as Grand Marshals to deliver a truly historic and unique "Gentlemen, Start Your Engines" command to start the Samsung/RadioShack 500. In a salute to NASCAR's ongoing diversity initiatives, Texas Motor Speedway will have Aikman and Lopez alternate back and forth in English and Spanish, respectively, with each word of the command.
Joining Aikman and Lopez in an honorary role will be Peter Skarzynski, Samsung's senior vice president of wireless terminals sales and marketing. He will serve as the Honorary Starter for the Samsung/RadioShack 500. Skarzynski, who joined Samsung in its Dallas headquarters in 1997, has led the effort to establish Samsung as an industry leader, launching some of the first integrated camera phones and multimedia devices in North America.
Gracin will perform the National Anthem prior to the start of the Samsung/RadioShack 500. He was a finalist on American Idol2 and his career has taken off since his national debut on the hit FOX television show.
Also getting an opportunity to sing the National Anthem will be Kerry Harvick, who will have the honor prior to Saturday's O'Reilly's 300 NASCAR Busch Series race. Harvick, a native of Commanche, Texas and cousin of NASCAR NEXTEL Cup star Kevin Harvick, has produced her debut single, "Cowgirls," and her debut album is scheduled for release this fall. She also wrote the song, "Til Nothing Comes Between Us," which became a hit for John Michael Montgomery.
Also joining in the Samsung/RadioShack 500 pre-race festivities will be actor Richard Karn, best known for his role as Tim Allen's sidekick Al in the former ABC television's hit sitcom Home Improvement. Karn, who currently hosts the television game show Family Feud, will be on stage to inform NASCAR fans about the Call2Recycle program. The Rechargeable Battery Recycling Corporation's cell phone recycling program is available at RadioShack locations nationwide and proceeds are contributed to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.(Texas Motor Speedway)(4-11-2005)

Frontstretch Ticket Allocation Moves In Eight Minutes: It took race fans a mere eight minutes Thursday morning to purchase the special allocation of 322 frontstretch grandstand tickets for the April 17 Samsung/RadioShack 500 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series race at Texas Motor Speedway. Texas Motor Speedway's corporate partners returned the 322 tickets so that race fans would have the opportunity to purchase the prime seat locations. The tickets went on sale at 9 a.m. Central Time and were spoken for by 9:08 a.m. Central Time. For those fans still yearning to attend the April 14-17 race weekend, there still remain opportunities to secure a seat. A very limited amount of 2005 Texas Motor Speedway season tickets are still available. Season tickets offer fans the same frontstretch seat for the entire race season. Individual race backstretch tickets are also on sale for the Samsung/RadioShack 500. A giant video screen for backstretch patrons will keep them up-to-date with action around the speedway including pit stops. Frontstretch tickets are also on sale for The Dallas Morning News Qualifying Day on Friday, April 15 featuring practice and qualifying for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series and the Crown Royal International Race of Champions. Tickets for the Samsung/RadioShack 500 weekend are on sale daily at the speedway ticket office, by calling the hotline at (817) 215-8500, online at www.texasmotorspeedway.com and at Ticketmaster locations.(TMS)(4-1-2005)

UPS partners up with Bristol and Texas: UPS announced that it has entered into a new partnership with Speedway Motorsports, Inc., (SMI) to become an exclusive track sponsor of Bristol Motor Speedway and Texas Motor Speedway. This new partnership is introduced on the heels of an earlier announcement in regards to UPS’s new relationships with California Speedway, Homestead-Miami Speedway and Richmond International Raceway. The addition of Bristol and Texas to the UPS family of race tracks that has also included Daytona International Speedway since 2001 provides UPS with a presence at a variety of geographic locations visited by the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series. Beyond branding presence at the tracks, UPS will coordinate both outbound and inbound shipments, including ticket packages and merchandise for vendor concessions.(UPS Racing)(4-1-2005)

Texas Tix Available: The generosity of Texas Motor Speedway corporate partners has resulted in 322 prime frontstretch tickets for the April 17 Samsung/RadioShack 500 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series race becoming available for sale to the public beginning at 10:00am/et on Thursday, March 31st. The tickets will be available at the speedway ticket office, by calling (817) 215-8500, online at www.texasmotorspeedway.com and at Ticketmaster locations. There will be a 20-ticket purchase limit on the specially released frontstretch allocation. A very limited number of 2005 season tickets are also still available. Season-ticket holders also receive complimentary tickets to Fandango4, the exclusive season ticket-holder party on Thursday evening, April 14. Pit passes for the April and November NASCAR weekends, if available, are available only to season ticket holders.(Texas Motor Speedway)(3-30-2005)

Texas Pulls Marketing Proposal off table: Texas Motor Speedway on Tuesday withdrew a marketing proposal for the city to spend about $500,000 to promote races and other local events. The proposal, publicly discussed at City Hall last month, would have teamed the speedway with the Fort Worth Convention & Visitors Bureau to market races -- and Fort Worth -- over the next 20 years. "We took the opportunity off the table," TMS President Eddie Gossage said. "As we continued to talk to the city, they wanted more and more and more. We simply couldn't provide them with what they wanted," he said. "It wasn't a good business deal."(Fort Worth Star Telegram)(3-23-2005)

Big Screens at Texas: Everything is bigger and better in Texas, including the view for fans at Texas Motor Speedway's races in 2005. Fans watching this season's two NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series races from the grandstands will catch all of the racing action live on four big screens. And, what a view it will be from the backstretch! Fans sitting in those seats will now have an up close view of all the action with a huge state-of-the-art big screen measuring 16 x 24 feet, allowing fans to see pit stop action along with racing coverage around the entire speedway. Instant replays of critical portions of the races will be shown on the screens. In addition, Texas Motor Speedway will place screens measuring 13 ½ x 18 feet in Turn One and Turn Four as well as one on the front stretch at the start/finish line near Victory Lane measuring 20 x 27 feet. Tickets for the April 17 Samsung/RadioShack 500 race weekend are available seven days a week at the speedway ticket office, by calling (817) 215-8500, online at www.texasmotorspeedway.com. Season tickets are also still available. Individual race tickets for the November 6 Dickies 500 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series inaugural event go on sale May 6.(TMS PR)(2-25-2005)

France Jr. plans visit to Texas: NASCAR vice chairman Bill France Jr. is planning a visit to Texas Motor Speedway in 2005, the track's first season to play host to two Nextel Cup Series races. "I haven't been there for a while, and I want to check on the traffic," France joked outside the NASCAR hauler Sunday morning. France said he was more likely to make the trip to Fort Worth for the Samsung/RadioShack 500 in April than for the inaugural Dickies 500 in November. NASCAR granted TMS its long-sought second Cup date in May, when a federal lawsuit filed by Speedway Motorsports Inc. shareholder Francis Ferko of Plano was settled out of court. "Texas makes things happen," said France, son of NASCAR founder Bill France and father of NASCAR chairman/CEO Brian France. "For us not to be there doesn't make a lot of sense. How many times we've got to be there is a little different. But comparing it to the Rockingham [N.C.] market area and every other way of measuring a facility, there's no issue there. No comparison." SMI chairman O. Bruton Smith purchased the North Carolina Speedway in Rockingham as part of the lawsuit settlement. The Rock no longer is on the Cup schedule. France said he had no personal ax to grind with Smith, who, along with TMS president Eddie Gossage, charged that NASCAR had reneged on "the promise" of a second Cup date as early as the summer of 1996. That led to Ferko's lawsuit.(Fort Worth Star Telegram)(2-21-2005)

Texas wants city to kick in some $$ and tax kick back: Officials at the Texas Motor Speedway, which is getting its second Nextel Cup race this year, want the city of Fort Worth to contribute about $500,000 to help with marketing. "The Cup race is good for one year," said Tom Krampitz, the speedway's director of government relations and general counsel. "Another race in 2006 depends on us selling out the speedway in 2005." He said local fans typically pack the stadium for the first big Nextel Cup Series race, which this year is the Samsung/RadioShack 500 on April 17. They won't necessarily return for the Nov. 6 Dickie's 500 race, he said. Krampitz presented the proposal Tuesday to a City Council committee, which endorsed and forwarded the proposal to the full council for consideration. The 20-year promotional proposal would team up the speedway and the Fort Worth Convention and Visitors Bureau to promote both races - and Fort Worth - with financial help from the city. Krampitz said the speedway has committed to spending $2.8 million on marketing efforts this year. Speedway officials want the city to contribute additional funds by kicking back most of the sales and hotel taxes generated by the second race each year. Speedway officials estimated that about $300,000 would be generated in sales taxes and about $200,000 from the hotel tax this year. The proposal seeks a rebate of 100 percent of those taxes for the first five years, and 90 percent for the next five years. For the final 10 years of the agreement, the city would kick back 70 percent of the sales and hotel taxes generated.(Fort Worth Star Telegram/AP)(2-9-2005)

Victory Lane Express back at Texas: Back by popular demand, the Victory Lane Express bus service from Fort Worth to Texas Motor Speedway will provide race fans with economical roundtrip service for the 2005 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup and Busch Series races again in 2005. This is the second year the Fort Worth Transportation Authority (the "T") has provided the service. The Victory Lane Express will offer fans roundtrip transportation from the Tarrant County Community College Northwest Campus to the speedway for just $10 per person. Drop off and pickup at the speedway will be in the facility's bus lot located adjacent to Highway 114 that allows for expedited service. Departures from the college will begin at 9:00am on race days with the first return trip scheduled 30 minutes after each race.(TMS PR)(1-18-2005)

2nd Texas race to end under the lights? UPDATE: NASCAR and Texas Motor Speedway officials are talking to NBC about a late-afternoon start for the Nov. 6 Dickies 500 Nextel Cup race so the event would end under the lights. The race probably would start between 3 and 4 p.m. The last third of the event would be run in darkness and lead into NBC's prime-time Sunday night lineup. The 334-lap Cup races at TMS take about 3 ½ hours.(Dallas Morning News)(1-7-2005)
UPDATE: Fans attending the inaugural November 6 Dickies 500 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup race at Texas Motor Speedway will see both a day and night race. Daylight savings time ends the weekend prior to the Dickies 500. NBC coverage of the race will begin at 2:00pm/ct [3:00pm/et] with green flag at approximately 2:20pm/ct. That will put the last part of the race under the lights at Texas. "It's very unique and we love the idea," said speedway president Eddie Gossage. "We've always said it would be great to have a night Cup race at Texas, but I never dreamed we'd have a race that was both day and night. I think it will be something fun for the fans." Texas will also retain its traditional two-day qualifying format for both NASCAR weekends. Texas Motor Speedway Season Tickets are on sale now. Individual tickets for the Dickies 500 will go on sale May 6.(TMS PR)(1-13-2005)

Texas to reconstruct tunnel: A $1.5 million construction project has begun on roadways around the south tunnel infield entrance at Texas Motor Speedway in an effort to improve traffic flow on speedway grounds and to expedite traffic on nearby public roads. The south tunnel is the first of several improvement projects planned for the speedway. "The south tunnel project is something we've wanted to do for several years," said speedway president Eddie Gossage. "Heavy vehicular traffic around the tunnel combined with heavy pedestrian traffic makes it a tough situation for everyone. The new design, which includes an elevated roadway and pedestrian walkway, will hopefully cut down on the majority of the traffic problems we experience in that area at race time. NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series driver Tony Stewart even helped give us some suggestions." All inbound traffic on Allison Avenue with credentials for the infield may drive directly into and out of the south tunnel as before. The biggest changes are with cross traffic traveling on the inner ring road, Lone Star Circle. Vehicles traveling either direction on Lone Star Circle past the south tunnel entrance will drive over Allison Avenue on an elevated roadway. Vehicles attempting to enter the infield off of Lone Star Circle will have new entrances into the south tunnel. Those driving from the east/Turn 2 side of the speedway will find a south tunnel entrance road prior to Allison Ave. Those driving from the west/Turn 1 side of the speedway will drive onto the elevated roadway over Allison and take an exit ramp down into the tunnel entrance.
All pedestrian traffic crossing east and west will also be sent up and over Allison Avenue. Fans can enter the south tunnel utilizing a new pedestrian walkway located adjacent to The Speedway Club. Fans on foot will also find a new walkway just east of the interchange leading them to a new grandstand entrance located above the south tunnel. In addition to the south tunnel, the speedway plans to widen many pedestrian walkways including the sidewalks adjacent to backstretch parking as well as the walkway along the souvenir midway on the frontstretch. All projects are scheduled for completion prior to the April 14-17 Samsung/RadioShack 500 race week.(Texas Motor Speedway PR)(12-13-2004)

TMS Tree Lit: The holiday tree for the city of Fort Worth is illuminated in its downtown location. Texas Motor Speedway and Speedway Children's Charities - Texas Chapter donated the speedway's 65-foot Douglas Fir tree to the city for display when the former tree sponsors were not able to raise funds for this season. The tree, located in Sundance Square, will be lit through the holiday season.
(Texas Motor Speedway image).

$475,000 to be Distributed at Texas MS: Speedway Children's Charities will be distributing a record $475,000 to 159 charities benefiting children from Tarrant, Dallas, Denton and Collin counties. The annual grant ceremony will take place in front of the 65-foot Christmas tree in Sundance Square on Friday, Nov. 26 at 5:20pm. Fort Worth Mayor Mike Moncrief and his wife Rosie will participate in the ceremony which includes a "sneak peek" lighting of the Christmas tree scheduled for 5:25 p.m. Texas Motor Speedway and Speedway Children's Charities donated the Douglas Fir tree to the city of Fort Worth to serve as the official tree for the city's holiday season. The grant ceremony is scheduled to end just before 6 p.m. All attending charities, including many children, will then proceed to a special VIP viewing area at Main and 6th Street to watch the Starbucks Parade of Lights.(TMS PR)(11-30-2004)

Texas Tree Lighting: Speedway Children's Charities will distribute a record $475,000 to the local charities during its annual grant ceremony on Friday, Nov. 26. The event will be held in conjunction with Fort Worth's "Home for the Holidays" celebration that includes the annual lighting of the Christmas tree in Sundance Square and the Starbucks Parade of Lights presented by Downtown Fort Worth, Inc. Texas Motor Speedway and Speedway Children's Charities donated the 65-foot Christmas tree to the city of Fort Worth. The Speedway Children's Charities ceremony will begin at 5:20 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 26, with a special "sneak peak" lighting of the tree at Sundance Square in Fort Worth. At 6:15 p.m., the 22nd Annual Starbucks Parade of Lights presented by Downtown Fort Worth, Inc. will kick off Fort Worth's holiday celebration with more than 100 illuminated parade entries. The parade steps off from Weatherford Street between Henderson and Throckmorton Streets. At the conclusion of the grant ceremony, the tree will go dark until the parade ends. At that time, approximately 7:45 p.m., Santa will be on hand to re-light the tree that will remain lit until January 5, 2005.(TMS PR)(11-24-2004)

2005 Texas Tix go onsale Saturday: Individual race tickets for 2005 April and June events at Texas Motor Speedway go on sale this Saturday morning, Nov. 6, at 9:00am. But, fans are already lining up outside the Gate 4 and 5 ticket windows. Glen Kadlacek from Riesel, Texas, was the first to arrive at 3:45am. Thursday morning, just over 53 hours prior to tickets going on sale. This year tickets will be sold at the Gate 4 and 5 ticket windows along the frontstretch of the superspeedway. (In years past, the event was held at the Texas Motor Speedway Dirt Track box office.) There is a 20-ticket limit per purchase in effect for fans acquiring tickets in person. Individual tickets for November 2005 race events go on sale May 6, 2005 Fans may also purchase individual tickets Saturday by calling the speedway ticket hotline at (817) 215-8500, going online to www.texasmotorspeedway.com , or at participating Ticketmaster locations. Following Saturday, fans purchasing tickets in person can do so in the main ticket office.(TMS PR)(11-5-2004)

[Texas] Settlement Costs SMI: Speedway Motorsports Inc. today reported an 11% increase in third-quarter revenue to $71 million but a net loss of $4.5 million, or 10 cents per diluted share. The loss compares with earnings of $1.9 million, or 4 cents per diluted share, in the same period last year. SMI said the results include an after-tax charge of $7.2 million, or 16 cents per share, related to a legal settlement with NASCAR and International Speedway Corp. over a shareholder suit. Without the charge SMI earned $2.7 million, or 6 cents per diluted share, up from $1.85 million, or 4 cents per share, in last year's quarter. The Charlotte Business Journal reports that analysts had, on average, expected the company to earn 5 cents per share. SMI operates tracks in Bristol, Tenn., Atlanta, Charlotte, Fort Worth, Texas, Las Vegas and Sonoma, Calif.(NASCAR Scene)(11-3-2004)

TMS's Gossage to be honored: Texas Motor Speedway President Eddie Gossage will be honored along with Gale Sayers, Bill Parcells, David Robinson, Jerry Jones and others at the 39th Annual Dallas All Sports Association [DASA]banquet on Sept. 24. The annual banquet honors those exhibiting excellence in athletics, character and citizenship from both college and professional sports. Gossage was selected by the organization to receive its "Motor Sports Award" for 2004. The award, which was established by DASA in 2000, is given each year to the person in motorsports who has been a significant influence or factor for Texas Motor Speedway. Gossage was chosen by the DASA selection committee this year for his efforts to secure a second NASCAR NEXTEL Cup race for Texas. The speedway was finally awarded the second date in May of this year. Other notable recipients for this year's event include former Dallas Cowboys [and Eagles] standout Herschel Walker, Oklahoma Sooners head coach Bob Stoops and starting OU quarterback Jason White. Past recipients of the Texas Motor Speedway Award are: 1999 IRL IndyCar Series Champion Greg Ray of Plano, Texas (2000); World of Outlaws sprint car series founder Ted Johnson of Allen, Texas (2001); Team Texas High Performance Diving School owner Mike Starr (2002); and two-time IRL IndyCar Series Champion and Texas race winner Sam Hornish Jr. (2003). Proceeds for the evening, which will also include a silent auction, are returned to the community in the form of scholarships for deserving young men and women. The event will be 6-9 p.m. in the Fairmont Hotel Ballroom, 1717 Akard Street, in downtown Dallas. For tickets and more information, contact Bob Melton at (972) 868-1518.(TMS PR)(9-18-2004)

2nd Texas Cup race sponsor to be announced UPDATE The Dickies 500: Texas Motor Speedway officials will announce the title sponsor for the Nov. 6, 2005 Nextel Cup race at a news conference Tuesday in downtown Fort Worth, TX.(Dallas Morning News)(9-10-2004)
UPDATE: Williamson-Dickie Mfg. Co., maker of famous Dickies Workwear, will be title sponsor of the new fall NASCAR NEXTEL Cup race at Texas Motor Speedway, it was announced today. The inaugural Dickies 500 will be on Sunday, November 6, 2005. "We are pleased to welcome Dickies to our family of sponsors," said speedway president Eddie Gossage. "Their logo is recognized in every corner of the world, yet they're based right here in Fort Worth, Texas. You can't ask for a better combination. They'll be a great promotional partner and we are looking forward to a long-term relationship with them."
"We already know that NASCAR events reach our customers, and now we're kicking it up a notch with the Dickies 500," said Bob Scott, senior vice president of marketing and merchandising for Williamson-Dickie. "So many fans and crew members wear Dickies at tracks around the country that we're called 'the unofficial clothing brand of NASCAR,' which makes the Dickies 500 the perfect titled event for us." RadioShack and Samsung also renewed a multi-year agreement to continue sponsoring the April NASCAR NEXTEL Cup race at Texas. Like Dickies, RadioShack is based in Fort Worth, TX.(TMS PR - not on the site yet)(9-14-2004)

Texas Looking for a sponsor for 2nd race: Title rights sponsorship negotiations for the second NASCAR Nextel Cup Series race at Texas Motor Speedway are well under way, assuring the Lone Star 500 will be renamed before its inaugural running on Nov. 6, 2005. TMS president Eddie Gossage said he has met with three clients, with a fourth interested party scheduled for talks in the next 10 days. Gossage is seeking at least a three-year deal, and preferably five years.(Fort Worth Star Telegram)(8-5-2004)

Texas Lawsuit Approved: The U.S. District Court for eastern Texas has approved the settlement agreement between International Speedway Corp. and shareholders of Speedway Motorsports, clearing the way for the sale of North Carolina Speedway in Rockingham. The agreement was announced in May, but was pending the final approval from the court before it could be officially finalized. The agreement settles a suit filed in February 2002 by SMI shareholder Francis Ferko and later joined by Rusty Vaughan. In May, NASCAR announced it would give a second Nextel Cup date to Texas Motor Speedway in 2005 after ISC sold the Rockingham track to SMI for $100.4 million.(ThatsRacin.com)(7-2-2004)

TMS looks to sell naming rights: The Texas Motor Speedway is planning to sell naming rights for the Fort Worth track and for a second NASCAR race that is scheduled to begin next year. Because of NASCAR's large and loyal fan base, the Speedway expects corporations to burn rubber in their hurry to sponsor events. After all, NASCAR is the nation's fastest growing sport and the second-most watched on television. Aside from the cup race, Texas Motor Speedway is also selling naming rights to other events during race week. Because of its large and loyal fan base, the Speedway hopes to sell the naming rights of the track for more than $35 million for a decade-long deal. If they can pull that off, that would be 40 percent greater than what the Texas Rangers got for renaming their stadium Ameriquest Field in Arlington. It's also equivalent to the $35 million, 10-year deal Charlotte Motor Speedway received from Lowe's Companies Inc. for naming rights. "I sure couldn't see us doing it for less," said Eddie Gossage, president of the Speedway. "Every year we average about a million people for auto races. Attendance is probably going to go up 40 percent next year with the extra races. That's a big jump." While motor sports has the reputation of already being advertising saturated because of the signage at the tracks and on the decal-coated cars, naming rights are still relatively new for the industry. Only three tracks have sold naming rights so far. Aside from renaming the track, Speedway officials also want to sell the new NASCAR race. Naming rights for the original Nextel Cup race was sold to Samsung/Radio Shack 500 in 2001 for an undisclosed amount. Experts say the title sponsorships usually range from six-to-seven figures.(Dallas Morning News)(5-21-2004)

Texas Deer Hunters not happy: The one constituency apparently overlooked by NASCAR when it awarded Texas Motor Speedway its new fall Nextel Cup race date is the state's deer hunters. TMS president Eddie Gossage said that shortly after NASCAR announced that TMS would host its inaugural fall Cup Series race on Nov. 6, 2005, the complaints started rolling in. "We've gotten about a dozen e-mails from fans who can't believe we had a date put on the opening [weekend] of deer season," Gossage said. "They're extremely passionate about the opening of deer season. But as we've proven over the last eight years, we don't have much to say about dates. You don't have a choice when you deal with NASCAR because it's like fitting the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle together. It's not like we said, 'We want to be on the schedule at the start of deer season.' It was, 'Do you want this date? Yes, we do.' And we're glad to have Nov. 6."(Fort Worth Star Telegram), ya think Rockingham would take the date back?(5-20-2004)

Martinsville bought by ISC, Rockingham sold to SMI by ISC: International Speedway Corporation [ISC] announced the following: The Company will acquire the assets of Martinsville Speedway, which hosts two NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series events annually, for $192 million. The acquisition will be funded by $100.4 million in proceeds from the sale of the assets of North Carolina Speedway, which currently hosts one NASCAR NEXTEL Cup event annually, and $91.6 million in cash. Speedway Motorsports, Inc. [SMI] will purchase North Carolina for $100.4 million, as per the terms of a settlement agreement in the Ferko/Vaughn litigation filed with the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, Sherman Division. The Settlement Agreement releases ISC and NASCAR from all claims related to the litigation. The released claims include, but are not limited to, allegations or assertions with respect to the awarding and/or sanctioning of races, the effect of the common control of NASCAR and ISC residing in the France Family Group, and the market power either individually or jointly of NASCAR and ISC. Separately, the Company received NASCAR's approval for the realignment of several NASCAR NEXTEL Cup races within its portfolio beginning in 2005. The net result is the addition of a second Cup event for Phoenix International Raceway and the reduction of Darlington Raceway's event schedule by one Cup date. ISC also intends for Nazareth Speedway's NASCAR Busch and IRL IndyCar events to be realigned to other facilities within its portfolio and will cease major motorsport event operations at the facility after completion of the track's 2004 events. Martinsville Acquisition and Ferko/Vaughn Settlement The acquisition of Martinsville and the sale of North Carolina will happen in a series of transactions that will essentially occur simultaneously. Martinsville is privately owned, and the France family, which controls in excess of 60% of the combined voting interest of ISC, indirectly owns 50% of Martinsville. The addition of an incremental NASCAR NEXTEL Cup date resulting from the Transactions was integral to the Company's decision to settle the Ferko/Vaughn litigation through the sale of North Carolina. Under the terms of the Settlement Agreement, SMI will purchase North Carolina for $100.4 million in cash. The sale of North Carolina is expected to close following the satisfaction of conditions as provided in the North Carolina Asset Purchase Agreement and the Settlement Agreement. The Settlement Agreement is subject to Court approval, which the Company anticipates receiving within the next 30 to 45 days. The purchase prices for the assets of both facilities are subject to certain non-material adjustments and prorations at closing, and both are expected to close within the next 30 to 45 days in ISC's third quarter. ISC expects to record an approximate $36 million after-tax gain, or $0.68 per diluted share, from the sale of North Carolina and will reflect the facility's operations as discontinued in the Company's financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles Significant Realignment Initiatives Announced for 2005 NASCAR has approved ISC's proposal for the realignment of several NEXTEL Cup dates, including races at Phoenix, Darlington and California Speedway. Commented John R. Saunders, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of ISC. "In addition, race fans in the Southwest will have another opportunity to experience the excitement of live NASCAR NEXTEL Cup racing. We will install lighting at Phoenix in order for the facility's 2005 spring race to finish under the lights during east coast prime time, typically a time of day with larger television audiences. Also, by realigning Nazareth's Busch and IRL events to other facilities in our portfolio, we believe we can successfully grow these events over the long term at a quicker rate than in their current venue. As such, we are presently working with the various sanctioning bodies involved." ISC will record a non-cash pre-tax charge of approximately $13 million, or $0.14 per diluted share, to reflect the impairment of Nazareth's long-lived assets.(ISC PR)(5-14-2004)

So who is Francis Ferko: see a article at Francis Ferko: The man behind the NASCAR suit by Terry Blount of the Dallas Morning News.(4-30-2004)

SAFER at Texas by June: Installation of the new Steel and Foam Energy Reduction (SAFER) barriers is slated to begin the week of May 10 at Texas Motor Speedway. The project is scheduled to take two to three weeks and will be completed in time for the June 12 Bombardier 500k Indy Racing League IndyCar Series event. Approximately 6,300 linear feet will be installed around portions of the 1.5-mile track at a cost of approximately $1.7 million to complete. The work will be done at night to avoid conflicts with the speedway's full schedule of on track events.(TMS PR)(4-27-2004)

TMS getting 2nd race in 2005: Texas Motor Speedway will have its long-awaited second NASCAR Nextel Cup Series race in 2005. The Fort Worth racetrack will be granted two races per season as part of a settlement of Francis Ferko's lawsuit against NASCAR, sources told the Star-Telegram on Tuesday. Ferko, of Plano, filed the suit in February 2002 on behalf of shareholders of Speedway Motorsports, the company that built and operates TMS. An announcement could be made next month, though sources said the settlement probably won't be declared final until the summer. NASCAR usually unveils its schedule in August or September. TMS President Eddie Gossage declined to comment. Calls to NASCAR and its attorney, Alan B. Vickery, weren't returned. Ferko attorney Samuel A. Cherry Jr. said last month that settlement negotiations were under way. The second date, which sources said will probably be in early November during the 10-race "Chase for the Championship," is the key piece of an agreement that keeps the Cup schedule at 36 races and involves four other facilities: Phoenix International Raceway, Atlanta Motor Speedway, Darlington Raceway and North Carolina Speedway.
• Darlington, owned by lawsuit co-defendant International Speedway Corp., loses one of its two dates and will hold its race the day before Mother's Day, traditionally an open weekend for the Cup Series.
• North Carolina, an ISC track that was pared to one race this season, will lose its remaining February date.
• Phoenix, another ISC racetrack, will also have two Cup dates -- in February (North Carolina's race) and November (Darlington's second date). Phoenix and TMS will be two of 14 facilities with two races in 2005.
• Atlanta, a sister track of TMS in Bruton Smith's Speedway Motorsports empire, will keep its two dates, but the spring race will be pushed later into March in an attempt to ease weather concerns.
NASCAR and ISC are owned by the France family of Daytona Beach, Fla., and are accused by Ferko of violating federal antitrust laws. Ferko also claims that NASCAR breached "express" and "implied" contracts with the "promise" of a second date for TMS.
"We've heard our name mentioned in relation with a second Nextel Cup race for almost two years now, yet we have not heard anything official from anyone," Phoenix raceway President Bryan Sperber said Tuesday. "If it did happen, we would be ecstatic and would certainly do our best to represent NASCAR as best we could."
Darlington, in rural South Carolina, and North Carolina Speedway, in the small town of Rockingham, surfaced in reports last month as speedways that could be affected by the lawsuit. Their small markets and relatively limited seating capacities (combined 120,113) ultimately cost the two traditional NASCAR tracks.
"What we're going through now is not a great deal different than what the NFL, the NBA and certainly the NHL went through: the nationalization of the sport," said H.A. "Humpy" Wheeler, president and general manager of Lowe's Motor Speedway, and president and chief operating officer of Speedway Motorsports. "There are forces at work outside of racing -- sponsors or TV -- that want those bigger numbers, and you can't get bigger numbers without bigger markets. It's going to be very difficult economically if you don't have 100,000 seats. You might be able to get along for a while, but with the way purses have escalated, you're going to have to have those seats."
TMS has them. Track officials estimated that more than 200,000 fans attended the April 4 Cup race, the Samsung/RadioShack 500, which drew a 5.6 rating and a 13 share for Fox Sports. Those numbers are an attractive fit for the Chase for the Championship, the sprint for the Nextel Cup title over the final 10 races of the season. ISC racetracks will host the final three races this season (Phoenix, Nov. 7; Darlington, Nov. 14; Homestead-Miami Speedway, Nov. 21). Atlanta, on Oct. 31, is the only Speedway Motorsports track in the final five. Next season, Phoenix and Miami will host the final two, preceded by Atlanta and Texas.
"I think a place like this ought to have two races for sure," Cup driver Rusty Wallace said last month during a test session at TMS. "There are some tracks that have got two races that sure can afford to go back to one. When you come to a place like this, it's exciting because they fill the grandstands up. It's great."
Tracking the lawsuit
Five racetracks stand to be affected by the settlement of the Francis Ferko lawsuit against NASCAR.
• Texas Motor Speedway: Gets second Nextel Cup date, probably in early November.
• Phoenix International Raceway: Gets second date, probably in early February.
• Atlanta Motor Speedway: Keeps two dates, with first moving later into March.
• Darlington Raceway: Loses one of two races; the remaining race moves to Mother's Day weekend.
• North Carolina Speedway: Loses only remaining Cup date.(Fort Worth Star Telegram - need to register or see story at ThatsRacin.com)(4-21-2004)

TMS officials lower attendance estimate: Texas Motor Speedway officials changed the estimated attendance for Sunday's Samsung/RadioShack 500 from 216,000 to 205,000. Some reporters have questioned the accuracy of the track's attendance figures. The facility has 158,500 seats. TMS officials say 25,000 infield tickets were sold. TMS also has two levels of luxury suites above the frontstretch, extending from Turn 4 to Turn 1. A nine-story Speedway Club building sits outside Turn 1, and the 10-story Lone Star Tower condominium is outside Turn 2. Whatever the figure, every seat is filled and every infield camper spot taken for the Cup race. The Busch race on Saturday is one of the top-attended series events of the season (estimated at 108,000), and the Nextel Cup qualifying/IROC crowd on Friday was estimated at 60,000 – more than some Cup races get at Darlington and Rockingham.(Dallas Morning News)(4-9-2004)

Sponsor Contract up for Texas...but: Sunday's race was the last under a three-year deal with Samsung/RadioShack, but TMS president Eddie Gossage said negotiations are under way to renew. "Barring something stunning, I don't have any reason to believe they won't come back," said Gossage, who added that officials of Fort Worth-based RadioShack have an "exclusive period" of approximately two months to get a new deal done.(Fort Worth Star Telegram)(4-8-2004)

8 is Enough? NASCAR Nextel Cup has run eight races at Texas Motor Speedway, and there have been eight different winners.(4-5-2004)

Really? 216,000? 200,000? more like 175,000ish, still a whole lot of people HOWEVER: saw Ben Blake's take on Texas attendence and thought folks would enjoy it: ......there is this matter of attendance figures, which most of us believe are wildly inflated. The accepted figure for Sunday's race was 200,000 customers, which is not possible. The track has 155,000 seats, give or take a couple thousand, and can accommodate 12,000 in suites. Figure also 10,000 or so in buses and campgrounds and infield. That adds up to about 175,000, give or take a couple thousand. Yet, news outlets routinely report a mob of 210,000, a figure swallowed whole. Yes, 175,000 is pretty impressive, but to round it up to the nearest hundred thousand -- and for outlets such as the eminently scrupulous Dallas Morning News to gulp it down -- is not credible. It also may not be legal, as the SEC looks carefully at such statements by public corporations, such as Speedway Motorsports, operator of the Texas track.(Speed Channel)
AND from ThatsRacin.com's David Poole: Everything is bigger in Texas, including crowd estimates. The track said there were 216,000 people at Sunday's race at a track with about 157,000 seats. Does that mean 59,000 people got in free? I mean, yes, the media center was crowded. But come on!
AND II the reason for the above comments? an AP notes report: An estimated 216,000 fans attended the race, the eighth straight sellout at TMS. Only once race has drawn less than 200,000, when about 187,000 showed up for a Monday rain makeup two years ago.(4-6-2004)
HOWEVER: a quick glance at the TMS Site: Track Specs, show the following:
Permanent Grandstand Seating: 154,861
Infield Capacity: approx. 53,000
Total Estimated Capacity: 204,861
Front straightaway grandstand: 66 rows, 121,861 capacity
Back straight grandstand: 35 rows, 33,000 capacity
PSL seats: 36,000 with armrests
Luxury Suites: 194 with seating for 13,192
Handicapped Seating: Row 28 at portal entrance -- 1,595 handicapped seats available.(TMS Site)(4-6-2004)

Sad News: A 42-year-old Houston man was found dead of apparent natural causes in his trailer on the Texas Motor Speedway campgrounds Sunday morning, an official said. Johnny Hill probably died from complications stemming from pneumonia, a spokesman with the Denton County Sheriff's Department said. Hill's friends found his body in the trailer about 9:30am/et Sunday.(Fort Worth Star Telegram)(4-5-2004)

Nice Crowd: The Texas welcome for Samsung/Radio Shack 500 practice/qualifying runs was noted by a couple of drivers. Pole sitter Bobby Labonte said there were as many people in the stands as there are at some events on the circuit. A TMS official estimated the attendance at 60,000.(Dallas Morning News)(4-3-2004)

Texas Pre-Race to be Patriotic: The most spectacular patriotic salutes in the history of Texas Motor Speedway will highlight three days of pre-race celebrations for the Samsung/RadioShack 500 race week events. The pre-race ceremonies for the Samsung/RadioShack 500 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup race on Sunday will include flyovers from three branches of the armed forces. Fans will also witness the famed U.S. Army Golden Knights parachute team, the 82nd Airborne "All American" Chorus in concert and "The Flag Story" featuring more than 100 soldiers from The 3rd U.S. Infantry dressed in period uniforms and in ceremonial dress blues carrying 50 state and six territorial flags.
Saturday's pre-race ceremonies for the O'Reilly 300 NASCAR Busch Series race will include Gordon R. England, Secretary of the Navy, the Golden Knights parachute team and a pair of fly-bys. Friday's ceremonies prior to Bud Pole Qualifying on O'Reilly Qualifying Day will include a fly-by and the U.S. Army Color Guard.
Fans in attendance at the largest sports events in Texas will witness flyovers by four FA-18 Hornet aircraft of the VFA 201 Hunters based at the Naval Air Station Fort Worth, a quartet of T-38 planes based out of Sheppard Air Force Base in Wichita Falls [Jayski was stationed there in 1982] and four AH-64 Apache helicopters from the 1-149th Aviation Regiment from Houston.
The 82nd Airborne Division "All American" Chorus from Fort Bragg, N.C. will perform a 30-minute set at 9:30 a.m. Sunday on the pre-race stage that will include patriotic, military and popular music. The Chorus will also perform "Deep In the Heart of Texas" and will accompany Kellie Coffey singing the National Anthem. England's visit to "The Great American Speedway" will include a pit visit with Casey Atwood, driver of the Navy Chevrolet Busch Series team, on Saturday.
Military participation in pre-race ceremonies include:
FRIDAY, APRIL 2 - O'REILLY QUALIFYING DAY
U.S. Army Color Guard, Joint Reserve Base, Fort Worth, TX
U.S. Air Force T-38s flyover, Sheppard Air Force Base, Wichita Falls, TX
SATURDAY, APRIL 3 - O'REILLY 300
U.S. Army Golden Knights parachute jump team, Fort Bragg, NC
Secretary of the Navy Gordon R. England
U.S. Army Apache helicopters flyover, 1-149th Aviation Regiment, Houston, TX
U.S. Army Color Guard, 504th Military Intelligence Battalion, Fort Hood, TX
U.S. Navy FA-18 Hornets flyover, VFA 201 Hunters, Naval Air Station, Fort Worth, TX
SUNDAY, APRIL 4 - SAMSUNG/RADIOSHACK 500
U.S. Army "All American" Chorus, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, NC
"The Flag Story," U.S. Army Military District of Washington, Fort Myer, VA
U.S. Army Golden Knights parachute jump team, Fort Bragg, NC
U.S. Army Apache helicopters flyover, 1-149th Aviation Regiment, Houston, TX
U.S. Air Force T-38s flyover, Sheppard Air Force Base, Wichita Falls, TX
U.S. Navy FA-18 Hornets flyover, VFA 201 Hunters, Naval Air Station, Fort Worth, TX.(TMS PR)(4-1-2004)

'The Rock' the Texas Grand Marshall: Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson has solidified his position as both a World Wrestling Entertainment champ and one of Hollywood's leading men. He's now preparing for a part he's never played - that of Grand Marshal for the April 4 Samsung/RadioShack 500 at Texas Motor Speedway. As Grand Marshal, Johnson will get to say some of the most famous words in auto racing -- "Gentlemen, start your engines." Born in San Francisco and raised in Hawaii, Johnson became a third-generation professional wrestler, following the WWE careers of his father, Rocky Johnson, and his grandfather, Samoan High Chief Peter Maivia. Johnson shined as a high school All-American and as a star defensive lineman for the University of Miami Hurricanes. He had a brief career in the Canadian Football league and after a shoulder injury turned to the world of wrestling. "The People's Champion" has gone on to set a record as the six-time World Wrestling Entertainment Champion. Johnson will next be seen starring in the MGM remake of WALKING TALL which co-stars Johnny Knoxville and Neal McDonough. He will play the role of sheriff 'Chris Vaughn' who comes back to his hometown after serving in the Army, only to find it corrupted. This version, inspired by the original 'Buford Pusser' story, is about one man's fight to stand up to injustice and save both his family and town that he loves so dearly. WALKING TALL hits theaters April 2.(TMS PR)(3-30-2004)

Texas size purse for Texas race: More than $8 million will be up for grabs during the four days of racing April 1-4 at Texas Motor Speedway. The Samsung/RadioShack 500 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup race on Sunday, April 4, will offer a purse of $6,767,841, an increase of $720,082 from 2003. The winner is likely to receive more than a half-million dollars. The O'Reilly 300 NASCAR Busch Series race on Saturday, April 3, is offering $1,343,933, an increase of $59,441 from last year. "Texas Motor Speedway hosts two of the largest events in NASCAR with our Busch and Nextel Cup races each and every year," said speedway general manager Eddie Gossage. "The drivers in both series realize this is one of the premier events each year, and that has been demonstrated by how many drivers are testing here this month. They also recognize that the Samsung/RadioShack 500 purse is the third-largest of the NASCAR season." The inaugural Cup Series race at Texas in 1997, offered a purse of $3,802,255 and has continued to grow steadily. The NASCAR Busch Series event, which offered $783,150 in prize money back in 1997, has also consistently provided one of the biggest series paydays of the year.For ticket information for all events at Texas Motor Speedway, contact the ticket hotline at (817) 215-8500 or go online to www.texasmotorspeedway.com.(TMS PR)(3-30-2004)

Texas Gov to wave green flag: Texas Governor Rick Perry will serve as honorary starter for the April 4 Samsung/RadioShack 500 at Texas Motor Speedway. Perry will climb into the starter stand above the frontstretch to wave the green flag, officially signaling the start of the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup race. Perry's predecessor, President George W. Bush, also served as honorary starter for the race back in 1999. "We are happy to have Governor Perry be part of the Samsung/RadioShack 500," said speedway general manager Eddie Gossage. "It's only fitting that the Governor of Texas be part of the largest single-day sporting event in the state."(TMS PR)(3-30-2004)

National Anthem at Texas: Kellie Coffey, the Academy of Country Music's reigning Top New Female Vocalist, will perform the National Anthem for the Samsung/RadioShack 500. Most recently, Coffey, of Moore, Oklahoma, a small town just outside of Oklahoma City, has been on the road with country music superstars Kenny Chesney and George Strait. Her debut album, "When You Lie Next to Me," entered Billboard's Top Country Album Chart at number five. The BNA Records Nashville recording artist will also perform for race fans at 6 p.m. Saturday evening in downtown Fort Worth at the annual Chevy Thunder Days in Sundance Square.(TMS PR)(3-30-2004)

2nd Texas Race for All-Star Race Trade? Bruton Smith is reported to be on the verge of getting NASCAR to agree to grant him a long-awaited second Nextel Cup date at Texas Motor Speedway, through the purchase of North Carolina Speedway, according to sources. But then it gets complicated, according to those sources. In turn NASCAR wants Smith to let Richmond International Raceway take the May all-star race from Smith's Lowe's Motor Speedway. For that, Smith wants a second Cup date for his Las Vegas track. If all that happens, Darlington Raceway could lose one of its two Cup races. Smith has considerable support at the moment, from teams and sponsors and TV networks, for his Las Vegas pitch.(Winston Salem Journal)(3-26-2004)

Darlington AND Rockingham to lose races? Alternating ONE racedate? Texas and Vegas get the dates? UPDATE 2 Darlington expects to get two dates in 2005:
Settlement negotiations in a lawsuit over a second Nextel Cup date for Texas Motor Speedway have potentially major ramifications for two tracks in the Carolinas, The Observer has learned. A source close to talks in a suit against NASCAR by two Speedway Motorsports Inc. [SMI] shareholders said Monday a settlement could result in International Speedway Corp. selling both North Carolina Speedway in Rockingham and Darlington Raceway to SMI. If such a deal were made, two of three remaining Cup dates from Rockingham and Darlington would move – one to Texas Motor Speedway and the other to Las Vegas Motor Speedway, giving those SMI-owned tracks two dates each per season. The other date would alternate between Rockingham and Darlington, with the Nextel Cup, Busch and Truck series racing at Rockingham one year then at Darlington the next [so much for lights and SAFER]. "I am aware of the (settlement) talks," SMI chairman Bruton Smith said Monday. "I think that they have been going on for about two months, and they're further down the road than they ever have been. But there will have to be a written agreement among all of the attorneys before there's any done deal." Smith said that in his mind any settlement of the suit would have to include a second Cup date for Texas. "That's certainly the key to it, that's why it was filed," he said.(more at ThatsRacin.com), see past news about this on my lawsuit page.(3-23-2004)
UPDATE: After attracting the largest crowd in the 45-year history of Darlington Raceway's spring Nextel Cup event, track officials are feeling good about their chances of keeping two races for 2005. How good? "I feel confident we'll host two races next year. Frankly, I can't see it any other way," raceway president Andrew Gurtis said Tuesday. "As the promoter at Darlington Raceway, look at the last two races we've had here. We've had a sellout for the Mountain Dew Southern 500, and a record crowd for the Carolina Dodge Dealers 400. We have two strong sponsors on our Cup races, and great racing. Things are just stacking up." But sources have indicated to The Post and Courier that the millions of dollars ISC has spent to add the Steel and Foam Energy Reduction (SAFER) barrier and a lighting system at Darlington guarantee that the Pee Dee track will have at least one annual event on the Nextel Cup schedule.(Chareslton Post and Courier)
BUT Could a settlement be imminent in the battle to bring a second Nextel Cup race to Texas Motor Speedway? According to several media outlets, yes. But spokesmen for the opposing camps said they are simply following court orders in a mediation process. According to The Associated Press, Samuel Cherry, the attorney for a TMS shareholder who sued NASCAR over its refusal to award a second event, said Tuesday that progress is being made in settlement talks. Cherry said the plaintiffs and NASCAR have agreed not to discuss specifics of the 2-year-old suit. Spokespersons from both racing entities contend that no settlement is about to materialize. "(The suit) is based on the false presumption that NASCAR promised Texas Motor Speedway a second date, which NASCAR did not," NASCAR vice president of communications Jim Hunter said. "No settlement has been reached, to my knowledge." Lauri Wilks, Hunter's counterpart at SMI didn't know anything more. "Not as far as I know," Wilks said. "I don't have an official word of anything." Apparently, there is no agreement -- at least not in written form -- on the table. "Obviously, as everyone knows, it's in the best interest of the sport to put this thing behind us," Hunter said. "We're not at liberty to discuss any of the particulars. There is no timeline. In the meantime, we've got to get on with the business of running the races."(in part from the Daytona Beach News Journal/AP)(3-24-2004)

SAFER to be installed at Texas this summer: Texas Motor Speedway will install the new Steel and Foam Energy Reduction (SAFER) barriers this summer in an effort to improve driver safety. "This is step in the right direction where safety is concerned," said speedway general manager Eddie Gossage. "The safety of both our drivers and fans is always our number one priority and we will take every possible precaution to ensure that. "We are currently wrapping up a $400,000 upgrade to our crash fence. We have reinforced the existing fence on the outside crash wall and have constructed a new 10-foot fence on top of the inner crash wall." The speedway's parent company, Speedway Motorsports, Inc. has placed Wes Harris, SMI vice president of development, in charge of the project. Exact dates for the installation have yet to be determined. The steel tube and foam SAFER barrier was developed by the University of Nebraska, the Indy Racing League and NASCAR. John Rohde, associate professor of civil engineering for the University of Nebraska, met with speedway officials in late January to do a site survey. "The meeting went quite well," said Gossage. "We are all on the same page here. We want to do all we can to improve safety in an inherently dangerous sport."(TMS PR)(3-23-2004)

Texas Tire Monster II - The Sequel: It's back!!! The newest sleekest version of the Texas Tire Monster is about to be unveiled for the 2004 season at Texas Motor Speedway. Rising out of a creative idea, sketches and drawings on paper, and some remarkable ingenuity, Texas Tire Monster II is about to lay some rubber on the 1.5-mile super speedway in preparation for the Samsung/RadioShack 500 weekend, April 1-4. The original Monster was the brainchild of speedway president and general manager Eddie Gossage, who wanted to find a way to work rubber into the speedway asphalt and drew a rough sketch of a trailer with multiple tires on it.
"The Texas Tire Monster is another example of the tremendous talent and creativity we have here at Texas Motor Speedway," Gossage said. "There really seems to be nothing our Operations crew can't do. A lot of time and effort was put into building the original Tire Monster and the new and improved version as well. It is a tremendous asset to have this piece of equipment in making our track race ready."
In the speedway operations department, David Cantwell and Tim Altom took the crude renderings and came up with a design, which they developed into reality last year. Cantwell and co-worker David Wilson went to work building the Monster from scrap metal, pieces of old trailers, a little of this, and a little of that. The device hit the road prior to the Samsung/RadioShack 500 last year, laying down rubber on the speedway. But, like all research and development, there was a better way to be found. "We had to find a way to make the tires have better wear, make the Monster transportable, and create a separate transport axle," Cantwell said. "Now, all 12 wheels are on independent suspensions with the exact same weight on each tire. Each tire has 6 ½ degree toe in and out, and we can adjust each one individually. That has made the biggest difference in getting better wear on the tires." Texas Tire Monster II consists of 12 Goodyear Eagle tires as well as the separate transport axle and weighs 5,500 pounds. The new version of the Monster is longer and more narrow and features, as is tradition in motorsports, a rear hood for decal display. Building the original Tire Monster and the sequel has been a task of ingenuity and determination for Cantwell and Wilson. "The whole project has been one of creativity," Cantwell said. "We had to design and make all the working parts, including the pivots for the shocks, the tire arms, and we even made an upright band saw out of hand tools so we could work on the sheet metal." Texas Tire Monster II will be rolling out on the speedway surface soon to begin logging some miles and working some fresh rubber into the grooves. But Cantwell is already thinking about what is next. "I have an idea of how the third generation and even fourth generation Tire Monster should look and what we need on it."
With just the final touches to be added, Texas Tire Monster II has work to do getting the asphalt ready for Texas Motor Speedway's biggest weekend of the year. The NASCAR Busch Series O'Reilly 300 is Saturday, April 3, followed by the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series Samsung/RadioShack 500 on Sunday, April 4. In addition, the Texas Motor Speedway will host the Crown Royal IROC Series on Friday night, April 2. For ticket information, contact the speedway ticket hotline at 817-215-8500 or go online to www.texasmotorspeedway.com(TMS PR)(2-27-2004)

Last Race at the Rock? this weekend? UPDATE: North Carolina Speedway general manager Chris Browning said Saturday that no one from NASCAR or International Speedway Corporation has approached him regarding the possibility of moving the track's date to another venue, or selling the track and its date to Speedway Motorsports. Rumors have surfaced throughout the week that this weekend's Subway 400 could be the last race at the gritty 1.017-mile oval. Browning disagrees, saying that NASCAR and ISC understand the challenges of their February race date, and feels confident Rockingham would get the chance to prove their worth with a more favorable date. Browning is confident that the Nextel Cup Series will be racing in North Carolina's sand hills in 2005. "There's been nothing said internally, so I chalk it up to a good rumor," Browning continued. "For 10 years, we were supposed to lose a date, and it's just now happened." Some have speculated that ISC plans to sell the track to Bruton Smith, owner of Speedway Motorsports, Inc., who would then move the date to one of his tracks, likely Texas Motor Speedway. Shareholders of SMI are currently suing NASCAR, claiming NASCAR officials have failed to follow through with a promise to award Texas Motor Speedway a second Cup date. Subsequently, speculation has arisen that the lawsuit could be settled by selling Rockingham to Smith. "The Bruton rumors are just rumors," Browning said. "There is no indication of truth." Browning said ticket sales are already higher than they were for this event last year, due in part to Dale Earnhardt's Jr.'s victory in the Daytona 500, but that the Subway 400 won't sell out. Browning said track officials are working diligently to book events at the track, such as rodeos, car shows and racing events for other series such as ASA and ARCA. They're also open to the idea of installing lights.(in part from NASCAR.com)(2-21-2004)
UPDATE: Bob Dilner reported on Speed News that word has it that the race this weekend at Rockingham/North Carolina Speedway will be the last Cup race held there, with rumors having the date going to either Phoenix or Texas.(Speed Channel's Speed News - NASCAR Edition) and on Speed's NASCAR: Victory Lane, John Roberts said it was a done deal, but unofficial as NASCAR has not made an announcement yet....he also mentioned Las Vegas as a candiate for the race date.(2-22-2004)

Gossage Promoted: Speedway Motorsports announced on Thursday that Eddie Gossage has been promoted to president at Texas Motor Speedway. Gossage has served as the executive vice president and general manager of the track since 1995. "Eddie has done an outstanding job bringing Texas Motor Speedway from nothing more than an idea to one of the top sports facilities in the world," said O. Bruton Smith, chairman and chief executive officer of Speedway Motorsports. "There is a big difference between a race organizer and a race promoter. Eddie is a true promoter who understands the urgency and effort required to be successful." Before moving to Texas, Gossage served as vice president of public relations at Lowe's Motor Speedway from 1989 to 1995. He previously worked at Miller Brewing Company in its motorsports public relations program and served in various public relations and managerial capacities at two other NASCAR-sanctioned speedways. "It has been an honor to lead Texas Motor Speedway since the very beginning," said Gossage. "Bruton Smith and the board of directors have allowed us to assemble a tremendous staff and we have worked hard to earn the support of the race fans, drivers, teams, sponsors and sanctioning bodies. The leadership, counsel and friendship with Bruton Smith makes this promotion even more meaningful."(ThatsRacin.com)(2-19-2004)

2nd Texas Date Close? NASCAR's Brian France appears closer to granting a second Cup date to Bruton Smith's Texas track, according to sources. But the anti-trust part of the lawsuit against NASCAR may be a major stumbling block in any settlement. And the high-dollar attorneys involved on both sides may have backed both NASCAR and the man who launched the suit, stockholder Francis Ferko, into a corner where any settlement may not be as easy as simply giving Texas that second race weekend. Attorneys' fees have become a major issue, particularly for NASCAR. According to one unconfirmed source, NASCAR may spend well over $100 million defending itself. It is unclear if the Ferko side is working for payment contingency on a settlement. Two months ago it appeared a settlement was beginning to take form, possibly in the shape of a sale of North Carolina Speedway at Rockingham by the France family to Smith's Speedway Motorsports, with the understanding that Cup date could be moved to the Fort Worth track in 2005. Now it appears all those attorneys may not be willing to fade quietly into the night.(Winston Salem Journal)(2-13-2004)

SAFER at Texas soon? Officials from the University of Nebraska will be in town this week to take the first steps in fitting Texas Motor Speedway with soft walls. While all Speedway Motorsports Inc. (SMI) facilities are scheduled to have soft walls installed before the 2005 season, there is no specific date when the fans at TMS can expect to see them.(Sheveport Times)(1-29-2004)

Texas Tree Lighting Ceremony: The Speedway Children’s Charities (SCC) Texas Chapter set yet another record this year, raising $425,000 earmarked for 152 children’s charities in Tarrant, Dallas, Denton and Collin Counties. The SCC will present the checks at the annual Tree Lighting Ceremony, Tuesday evening, December 2 at The Speedway Club. The presentation of awards and checks to the grant recipients will be held in The Speedway Club Grand Ballroom. Special entertainment from the Youth Orchestra of Fort Worth will kick off the evening at 5:45 p.m. with the official program slated for a 6 p.m. start. The opening ceremonies will include the traditional lighting of the 40-foot Christmas tree located in front of The Speedway Club. Also on hand for the evening will be NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series driver David Starr, 1999 Indy Racing League champion Greg Ray, the Aaron’s Dream Team, the first all-female NASCAR pit crew, and everybody‘s favorite man in red, Santa Claus. The event will be hosted by SCC board members Scott Murray and Pam Minick. Following the tree lighting ceremony, the special SCC grants and awards will be presented.(see more at the TMS Site)(12-2-2003)

TMS's Lone Star Tower Featured on Michael Holigan's "Your New House": Dallas-area homebuilder Michael Holigan is the new owner of a Lone Star Tower condominium at Texas Motor Speedway. Viewers across the country will get a glimpse of the two bedroom/two bath unit as Holigan renovates it in a special five-part series for his nationally syndicated show "Your New House." "We're going to take a great space and make it even better," said Holigan. "We plan to turn this unit into an entertainment center for our friends and clients to enjoy and watch the great races at Texas Motor Speedway." The exact air dates for the five-part series is yet to be determined, but it will most likely run in late January or early February. Holigan plans to begin the renovations in December with construction being completed in January. "I'd like to say it would start and be completed in December -- but you know how those builders are," laughed Holigan. "It really is a great project and we're very excited to get started. As always, we're working with top companies to provide a first-class look to the unit. It will have Kohler faucets and fixtures, Wood Mode cabinets and one of our local companies, DalTile, will provide all of the ceramic tile for the project." "Your New House" began in 1994 and currently airs in more than 130 markets across the U.S. Holigan announced earlier this month that he will field a NASCAR Busch Series team for 15 races in 2004. The team will be based locally in Fort Worth. The #50 Enzyte Chevrolet will be driven by Texas native David Starr who will also be competing full time once again in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series [#75 Chevy]. Lone Star Tower houses 76 luxury condominiums and nearly 100,000 square-feet of office space.(Texas Motor Speedway PR)(11-25-2003)

(SCC) Texas Chapter sets another record: The Speedway Children's Charities (SCC) Texas Chapter set yet another record this year, raising $425,000 earmarked for 152 children's charities in Tarrant, Dallas, Denton and Collin Counties. The SCC will present the checks at the annual Tree Lighting Ceremony, Tuesday evening, December 2 at The Speedway Club. The number of grant recipients rose to 152 organizations from 131 last year. Grants this year will help provide numerous services including medical care and prescriptions for low income children, therapeutic playground equipment, behavioral therapy for children with autism, training for child advocate volunteers, after school programs, summer camp for children with HIV/AIDS and muscular dystrophy, child safety seat programs and more. SCC Texas Chapter holds several fundraising events each year including a gala, poker run and a "Laps for Charity" event that gives individuals the opportunity to drive their own vehicle on the 1.5-mile superspeedway. Since the inception of the SCC Texas Chapter in 1997, $2.3 million has been raised for charitable children's organizations. The presentation of awards and checks to the grant recipients will be held in The Speedway Club Grand Ballroom. Special entertainment from the Youth Orchestra of Fort Worth will kick off the evening at 5:45 p.m. with the official program slated for a 6 p.m. start. The opening ceremonies will include the traditional lighting of the 40-foot Christmas tree located in front of The Speedway Club. Also on hand for the evening will be NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series driver David Starr, 1999 Indy Racing League champion Greg Ray, the Aaron's Dream Team, the first all-female NASCAR pit crew, and everybody's favorite man in red, Santa Claus. The event will be hosted by SCC board members Scott Murray and Pam Minick. Following the tree lighting ceremony, the special SCC grants and awards will be presented.(TMS PR)(11-21-2003)

Get on the Bus at Texas: The Fort Worth Transportation Authority and Texas Motor Speedway announced new bus service for the Samsung/RadioShack 500 weekend in 2004. The new "Victory Lane Express" will be available to fans for the O'Reilly 300 NASCAR Busch Series race on Saturday, April 3, 2004 and the Samsung/RadioShack 500 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series race on Sunday, April 4, 2004. Fans will park at a remote location and ride the Victory Lane Express busses to the speedway. All Victory Lane Express passengers will be dropped off and picked up in the speedway's bus parking area located just off SH 114 and Allison Ave on the south side of the speedway. The remote pick up location and cost of the service is yet to be determined. For more information, call the Track at (817) 215-8600.(TMS PR)(11-18-2003)

Texas Camping: Reserved camping for the Texas Motor Speedway 2004 individual race weekends will go on sale Monday, November 17 at 9:00am. Tens of thousands of race fans traditionally fill the 4,700 reserved camping spots in the Workhorse Custom Chassis Campgrounds located outside of Turn 3 and 2004 is expected to be just as big.
Lone Star Circle Reserved includes 2,200 reserved spots closest to Turn 3. The individual race week/weekend prices are $200 for the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series Samsung/RadioShack 500 and $150 per weekend for both the Bombardier 500k and Chevy 500k Indy Racing League IndyCar Series events. Spaces are still available in this area for $300 for the season.
Victory Circle Reserved encompasses 2,500 sites adjacent to and east of Lone Star Circle Reserved sites. The individual race week/weekend prices are $150 for the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series Samsung/RadioShack 500 and $50 per weekend for both the Bombardier 500k and Chevy 500k Indy Racing League IndyCar Series events.
There are also two areas on the east side for tent campers. Unreserved tent sites are approximately 10' x 15'. The individual race week/weekend prices for all events is $75 in the Lone Star Circle Tent City and $50 in the Victory Circle Tent City. No generators are allowed in the tent camping areas.
Available reserved campground services include:
* 24-hour security
* Dump stations near all camping areas
* Mobile trucks circulating through the camping areas collecting waste and replenishing water supplies (for a nominal fee)
* Emergency repairs for RVs available (for a nominal fee)
* Convenient "shower tram" service to the shower area
A limited number of unreserved camping sites will be available on the west side of the speedway sold on a first-come, first-serve basis during the Samsung/RadioShack 500 race week only. For camping reservations and more information, please contact the speedway ticket office at (817) 215-8500 or visit the speedway website at texasmotorspeedway.com for diagrams and regulations.(TMS PR)(11-15-2003)

Texas Tops in Vote: A [NBC] television-network sponsored poll conducted during last Sunday's race at Phoenix indicated that fans think Texas Motor Speedway should be the next track to be awarded a second Cup race. Forty-four percent of voters liked Texas. Kansas Speedway was third with 17 percent of the votes. In between was Las Vegas, which attracted 27 percent. A poll conducted in July by ThatsRacin.com also made Texas the voters' choice. Kansas finished second in that poll.(KC Star)(11-7-2003)

Texas Tix on sale Sat: Tickets to 2004 individual races at Texas Motor Speedway go on sale Saturday, October 25 at 9:00am/ct. The good news for fans is that individual ticket prices for the six major events in the NASCAR Nextel Cup, Busch Series, Craftsman Truck Series and the Indy Racing League IndyCar Series will remain unchanged from 2003. Tickets can be purchased in person at the speedway or by calling (817) 215-8500 from 9:00am to 5:00pm/ct on Saturday and 12:00noon to 5:00pm/ct on Sunday. Tickets will also be available online at www.texasmotorspeedway.com or at Ticketmaster locations after 9:00am/ct on Saturday. Additional ticket-selling stations will be set up at the Dirt Track parking lot Saturday with a 20-ticket limit per purchase in effect for fans acquiring tickets in person. Season tickets for 2004 at the “Home of the Brave” are currently on sale and include the same frontstretch seat to every major event along with a ticket to Fandango3, the season-ticket only party on Thursday, April 1 during the Samsung/RadioShack 500 week. Fandango3 will feature Nextel Cup stars Michael Waltrip, Ken Schrader, FOX Sports’ Mike Joy and many special guests.(TMS PR)(10-24-2003)

Texas to Announce 2004 Race Schedule, no 2nd Cup date: Texas Motor Speedway officials are expected to announce their 2004 race schedule next week. The pending lawsuit over a second TMS race makes a 2nd race impossible, at least for the moment. TMS is expected to continue with its early spring date for the Cup and Busch race, either the last weekend of March or the first weekend of April. TMS also will continue to have two IRL races and two NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series events.(Dallas Morning News)(8-7-2003)

Ticket Specials at Texas this weekend: for the Truck/IRL Weekend:
• Qualifying day: Free tickets for Thursday's qualifying can be picked up at participating Braum's Ice Cream and Dairy Stores, Kroger stores and Chevrolet dealerships.
• Family Four Pack: Four grandstand tickets to either race, four hot dogs, four Keebler snacks and four Cokes for only $79, a savings of $113. Must take coupon, available at Albertsons, and register receipts or UPC codes from any two (2) Keebler or Cheez-It products (8 oz. or larger) to TMS ticket office in advance or at Gate 5 day of the race. Limit one per customer. List of participating Albertsons locations at www.texasmotorspeedway.com
• Sonic Speedway Special: Coupons for two tickets to the Bombardier 500k and two IRL hats for $49 (a savings of $99) at Sonic Drive-Ins. Present coupon at TMS ticket office to purchase tickets in advance or at Gate 5 on race day.
• Pit pass: Available for $60, they provide garage access Thursday-Saturday. Must be accompanied by a grandstand ticket to that day's event. Must be 18 or older.(info at www.texasmotorspeedway.com)(6-3-2003)

Driver's Don't Like New Caution Lights: The warning-light system that Texas Motor Speedway imbedded in its asphalt to warn drivers of cautions failed its first test Sunday. Some drivers said the lights are impossible to see in bright sunlight. "With a cloud cover, you can see them, but I didn't even know they were on today," rookie Jamie McMurray said. "For the Indy Racing League guys, especially at night, I hope it works for them. I think at night with those guys doing 230 mph around here, I think I'd want it to look like a runway out there," Jeff Gordon said. "During the day . . . I hope they didn't spend a lot on it. I never even saw them."(Atlanta Journal-Constitution)(3-31-2003)

Astronauts part of pre-race show: Astronauts Rob Behnken, Jim Reilly and Doug Hurley will appear during prerace ceremonies for Sunday's Samsung/Radio Shack 500. The astronauts are attending the race thanking citizens for their efforts in the recovery of the space shuttle Columbia. The trio will hand out miniature American flags to drivers during introductions.(NASCAR.com)(3-29-2003)

Ferko to make an appearance? Francis Ferko, the mystery man in a potentially historic lawsuit against NASCAR, has never made a public appearance since filing the case a little over a year ago, but the Plano, Texas, businessman could make an appearance here this weekend. Track owner Bruton Smith, who insisted he has never met Ferko and doesn't even know if Ferko has season tickets to Texas Motor Speedway, said it is possible that Ferko could be here and willing to discuss the case. "He's my hero," Smith said. "I haven't met him, but I like him." The suit argues that NASCAR should give Smith a second Winston Cup tour date here, much as the sanctioning body gave its sister company, the International Speedway Corp., tour dates at California Speedway, Chicago-lands Speedway, Kansas Speedway, and Homestead-Miami Speedway. Lawyers for Ferko say they would also ask for a financial award to make up for the missing Cup races.(Winston Salem Journal), see my Lawsuit page for past news(3-29-2003)

Texas Security: The war in Iraq hasn't caused Texas Motor Speedway officials to stiffen security this weekend, spokeswoman Sadona Winfrey said. However, race fans should expect the track's law enforcement complement to search their coolers and possibly cars, as has been standard practice since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Get to the speedway early in case of traffic queues, Winfrey advised. Dozens of local, county and state law enforcement officials, in addition to orange-vested private track security personnel, were seen during race qualifying Friday. U.S. military helicopters buzzed overhead Thursday. "This place is as safe as it could be for a venue this size," Winfrey said. "Fans should just expect to enjoy the action."(Dallas Morning News - may need to register to view))(3-29-2003)

Plans revealed for Texas motorsports hall: Plans were announced Friday for the Texas Motorsports Hall of Fame to be located at Texas Motor Speedway. The hall will honor the best performers in Texas racing, including stock cars and other forms of auto racing. The initial class will be inducted in January. Three-time Indianapolis 500 winner Johnny Rutherford, a Texas resident, entered the room in the cockpit of the restored car that Art Cross drove to a second-place finish at Indianapolis in 1953. "When I grew up, this was the type of car I dreamed of driving," Rutherford said.(ThatsRacin.com/AP)(3-29-2003)

Bradshaw's Daughter to sing National Anthem at Busch race: the daughter of FOX NFL Sunday host Terry Bradshaw will perform the national anthem. Fifteen-year-old Rachel Bradshaw will sing the "Star Spangled Banner" before her father's FitzBradshaw Racing will roll off two teams this Saturday. Kerry Earnhardt will drive the #12 Chevy, and Jimmy Spencer will pilot the #82 Chevy for the team this week.(Fox Sports)(3-28-2003)

Military and Patriotic Themes at Texas: Various branches of the United States military will be represented in numerous ways throughout the Samsung/RadioShack 500 race week at Texas Motor Speedway. Saturday's pre-race activities will feature the U.S. Army Golden Knights Parachute Team as well as a flyover by four AT-38s from Shepherd Air Force Base in Wichita Falls, TX. The Civil Air Patrol will provide the color guard on Saturday. On Sunday, fans will be entertained by the 31-member 77th Army Band, the Pride of Fort Sill (Oklahoma). The band will provide music for driver introductions as well as perform the National Anthem. Four Apache helicopters from the 244th Aviation Brigade from Fort Hood in Killeen, Texas, are scheduled to flyover prior to driver introductions that day with a B-1 bomber from Dyess Air Force Base in Abilene, Texas, making a pass following the singing of God Bless America. Four F-16s from the Arkansas Air National Guard will fly over the speedway at the conclusion of the National Anthem. Military personnel will take part in driver introductions and the U.S. Army Golden Knights will parachute into the speedway following driver introductions. The Fort Hood NCO Academy will provide the color guard on Sunday. The O'Reilly 300 and Samsung/RadioShack 500 will be broadcast on Armed Forces radio and television. The United States Air Force is sponsoring the O'Reilly World of Outlaws events at the Texas Motor Speedway Dirt Track. The United States Air Force Showdown will be held Friday and Saturday nights, March 28-29. The USAF will also be holding a recruiting drive on Friday at the speedway and will have a large interactive display, including an F-16, located outside of Gate 7. Winston Cup drivers Todd Bodine will be in the #54 National Guard Ford, Jerry Nadeau in the #01 U.S. Army Pontiac and Ricky Rudd will carry the U.S. Air Force as an associate sponsor on the #21 Motorcraft Ford. Busch Series driver Bobby Hamilton Jr. will be driving the #25 Ford sponsored by the U.S. Marines. The first 100,000 fans arriving Sunday for the Samsung/RadioShack 500 will also receive a miniature American flag, courtesy of Lowe's Home Improvement Warehouse.(TMS PR)(3-28-2003)

New Caution Lights at Texas: In a continued commitment to improve driver safety, Texas Motor Speedway and System Electric Inc. of Fort Worth has developed and installed a unique new caution light system. The Warning Emergency System (WES) caution lights are imbedded in the asphalt at the base of the retaining walls in the speedway's four turns. The WES lights are available for use in this weekend's Samsung/RadioShack 500 NASCAR Winston Cup race and the O'Reilly 300 NASCAR Busch Series race should NASCAR choose to use them. The initial application installed WES lights in eight different locations around Texas Motor Speedway. Four sets of WES lights are located in turns one and two while an additional four sets are located in turns three and four. The WES light system supplements the speedway's existing caution light system. The WES lights are similar to airport runway lights. Each location provides a 15- foot long strip of LED lights that are six inches wide. Each 15-foot section includes a total of 180 LED lights. Should the WES lights prove successful, it is possible to install the lights all the way around the speedway surface. Further development may also allow them to be installed along the inside apron of the turns. Developing the WES lights were Dwayne Lyons, Electrical Engineer for System Electric; Wes Harris, Vice President of Development for Speedway Motorsports Inc.; Jim Stufflebeam, Director of Development for Texas Motor Speedway; and Mat Stolley, Director of Operations for Texas Motor Speedway.(TMS PR)(3-26-2003)
UPDATE: NASCAR Winston Cup series director John Darby gave the go-ahead Thursday afternoon for a new system of on-track caution lights to be used this weekend at the Texas track. The lights, developed and installed by the track and System Electric Inc. of Fort Worth, are called the Warning Emergency System. Eight strips of yellow lights, 15 feet in length, are embedded in the asphalt at the base of the outside walls in the track's turns - four at each end of the track. Each strip has 180 lights that flash whenever the track's existing caution lights come on. "In the turns the drivers are focusing on the race track ahead of them," said Eddie Gossage, general manager of the Texas track. "Since the WES lights are embedded into the asphalt surface, our tests indicate the drivers will see them easier. We believe it will give them quicker notification of a problem on the track somewhere." Darby looked at the lights Thursday afternoon. "From what we can tell at this point, the lights are not located in an area where they would be an obstruction to the race cars," he said. "That was our primary concern."(ThatsRacin.com)(3-27-2003)

More seats in the works at Texas: Indianapolis Motor Speedway has more than 250,000 permanent seats and usually has crowds exceeding 300,000, dwarfing the 154,861 grandstand seats and crowds of 220,000 at Texas Motor Speedway. But TMS was built with expansion in mind with a 33,000-seat backstretch that could be constructed to match the 121,861-seat frontstretch that includes 194 luxury suites. The empty area in turns 2 and 3 also can be filled in to form a bowl. Total potential capacity: 400,000. "I don't know that it's pie in the sky. It is possible, but it requires mass transit and things of that nature," TMS executive vice president and general manager Eddie Gossage said. "Indianapolis can park only a handful of cars on their grounds. They've made it work with mass transit and shuttles and parking in people's yards -- all kinds of things. It works very well for them, so it just proves that it can be done." Gossage said he has spoken with officials at the Fort Worth Transportation Authority -- known as the T -- about busing and a possible rail line, which he compared to the Trinity Railway Express that stops at American Airlines Center in Dallas. Temporary grandstands, which have been erected for previous Winston Cup races, aren't in the speedway's future, Gossage said.(Fort Worth Star Telegram)(3-27-2003)

Texas Naming rights: Following in the footsteps of Speedway Motorsports facilities in Concord, NC, and Sonoma, CA, the naming rights for Texas Motor Speedway are for sale. The former Charlotte Motor Speedway sold its naming rights to Lowe's, the home improvement company, for $35 million over 10 years in 1999, and Sears Point Raceway is now Infineon Raceway after the semiconductor manufacturer agreed to a 10-year, $34.6 million deal last year. TMS is seeking a similar agreement, but no timetable has been set. The money would help TMS meet its budget, which would help the track keep ticket prices low and parking free for fans.(Fort Worth Star Telegram)(3-27-2003)

Trak Vak at Texas: Speedway officials and fans alike are hoping for sunny skies for the Samsung/RadioShack 500 race week at Texas Motor Speedway. But, if inclement weather intervenes, speedway officials are ready with a revolutionary track-drying vehicle, Trak Vak. Trak Vak, invented by Garland resident George Carter, will make its debut for this weeks Samsung/RadioShack 500 events. Trak Vak is a venture of Speedway Motorsports, Inc. and Trak Vak, Inc. Trak Vak utilizes the ability to remove water from damp speedway surfaces.. The dually truck chassis features a 27-horsepower motor powering a large vacuum with 12 pickup points located behind the vehicle's tires that remove moisture and deposit it in a 600-gallon holding tank. The diesel-powered Trak Vak is designed to operate at 60 mph, allowing quicker removal of moisture. "Our theory is to pick up as much water as possible," said Trak Vak inventor Carter. "Jet blowers attempt to evaporate the water from the speedway surface, our goal is to actually remove the water."
"When inclement weather interferes with racing, our goal is to get the race cars back on the speedway as quickly as possible for our fans," said speedway general manager Eddie Gossage. "We are excited about the potential of Trak Vak, although we would prefer that it never leaves the pit area all race week." Trak Vak is a prototype introductory project with a long-range goal of producing a fleet of such vehicles that would be in attendance at all Speedway Motorsports, Inc. events. Carter is a professional inventor and race fan. Among his patented inventions is the Laser Tag game.. Much as Laser Tag has changed the entertainment business, Trak Vak may do the same for motorsports.(TMS PR), last I heard of this was in Feb 2000, see my Past News 2-9-2000 section, neither link in the story works any longer.(3-27-2003)

American Flags To Wave In Unision During Pre-Race Fans attending the Samsung/RadioShack 500 NASCAR Winston Cup race on Sunday, March 30 at Texas Motor Speedway will have the opportunity to participate in the pre-race activities while helping to honor the American Spirit. The first 100,000 fans inside the gates will receive a miniature American flag courtesy of Lowe's Home Improvement Warehouse. During the pre-race activities fans will be encouraged to wave the flags in unison during the performance of God Bless America. The Derailers, recording artists for Sony Music Entertainment Inc. on their Lucky Dog Label, will perform the song.(TMS PR)(3-26-2003)

Free Internet Access at Texas: Texas Motor Speedway, in cooperation with Outback Telecom, will be offering complimentary wireless broadband Internet service to campers in the Workhorse Custom Chassis Infield Campground for the Samsung/RadioShack 500 week. Broadband Internet access will be available to a portion of the infield campground but will require an 802.11b (WiFi) enabled laptop or personal digital assistant (PDA) to access the network.. The WiFi device is available at most electronic retailers including RadioShack and a limited number will be available for sale at the Outback Telecom booth located in the infield.. For more information send an e-mail to raceisp@outbackwireless.com or call (972) 691-8009.(TMS PR)(3-26-2003)

Recycling Program Launch at Texas, win Dale Jr stuff and help out: NASCAR fans have an opportunity to support the environment, as well as their favorite driver, during the Samsung/RadioShack 500 race week at Texas Motor Speedway. Coca-Cola, Anheuser-Busch, Texas Motor Speedway and the National Association of PET Container Resources (NAPCOR) are launching :Rev It Up & Recycle," a new program designed to encourage race fans to recycle plastic bottles and aluminum cans. Various methods for collecting plastic bottles and cans will be available throughout race weekend, including the use of 30 highly visible, NASCAR-themed kiosks along the main concourse and nine large recycling trailers located throughout the camping areas.. Crews will also be collecting cans and bottles from the grandstands following the Samsung/RadioShack 500. The multi-faceted program, which kicks off March 27, encourages campers to recycle for the chance to win Dale Earnhardt, Jr. merchandise and a VIP meet-and-greet with Earnhardt prior to the March 30 Samsung/RadioShack 500. A percentage of the recycling proceeds will go to the Texas Chapter of Speedway Children's Charities.(more info at the TMS site)(3-26-2003)

Security at Texas: Fans attending this weekend's RPM Week-Texas activities should allow extra time when entering the gates at Texas Motor Speedway. Security personnel will be inspecting all bags and coolers brought into the speedway. The speedway implemented extra security measures at all races since September 11, 2001.(TMS PR)
AND On March 18, the eve of war, the Federal Aviation Administration imposed seven temporary flight restrictions, including a ban on all aircraft -- blimps, banner-towing planes -- above and three nautical miles around entertainment parks, like Disneyland, as well as sports stadiums or "major motor speedway" events that draw 30,000 fans or more. Helicopters will be allowed to transport race participants to and from Alliance Airport. The FAA ban authorizes certain aircraft to defend the airspace above the speedway if necessary, but it does not detail what aircraft that would be. Should an emergency occur during the race, Krey said authorities would implement an evacuation plan that has been in place since the track's opening and has been updated every year.(Fort Worth Star Telegram)(3-26-2003)

Total Awards Increased at Texas: Texas Motor Speedway, which offers the NASCAR Winston Cup Series' third-largest purse, has increased the total posted awards for the Samsung/RadioShack 500 and the O'Reilly 300 NASCAR Busch Series again this year. More than $7.3 million will be up for grabs during the four days of racing. The Samsung/RadioShack 500 NASCAR Winston Cup race on Sunday, March 30, passed the $6 million mark, jumping to a record $6,047,759 in prize money -- up more than $560,000 from the $5,487,422 awarded in 2002. The Saturday, March 29, O'Reilly 300, traditionally one of the richest races on the NASCAR Busch Series, is offering $ 1,284,492 -- up from $1,197,691 last year.(Texas Motor Speedway PR)(3-24-2003)

Not NASCAR but: The United States Air Force and Texas Motor Speedway announced the sponsorship of the O'Reilly World of Outlaws event, the United States Air Force Showdown, March 28-29 at the Texas Motor Speedway Dirt Track. In addition to the race sponsorship, the USAF will also have a presence throughout race weekend with a large display outside Gate 7 of the superspeedway that includes a full-size F16. Those interested in joining the Air Force can attend a special event hosted by the USAF in the Star-Telegram Hospitality Village on Friday, March 28 from 1 p.m - 5 p.m.(Texas Motor Speedway PR)(3-24-2003)

TMS official sponsors: Texas Motor Speedway announced Compass Bank as the "Official Bank" of Texas Motor Speedway. Race fans will also benefit from the newly announced relationship. Compass will be providing a free (no service charge) ATM location in the souvenir row at Texas in March. Compass will also have kiosks on the main concourse during race week where fans can receive special Texas Motor Speedway items for opening a new checking account.
AND The speedway announced Sonic Drive-In [a Jayski Fave] as the "Official Drive-In" of Texas Motor Speedway. The speedway will be working with Sonic on race promotions as well as participating in events such as grand openings. It was also announced that Simple Green is the "Official Cleaner" of Texas Motor Speedway. The all-purpose, non-toxic cleaning product is used for a variety of cleaning jobs at the speedway.(Texas Motor Speedway PR)(3-24-2003)

Not NASCAR but pretty interesting for local TX racers: Terry Dickerson can't think of a better way to open the season than with a big event. And he can't think of a bigger racing event in Texas to be associated with than the upcoming NASCAR Winston Cup race at Texas Motor Speedway. So Dickerson, the promoter at Lone Star Speedway in Kilgore, Texas, has come up with a one-of-a-kind promotion. On Lone Star's opening night Saturday, he will offer 24 drivers the chance to be part of the big weekend at TMS – even if it is in a support race for a support race. The top 24 finishers in Saturday's IMCA modified feature race at Lone Star will race in an IMCA support event for the O'Reilly World of Outlaws at the Texas Motor Speedway Dirt Track on March 28-29. The Winston Cup race will be held at TMS on March 30.(Dallas Morning News - may need to register to read)(3-22-2003)

Texas Scoring Tower Almost Done: Less than two months ago, the scoring tower located inside Turn Three at Texas Motor Speedway fell during high winds. On Thursday, work on building a new tower now located inside Turn Four is scheduled to be completed. A crane will raise the "topper" for the tower at approximately 9 a.m., weather permitting. Crews will attach the giant end piece in place to complete the tower. The estimated cost of building the new tower was approximately $250,000, and Thursday's fitting of the top piece will complete the construction in time for the NASCAR Winston Cup Series Samsung/RadioShack 500 race weekend March 27-30.(TMS PR)(3-21-2003)

Texas Testing this week and an announcement: on Wednesday, March 19th, there will be a special announcement regarding the upcoming Samsung/RadioShack 500 and O'Reilly 300 at Texas Motor Speedway. Teams have also scheduled final test sessions in preparation for Texas race week. Teams are scheduled for testing Monday-Wednesday, March 17-19. Drivers scheduled are as follows:
Monday, March 17 - Busch Series:. Stanton Barrett. Tuesday and Wednesday, March 18 and 19:
Winston Cup Drivers: #2-Rusty Wallace, #5-Terry Labonte, #29-Kevin Harvick, #30-Jeff Green, #83-Kerry Earnhardt, #88-Dale Jarrett, #75?-David Starr.
Busch Series Drivers: Troy Cline, Mike Wallace, Stanton Barrett, Kevin Grubb, Lance Norick.(TMS PR)(3-17-2003)

The Rock race to Texas? The talk of Realignment 2004 and Beyond is weekly fodder for the gristmill as the tour visits the venues that make up the 2003 schedule. Darlington Raceway was a target to lose a date well before France dropped his date moving bomb in mid-January. While the history likely goes back at least 10 or more years, the talk seems to ebb and flow, but with Realignment 2004 on the table the talk was raised to a whole new level. Sources told teamfordracing.com during the Rockingham, NC race weekend that North Carolina Speedway was likely to loose a date, with Texas Motor Speedway the destination for the race as the France family works towards getting the Francis Ferko anti-trust/collusion trial settled; and that Darlington was rock solid with two dates for 2004. That talk seems to be a little more solid, or at least the Darlington aspect of that talk, as this weekend NASCAR men are spinning the virtues of two dates here in 2004. Taking the talk closer reality are claims by Darlington track officials to teamfordracing.com, this morning, that they are “very close” to extending their deal with the Dodge Dealers for sponsorship of this race beyond 2003, or when the current sponsorship contract is set to conclude. Darlington has a deal with Pepsi Co’s Mountain Dew product to sponsor the Southern 500, Darlington’s fall date, through 2004.(Ford Racing)(3-16-2003)

400 Texas Tix Available: Fans still looking for a ticket to the sold-out Samsung/RadioShack 500 will now have one last chance. A block of approximately 400 tickets allotted to Fort Sill, Oklahoma has been released due to the recent deployment of troops. The tickets will go on sale Friday, March 14 at 9:00 a.m. The tickets are only available through the speedway ticket office and may be purchased at the ticket counter or by calling (817) 215-8500. In addition to the release of block tickets from Fort Sill, only 200 season tickets, ranging in price from $214-$360, remain for the 2003 season. Race fans can purchase three great weekends of racing and see not only the NASCAR Winston Cup race, but also two Indy Racing League events, a NASCAR Busch Series race and two NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series races for less than they will pay for the one Winston Cup ticket to the ticket brokers. Season ticket holders also receive complimentary admission to Fandango2 on Thursday night, March 27 in the speedway frontstretch grandstand. Fandango2 will feature NASCAR Winston Cup drivers Michael Waltrip and Ken Schrader, along with a special guest, in a question-and-answer session with fans. Fox Sports' Mike Joy will host Fandango2.(TMS PR)(3-12-2003)

Texas sized promotion: Texas Motor Speedway Director of Tickets Kevin Camper has been promoted to Director of Business Development. Speedway vice president and general manager Eddie Gossage made the announcement today. Camper, a 1993 graduate of Liberty University, joined the speedway in August of 1996 as ticket manager. Prior to that, he served as season ticket coordinator for the Texas Rangers Baseball Club. He was promoted to Director of Tickets at Texas Motor Speedway in 2000. Camper has been instrumental in streamlining the camping and ticket sales operation, and he has provided creative new opportunities for fans that purchase single event or season tickets.(TMS PR)(2-28-2003)

Kansas to get 2nd race? Kentucky to get Cup race if owner sells? Texas 2nd race? ...insiders say that Kansas City is almost assured a second Cup date and that Kentucky Speedway will also be added to the tour if track owner Jerry Carroll is willing to sell majority interest to the International Speedway Corp [ISC]. One of those dates will likely come from Rockingham, the other from Darlington. In fact, speculation here is so hot about Kentucky getting a Cup date that Carroll and France [ISC] might already have come to some tentative agreement, though that's not clear. Other NASCAR sources say it's increasingly likely that the sanctioning body will indeed add a second Winston Cup date at Texas Motor Speedway, in order to keep some of NASCAR's business secrets from being brought out in the Texas courtroom that is hearing a lawsuit over the second date issue.(Winston Salem Journal)(2-22-2003)

Texas has special offer for Scouts: Texas Motor Speedway will continue a tradition started during its inaugural season of 1997 when it offers Boy and Girl Scout troops the opportunity to witness the O'Reilly 300 Busch Series race Saturday, March 29 at a special Scout Day ticket price. Scout troops and their leaders will be able to purchase advance tickets for the O'Reilly 300 for only $5.00 each. Those accompanying the Scout troops are eligible for a ticket price of $20 apiece with a limit of three for every uniformed Scout. All Scout Day tickets are subject to availability. Scout Day tickets are available at the special price by advance order only. Scout leaders must fill out a Scout Day ticket order form and return it with payment to the speedway prior to March 17. The Scout Day form is available at the Tickets link of the Texas Motor Speedway website, www.texasmotorspeedway.com or by calling (817) 215-8500.(TMS PR)(2-21-2003)

Texas Cup race sold out: Texas Motor Speedway recorded its earliest sell-out ever as the final tickets for individual seats to the March 30 Samsung/RadioShack 500 NASCAR Winston Cup race were sold to Jason Wargo of Alsip, IL shortly after noon on Tuesday. Frontstretch grandstand tickets still remain for the March 29 O'Reilly 300 NASCAR Busch Series race. Since opening seven years ago, Texas Motor Speedway has sold every seat in the 154,861-seat facility for its NASCAR Winston Cup event.. This is the earliest the event has ever sold-out.. Last year the event sold-out in late-February. A limited number of season tickets located on the frontstretch remain for all events and Gossage cautioned fans about going to ticket brokerage companies and scalpers for tickets. Season ticket holders also receive complimentary admission to Fandango2 on Thursday night, March 27 in the speedway frontstretch grandstand.. Fandango2 will feature NASCAR Winston Cup drivers Michael Waltrip and Ken Schrader, along with a special guest, in a question-and-answer session with fans.. Fox Sports' Mike Joy will host Fandango2. Infield standing-room only tickets for the Samsung/RadioShack 500 are on sale daily up to and including race day March 30. The Texas Motor Speedway staff is also contacting corporate clients that have bought large blocks of tickets in an effort to buy back any tickets in order to offer them to the public.(TMS PR)(2-20-2003)

Texas Scoring Tower Going Up and Tix: The scoring tower that recently fell in the infield at Texas Motor Speedway will be rebuilt and relocated to Turn Four. The 110-foot structure, weighing approximately 41,000 pounds, fell on Jan. 28 during high winds near the speedway. The estimated cost of building the new tower is approximately $250,000 and construction on the tower will be completed in time for the NASCAR Winston Cup Series Samsung/RadioShack 500 race weekend March 27-30. Individual tickets for the Samsung/RadioShack 500 are going fast and nearing a sellout. But, there is still an opportunity to get excellent front-stretch viewing for the O'Reilly Auto Parts Qualifying Day on Thursday, March 27 and Friday, March 28. General admission tickets, which are $10, are available at 900 O'Reilly Auto Parts stores across 16 states. All advance O'Reilly Auto Parts Qualifying Day tickets must be purchased at O'Reilly Auto Parts stores. The speedway will have general admission tickets, also good for both days, available at the gate for $15.(TMS PR)(2-12-2003)

the toppled tower, image from TMS PR

Wind topples Texas Motor Speedway tower UPDATE will be rebuilt: A 110-foot scoring tower at Texas Motor Speedway fell to the ground Tuesday afternoon after a sudden gust of wind, a speedway spokesman said. No one was injured, and no events were under way at the track. The tower is one of two electronic scoring towers that keep track of each car's position during a race, speedway spokesman Gary Guehler said. Damage to the tower was estimated at $250,000 and there was no damage to the track, Guehler said.(Fort Worth Star Telegram)(1-28-2003)

UPDATE: TMS general manager Eddie Gossage said a new scoring tower would be built to replace the one toppled by high winds on Tuesday inside Turn 3. Gossage doesn't know if it can be completed in time for the NASCAR weekend of March 27-30. "That's what our crew is trying to determine," he said. "We had a sign company out here this morning. They are going to let us know whether they can get all the electronics together. We can get the structure up, but can you get the electronics and all the pieces that go into making it? All these scoreboards are custom made." Gossage said the new tower would be placed inside Turn 4. He also said structural engineers are looking at the scoring tower in Turn 1 to make sure it isn't damaged.(Dallas Morning News - need to register for free to view/read)(1-31-2003)

Howie Long back at Texas Grand Marshal: Radio Shack spokesman Howie Long returns as the Grand Marshal for this year's Winston Cup race at Texas Motor Speedway, the Samsung/Radio Shack 500. Long served as Grand Marshal in 2002 but missed the race due to prior commitments after rain forced the postponement of the event.(Sheveprot Times)(1-30-2003)

Wind topples Texas Motor Speedway tower UPDATE: A 110-foot scoring tower at Texas Motor Speedway fell to the ground Tuesday afternoon after a sudden gust of wind, a speedway spokesman said. No one was injured, and no events were under way at the track. The tower is one of two electronic scoring towers that keep track of each car's position during a race, speedway spokesman Gary Guehler said. Damage to the tower was estimated at $250,000 and there was no damage to the track, Guehler said.(Fort Worth Star Telegram)(1-28-2003)

UPDATE: TMS general manager Eddie Gossage said a new scoring tower would be built to replace the one toppled by high winds on Tuesday inside Turn 3. Gossage doesn't know if it can be completed in time for the NASCAR weekend of March 27-30. "That's what our crew is trying to determine," he said. "We had a sign company out here this morning. They are going to let us know whether they can get all the electronics together. We can get the structure up, but can you get the electronics and all the pieces that go into making it? All these scoreboards are custom made." Gossage said the new tower would be placed inside Turn 4. He also said structural engineers are looking at the scoring tower in Turn 1 to make sure it isn't damaged.(Dallas Morning News - need to register for free to view/read)(1-31-2003)

Smith sticks to his guns on Texas race date: Bruton Smith has no plans to get a second NASCAR Winston Cup race in Texas by moving one of his company's eight other races or through the purchase of another track with a date. "If I bought one tomorrow, it's going to Las Vegas, not here," Smith said Wednesday at Texas Motor Speedway, one of six tracks his Speedway Motorsports Inc. owns. NASCAR revealed a plan last week that calls for the possibility of realigning the Winston Cup schedule. It could include moving races among tracks but won't involve additional dates. But Smith and Texas Motor Speedway general manager Eddie Gossage continue to contend that NASCAR has never given a second date as promised when the $250 million track opened in 1997. Smith got the current race when he bought half of the now-defunct track in North Wilkesboro, N.C., and moved one of its events to Texas. NASCAR president Mike Helton has called the Texas debate an old issue and said what matters is that there is racing at the 1 1/2-mile track. The six Winston Cup races at the Texas Motor Speedway have sold out, along with strong television ratings and one of the series' largest purses. Another sellout crowd of more than 200,000 is expected for the Samsung/Radio Shack 500 on March 30. Smith said he won't move any of his other races, including two each at tracks in suburban Atlanta, Bristol, and suburban Charlotte. SMI's Las Vegas track and its road course in Sonoma, Calif., also have one Winston Cup race each year.(ThatsRacin.com/AP)(1-30-2003)

Texas Motor Speedway to Host Job Fair: Texas Motor Speedway has announced plans to host a job fair on Saturday, Feb 8th from 10:00am to 2:00pm to find workers for its 2003 events. Positions are available in speedway departments, concessions and merchandising. Details are available at www.texasmotorspeedway.com.(Winston Cup Scene Daily Newsletter)(1-25-2003)

Bruton Says No: Bruton Smith said Wednesday there is "zero chance" his Speedway Motorsports Inc. would move a race from one of its other racetracks to Texas Motor Speedway. That suggestion was made Tuesday by NASCAR officials during a news conference at its new Research and Development Center in suburban Mooresville.(Sporting News/AP)(1-23-2003)

Texas Season Tix Holders and Pit Passes: Season ticket holders at Texas Motor Speedway are enjoying yet another "fan friendly" opportunity during the 2003 season. Beginning Monday, Jan. 27, season ticket holders with accounts paid in full are eligible to purchase Individual Day Pit Passes for the RPM Week-Texas, March 27-30. The NASCAR Winston Cup Samsung/RadioShack 500 is on Sunday, March 30, preceded by the NASCAR Busch Series O'Reilly 300 on Saturday, March 29. Qualifying for the two events is Thursday (March 27) and Friday (March 28). Individual Day Pit Pass holders must have an accompanying ticket for that day's event in order to use the pit pass. All pit pass holders must be 18 years of age or older and appropriately dressed (no shorts, no open-toed shoes, no sleeveless shirts). Pit pass prices for RPM Week-Texas are Thursday, March 27 ($25), Friday, March 28 ($35), Saturday, March 29 ($45), and Sunday, March 30 ($50). A limited number of individual passes are available and can be purchased in person at the speedway ticket office or by calling the ticket hotline at (817) 215-8500.(TMS PR)(1-18-2003)

Camping at Texas: When fans arrive in March for RPM Week-Texas, they will see the sparkling new Workhorse Custom Chassis VIP Campground along Allison Drive at the north entrance to the Texas Motor Speedway. The new campground is currently being equipped with full electrical and water hookups for campers. The Workhorse Custom Chassis VIP Campground features 352 spots measuring 20' x 45' each on a paved lot. The camping spots are $600 for the season plus an additional $200 for the year for the hookups, which includes electric, water, and a coupon for one free stop by the waste truck for sewage each race week. Spots in the Workhorse Custom Chassis VIP Campground will go on sale at 9:00 a.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 5. Locations in the other Workhorse Custom Chassis outside reserved campgrounds, including the Lone Star Circle Reserved Campground ($300 for season) and Victory Circle Reserved Campground ($100 for RPM Week-Texas, March 27-30), Lone Star Circle Tent City ($75 for RPM Week-Texas), and Victory Circle Tent City ($50 for RPM Week-Texas), are also available. Unreserved camping will only be available on the west side of the speedway and is limited to 1,000 spots on a first come, first serve basis. For Texas Motor Speedway camping and ticket information, contact the speedway ticket hotline at (817 215-8500 or go online to www.texasmotorspeedway.com.(1-18-2003)

New Texas Track? A group of investors plans to buy more than 1,400 acres of land in Waxahachie (Texas) in hopes of turning it into the planned Boundless Motorplex development which would have a 3.2-mile road course with seating for 100,000 that investors hope will be approved to host international car and motorcycle races. The group is in the process of purchasing the land. Another important step is courting the international racing organizations that sanction events in the United States. Leslie Wulf, president of GPX Partners, said his group is seeking the approval of both the Federation Internationale de L'Automobile and Federation Internationale de Motocylisme for the circuit. The FIA is the governing body for the globe-trotting Formula One series and oversees other international racing circuits. As the world governing body of motorcycle racing, the FIM oversees the international Moto Grand Prix series. American sanctioning bodies such as NASCAR and the Indy Racing League are members of the Automobile Competition Committee for the United States (ACCUS), a member of the FIA. Wulf said the entire project would cost between $70 million and $100 million. Jesse Shelmire IV, chairman of GPX and a principal of Stonegate Securities in Dallas, said he has $20 million to $30 million worth of investors interested. Plans for the development also include motocross tracks, a 50-acre lake, condominiums, skyboxes, a luxury recreational vehicle resort, racing schools, manufacturer and racing-team facilities, a business park and golf course. Shelmire said the plan is to have the race course, pit area, stands, condominiums and skyboxes ready for racing by the second half of 2004. The rest of the development could take as long as 24 months to finish. Project officials say they are in discussion with various racing organizations about hosting events. The course would be equipped to host racing series such as Formula One, Championship Auto Racing Teams, ALMS, Rolex Grand American Cup, Trans Am, the MotoGP and the AMA Superbike Series. The 1,420-acre parcel is on the southeastern outskirts of Waxahachie, about five miles from the Texas Motorplex. Waco businessman Billy Meyer, the Motorplex owner, could not be reached for comment.(Fort Worth Star Telegram)(12-15-2002)

Texas Camp Sites: Starting Monday, November 4, race fans will have an opportunity to stake their claim as reserved campsites go on sale for individual race events during the 2003 season at Texas Motor Speedway [TMS]. TMS has made $1 million worth of improvements to the Workhorse Custom Chassis Campgrounds outside of Turn 3. All race week camping in this area is now reserved. There are 4,700 marked spaces approximately 20' x 40' in size divided into two sections. Lone Star Circle Reserved features 2,200 spots encompassing the current reserved camping closest to Turn 3. These spots are available for the season ($300) or, beginning on Monday, on an event-by-event basis at $150 per race week. Victory Circle Reserved includes 2,500 sites adjacent to the east of Lone Star Circle Reserved sites. Sites are available on a per race basis: Samsung/RadioShack 500 weekend, March 27-30 ($100), Bombardier 500 weekend, June 5-7 ($50), and Chevy 500 weekend, Oct. 10-12 ($50). There are also two areas on the east side of the speedway for tent campers with sites costing $50 and $75. Approximately 1,000 unreserved campsites are available on the west side of the speedway for the Samsung/RadioShack 500 race week only. The Reserved Coleman Infield Campground and the Reserved Workhorse Custom Chassis VIP Camping are available on a full season basis only. For camping or ticket information for 2003 Texas Motor Speedway race events, contact the speedway ticket office at (817) 215-8500 or go online to www.texasmotorspeedway.com.(10-30-2002)

2003 Texas Tix: Texas Motor Speedway 2003 Season Tickets remain on sale, but this Friday, Oct. 18, is the final day fans can get a special gift by paying for their season tickets in full. A commemorative Speedway Backpack (one per account) is given to fans who purchase and pay in full for the season tickets by this Friday's deadline. The six-race package, which ranges in price from $170-$415 per seat, includes a NASCAR Winston Cup and Busch Series race along with two Indy Racing League and NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series events. 2003 individual event tickets go on sale at 9:00 a.m., Saturday, Oct. 19. Fans may purchase season or individual event tickets from the speedway ticket office in person or by phone at (817) 215-8500. Tickets are also available through the speedway website at www.texasmotorspeedway.com.(TMS PR)(10-15-2002)

TMS looking to host football game? Texas Motor Speedway general manager Eddie Gossage plans to talk with University of Texas and Oklahoma University officials about TMS playing host to the Texas-Oklahoma football game in the future. Gossage admits the idea may seem far-fetched at first glance, but he has detailed information to explain how the plan could work with the seating arrangements and the accommodations of the facility. He believes the frontstretch of the 1.5 oval could be the configured to comfortably seat between 125,000 to 150,000 spectators. Joe Castiglione, the athletic director at OU, said TMS is an option the school has considered. Gossage said artist renderings, including a scaled-down model, and engineering designs exist for a similar proposal 15 years ago at Lowe's Motor Speedway in suburban Charlotte, NC. UT athletic director DeLoss Dodds was told about the idea Tuesday and asked if he would consider a proposal from TMS.(Dallas Morning News)(10-9-2002)

Fort Worth Star Telegram: Suit Yourself: Q&A with Bruton Smith - Mogul talks about lawsuit that could shake NASCAR by John Sturbin and Jeff Wilson (9-23-2002)

Smith not Happy: Bruton Smith, owner of Texas Motor Speedway as part of his Speedway Motorsports Inc. empire, said last weekend that he continues to be "disgusted" with NASCAR officials over not awarding a second Winston Cup date to TMS. Smith was at TMS last weekend to watch the IRL Chevy 500. Smith also said he hasn't met and never has spoken to Francis Ferko, the SMI shareholder from Plano who is suing NASCAR over its failure to give TMS a second Cup date and alleged antitrust violations. Smith said he has no plans to contact Ferko, feeling it would be inappropriate as long as the lawsuit is pending. NASCAR attorneys elected not to appeal the court decision that denied their request to throw out the case. The next step in the legal process will be disclosure and depositions.(Dallas Morning News)(9-19-2002)

Texas Close on Naming Rights: Texas Motor Speedway General Manager Eddie Gossage is telling the Dallas Morning News that he's working on a deal to add a title sponsor for the facility. "We've been in discussions for about three weeks," Gossage told the paper. "I wouldn't say it is imminent, but it could happen." Gossage didn't name the company that might make the track the third Speedway Motorsports Inc. facility to have a title sponsor. Charlotte Motor Speedway was the first, when it became Lowe's Motor Speedway, and Sears Point Raceway in Sonoma, Calif., became Infineon Raceway earlier this year. "For us, this isn't about making more money," Gossage said. "It's about being able to keep prices down."(Winston Cup Scene Daily Newsletter)(8-21-2002)

2003 Race Schedule Announced at Texas - Season Ticket Prices Hold Steady: For the third straight year, there will be no price increase in Texas Motor Speedway Season Tickets. Season Tickets are now on sale for the six-race package, which ranges in price from $170-$415 per seat, and includes a NASCAR Winston Cup and Busch Series race along with two Indy Racing League and NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series events.(TMS Site/PR)(8-21-2002)

Texas Date Change Denied: Texas Motor Speedway executive vice president and general manager Eddie Gossage wrote a letter to NASCAR president Mike Helton earlier this year, requesting a date change after this year's rain-delayed Samsung/Radio Shack 500. A second Winston Cup race for TMS is not on the 36-race 2003 schedule. TMS has scheduled a news conference for 11 a.m. today to announce its complete 2003 schedule.(Fort Worth Star Telegram)(8-20-2002)

Texas race date on the move? Texas Motor Speedway's lone Cup race date on the 2003 schedule apparently is on the move from its early-April slot. TMS' combined BGN and Cup races occupied the April 6-7 slots on the series' 2002 schedules. But fans who attended the Busch/Cup weekend at Talladega April 20-21 received a letter from track officials this week inviting them to renew their tickets, at the same prices, for NASCAR events scheduled on April 5-6, 2003. The offer came with the advisory that dates for the BGN race and the Cup race at Talladega are subject to change. While NASCAR traditionally releases its full Cup and Busch schedules in late summer, individual tracks increasingly have been allowed to announce dates during the season to drum up ticket interest in each market. Texas Motor Speedway's BGN/Cup weekend could be moved back to March 29-30, the track's traditional spot since opening in 1997. Eddie Gossage, TMS' executive vice president and general manager, could not be reached for comment Friday. But after rain cut short the O'Reilly 300 on April 6 and forced the Harrah's 500 to be rescheduled for Monday, April 8, last spring, Gossage wrote NASCAR president Mike Helton to officially request a date switch to later in the spring. Despite the one-day postponement, the Harrah's 500 drew 187,000 fans. The late April weekend Talladega occupied in 2002 will become an off-weekend in 2003 as NASCAR celebrates Easter on April 20. NASCAR does not race on either Easter or Mother's Day. When Easter fell on March 31 this year, NASCAR first assigned TMS mid-March Busch/Cup dates before changing to April 6-7 for weather-related reasons.(Fort Worth Star Telegram)(6-29-2002)

2nd Race Rumors, the Rock out? Texas and Calif In?: The word in the garage last weekend at California Speedway was that, once again, officials of the International Speedway Corporation are looking hard at how to add a second Winston Cup date to that Los Angeles area track, which sold out for Sunday's race (although Saturday's Busch race a crowd of only some 25,000). And there are indications that the lawsuit against ISC and NASCAR for not offering Texas Motor Speedway a second Winston Cup date may be putting enough pressure on NASCAR to get it off dead-center on the issue and to make some concessions. One option being considered, according to track sources, is for ISC to take its two Winston Cup dates from North Carolina Motor Speedway at Rockingham and move one to its California track and offer the other to Speedway Motorsports boss Bruton Smith, for either another Texas date or a second Las Vegas date.(Winston Salem Journal)(5-3-2002)

Texas and Softwalls? Not Ready: SAFER - Steel and Foam Energy Reduction - barrier officially unveiled at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Wednesday by Indy Racing League and NASCAR officials is not under immediate consideration for Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth. "As to will we see it this year or anything, it's too early for me to tell you that," said Eddie Gossage, TMS' executive vice president and general manager. "I don't have any read on that yet." Gossage plans to confer with Brian Barnhart, the IRL's vice president of operations, on the SAFER technology before the 86th Indianapolis 500 on May 26. The IRL's first race after Indy, the Boomtown 500, is scheduled for June 8 at TMS - a high-banked, 1.5-mile quadoval that offers a completely different set of variables from the relatively flat, rectangular 2.5-mile IMS oval. Gossage said he is eager to see the test data compiled by the IRL, NASCAR and the University of Nebraska's Midwest Roadside Safety Facility. "While it's appropriate to place soft wall technology at Indy - a unique track that has four 90-degree corners - it may not be as appropriate to an oval or a quadoval," Gossage said. "We also want to see it in practice. But they've made good progress, and conceptually it's a great thing. From a stock-car standpoint, I don't see this having any impact in narrowing up the turns [at TMS]," Gossage said. "From an Indy-car standpoint, they do run three-wide here. That was last year. They'll probably run four-wide here this year. A 55-foot track that loses two feet ... the last two feet in the turns is space you can afford to give up. So it's all very promising."(Fort Worth Star Telegram)(5-2-2002)

Texas hire: Tom Krampitz has joined Texas Motor Speedway as Director of Government Relations/General Counsel. In the newly created position, he will serve as the liaison to local, state and federal government for Texas Motor Speedway. Prior to joining the Speedway team, Krampitz served as Executive Director of the Texas District and County Attorneys Association in Austin. In that capacity, he represented the interests of Texas prosecutors before the Texas Legislature and a variety of state boards and commissions. Krampitz has served in a number of leadership roles in his professional organizations. He was vice president of the National Association of Prosecutor Coordinators, and served on the board of directors and executive committee of the National District Attorneys Association. His community and volunteer activities have centered in the area of abused and neglected children. He currently serves as president of Texas CASA Inc., a statewide network of programs providing volunteer advocacy services on behalf of 12,000 abused and neglected children in Child Protective Services custody.(TMS PR)(4-20-2002)

Texas hopes to change race date: The Fort Worth (Texas) Star-Telegram is reporting that Texas Motor Speedway is lobbying NASCAR to move the date of the track's "weather-plagued" spring race. Writer John Sturbin says speedway General Manager Eddie Gossage has sent a letter to NASCAR President Mike Helton, asking that the race date be changed and pointing out that March and April are traditionally rainy months in north Texas. "I did not even suggest a date because I think that's too much," Gossage told the paper. "I'm asking them to consider a date change, period." This year's BGN and Cup races on the weekend of April 6 and 7 were both affected by rain, pushing the Winston Cup race to Monday.(Winston Cup Scene Daily Newsletter)(4-18-2002)

Gossage Statement: Statement by Texas Motor Speedway General Manager EDDIE GOSSAGE regarding comments made by Martinsville Speedway President Clay Campbell: "We were disappointed by the uncharacteristic comments made by Clay Campbell, president of Martinsville Speedway, to media members attending this weekend's Virginia 500. Mr. Campbell said that Texas Motor Speedway officials had recently told the media that Martinsville Speedway should not be on the NASCAR Winston Cup schedule. No such statement was ever made. "I spoke with Clay Sunday evening by telephone and he admitted that he had not seen or heard any such statement, only that he responded to rumors that a quote of that nature appeared in either The Dallas Morning News or on television last weekend. I told Clay that we made no such statement - it simply does not exist. "We are disappointed by his comments; however, Clay Campbell is a good friend and an important figure in our sport. Personally speaking, races at Martinsville Speedway rate among my favorites. Today's race was another exciting Martinsville event and we are proud that it was won by a native Texan -- Bobby Labonte."(TMS PR)(4-15-2002)

School Out due to....Racing: While a few schools near the track were closed because of race traffic, some children skipped school to attend the race. Stacy Compton helped one elementary school student with a personal note for the child's teacher to excuse the student from class. "Dear Miss Dixon: Thank you for excusing Keaton from school today. We learned all about physics out here at TMS. Stacy Compton."(Roanoke Times)(4-9-2002)

Scalpers beware at Texas: Fans planning to sell race tickets on speedway property this week may find themselves in hot water. A Fort Worth City ordinance makes it illegal for race tickets to be re-sold on speedway grounds. "Sometimes fans buy extra tickets with the intention of reselling them," said speedway manager Eddie Gossage. "We can't stop them from doing that elsewhere, but on the speedway grounds -- which is Fort Worth property -- it's illegal. The Fort Worth Police Department will certainly have a presence here this week and are well aware of this ordinance." Those who are caught re-selling tickets on speedway grounds will be subject to a fine and confiscation of tickets.(TMS PR)(4-4-2002)

More Texas Camping News UPDATE: Heavy rains has forced Texas Motor Speedway to temporarily close the on-site Workhorse Custom Chassis Campgrounds. The excessive rainfall today has saturated the ground making it difficult to enter the sites without getting bogged down. Campers will be allowed to continue entering the camp areas on Monday afternoon at 3:00 p.m. The speedway opened the campgrounds Friday at 2:00 p.m. -- a day early -- allowing those who were already in line to get parked before the heavy rains that started early today. Approximately 1,200 campers are already parked in the reserved and unreserved areas outside of Turn 3 as well as the unreserved sites on the west side of the property. Campers will continue to be lined up around Victory Circle (the outer ring road on property) to enter the sites on Monday. Throughout next week, an estimated 40,000 camping race fans will fill the 10,000 camping spaces for the Samsung/RadioShack 500 race week activities, April 4-7. For more info and more campdrounds, see the TMS Site.(3-30-2002)
UPDATE: Texas Motor Speedway was scheduled to reopen its campgrounds this afternoon after heavy rains forced its closure over the weekend. But track operators and race fans can expect better conditions in the coming week if weather forecasts hold up. Neither the Weather Channel's Weather.com nor AccuWeather's Web site calls for any rain this week. Both expect temperatures in the low 70s on Saturday and the mid-70s on Sunday.(Winston Cup Scene Daily Newsletter)(4-1-2002)

Texas Security: Texas Motor Speedway will open the gates one hour earlier than usual on race days to allow extra time for security checks. The extra hour will give the fans additional time to go through the security checks and get to their seats for the Samsung/RadioShack 500 on Sunday, April 7 and the O'Reilly 300 on Saturday, April 6. Gates are set to open at 8:00am both days. With 1:00pm start times for both races gates would traditionally have opened at 9:00am. The new security measures were in place for the October 2001 Indy Racing League event as a result of last September's terrorist attacks. "The stricter security measures are still in effect," said speedway general manager Eddie Gossage. "While we do not anticipate any problems, we want the fans to know we continue to do whatever we can to ensure their safety while at Texas Motor Speedway." The speedway has enforced a number of safety guidelines since opening in 1997, however, many of those have been stepped up for next week's race events including:
* Extra security personnel will be placed at each gate entrance to enhance the checking of coolers and personal backpacks. (Cooler checks for glass containers have been routine in year's past. Tables will be set up at each gate for fans to pass through where items will be checked.)
* Each entry gate will be staffed by the Fort Worth Police Department during fan entry.
* There will be increased overnight security guards patrolling the Grandstands and other facility buildings after hours.
* All vehicular traffic will be cut off from entering the concourse two (2) hours prior to each day's gate opening times.
* All vendor re-stocking activity must be handled from the loading dock areas with golf cart access to the stands from the fire lane behind the concession stands. No golf cart activity allowed on the concourse.(TMS Site)(3-30-2002)

Texas Traffic: With the addition of new $6.5 million interstate interchange and frontage road, a new 30-acre paved parking lot, a beefed up parking staff and a new traffic plan, speedway officials are confident this year's Samsung/RadioShack 500 race traffic will move better than ever. "This is the first time we will be using the new Dale Earnhardt Way interchange on our NASCAR Winston Cup weekend," said speedway general manager Eddie Gossage. "Local law enforcement agencies have a new and improved traffic plan and are confident race fans will be moving in and out of here better than ever. We also added another 30 acres of paved parking as well as additional parkers and law enforcement officers to implement the plan." More than 200,000 fans will arrive in approximately 60,000-70,000 vehicles for the Sunday, April 7, Samsung/RadioShack 500. The new Dale Earnhardt Way interchange, located on Interstate 35W and the northeast corner of the speedway property, was open for the fall Indy Racing League and NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series weekend.
Key points to remember:
* Leave early
* Dallas to Denton to the Speedway as an alternative to Highway 114
* Utilize Dale Earnhardt Way interchange
* Follow directions of police and parking personnel
* Post-race four-lane express on Petty Place heading west
* Post-race two-lane contraflow on FM 156 south to Eagle Parkway
* Traffic maps available at www.texasmotorspeedway.com.(TMS PR)(3-30-2002)

Texas Camp Grounds Open Early: Threatening weather has prompted Texas Motor Speedway to open some outside camping areas a day early. The Workhorse Custom Chassis outside reserved and unreserved camping areas located outside of Turn 3 were scheduled to open on Saturday, March 30 at 8:00 a.m. However, with weather reports predicting heavy storms throughout the day Saturday, the speedway will open the outside reserved and unreserved campsites on Friday, March 29 at 2:00 p.m. "We already had RVs lining up Wednesday to enter the campgrounds," said speedway general manager Eddie Gossage. "With the real possibility of bad weather Saturday, we felt is was best to go ahead and start letting folks in and get them parked before the ground gets too wet."(TMS PR)(3-28-2002)

Camping at Texas: A new and improved layout and a safer camping experience await the estimated 10,000 RVs and campers on Texas Motor Speedway property for the upcoming Samsung/RadioShack 500 race week, April 4-7. The speedway has been working for several months to improve the overall terrain of the campsites, including the addition of gravel to the aisleways and adding 100 additional reserved campsites. A new pedestrian walkway leading from the turn 3 Workhorse Custom Chassis Campground to the north tunnel/gate 12 is now in place. Other amenities such as picnic tables and new landscaping have also been added.(see more at the TMS site)(3-21-2002)

Texas Traffic Stuff: Traffic Advisory - In November 2001, the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) began work to repair and overlay main lanes of Interstate 35W. Although the project is about 17 miles long and stretches from I-35E to the Tarrant-Denton County line, the construction is not expected to hinder traffic during the April 4-7 NASCAR races at Texas Motor Speedway. The concrete pavement repair is near completion, and TxDOT is currently upgrading the bridge railings. Traffic has been limited to one lane at various locations in this project. However, when TxDOT planned the project, provisions were included in the contract stating that the contractor would have all lanes open Wednesday through Sunday of the NASCAR races. According to Chris Behnke, TxDOT Denton County Assistant Area Engineer, the contractor is on target to have all the lanes open for race week. TxDOT officials advise travelers in this area to continue driving with caution. Though lanes will be open, this is still a construction area. They ask drivers to stay alert to traffic control devices applicable to partially completed work on the shoulders and in the ditches.(TMS PR)(3-14-2002)

Texas Special: Kroger and Cheez-it are combining to save race fan families $93 to see one of the BGN race at Texas on Saturday, April 6. The Kroger "Family 4 Pack" consists of four reserved frontstretch tickets to the O'Reilly 300, four hot dogs, four Coca-Colas and four Keebler snacks for only $99. This represents a savings of $93 over the retail value if purchased separately. Coupons redeemable for the "Family 4 Pack" will be available starting Wednesday, March 13 at Kroger grocery stores in north and east Texas and Bossier City-Shreveport, Louisiana. Participating Kroger locations are available at www.texasmotorspeedway.com. The coupon, along with two UPC codes from Keebler snack products 10 ounces or larger, must be presented for the special price only at the Texas Motor Speedway ticket office or at gate five on race day.(3-12-2002)

Tire Troubles at Texas? The early word on next month's race at Texas, after several teams have tested there is "it's going to be dangerous." The track has been repaved, and there are some worries that teams may gamble too much on tires and risk blowouts. "Don't go low on tire pressure, and don't use too much camber," one top tire specialist said after talking with teams just back from the test. The Texas track has been notorious over the years for blown right-front tires.(Winston Salem Journal)(3-9-2002)

Texas Construction: Construction crews have already completed several of the projects planned at Texas Motor Speedway. Included in that list of improvements is rock compound paving of 30 acres of land between Burton Avenue and Wallace Avenue on the west side of the speedway, which is scheduled to be finished at the end of this week. Traditionally, parking has been hindered in this area by inclement weather. In addition, a new paved walkway for pedestrians has been poured along Petty Avenue off of the speedway's outer ring road (Victory Circle) leading to the Preferred Seat License (PSL) parking lot (west side of speedway). This will enable maximum lanes of vehicle traffic on Petty Avenue entering and exiting the speedway. Also, work has been completed on a paved sidewalk along the grass area between Lone Star Tower and the south tunnel and a sidewalk stretching from the north campground to the north tunnel.(Texas Motor Speedway PR)(2-28-2002)

Traffic Problems at Texas MS? Key highway lanes leading to Texas Motor Speedway may still be closed when NASCAR returns in early April. Concerns have arisen from slow progress on construction work along Interstate 35W near the Motor Speedway north of Fort Worth. Only 18 percent of the work is finished. But Texas Department of Transportation officials say the recent good weather is a sign that the construction can be finished on time. Transportation officials also say they will try to reopen the lanes if work is unfinished when the race days arrive. "We've been told these improvements to the bridge retaining system will be finished in time for the race, but if not, they'll have plans to remove the barricades," said speedway General Manager Eddie Gossage. Not having all lanes on I-35W open during NASCAR weekend "would make life extremely difficult," said Gossage. "I think they know that this is three times bigger than hosting the Super Bowl game and they wouldn't not get things opened up."(Star Telegram/AP)(2-27-2002)

Texas and Tyson? UPDATE No: Texas Motor Speedway is currently weighing its options as to whether it wants to submit a bid to host the undisputed World Heavyweight Championship Lennox Lewis/Mike Tyson bout after being contacted by the camps of one of the fighters. The track would have to make a substantial bid to the promoters to host the fight, but TMS general manager Eddie Gossage says that he feels that if the track wants the fight – it can have it.(SpeedChannell)(2-11-2002)
UPDATE: Texas Motor Speedway today announced it will not submit a bid on the proposed Lennox Lewis-Mike Tyson heavyweight championship fight. The announcement came after a week of speculation that the superspeedway would host the event if Tyson is licensed to fight in the state of Texas.(TMS Site)(2-11-2002)

Howie and more seats at Texas: TMS executive vice president and general manager Eddie Gossage said the addition of temporary seats for this year's NASCAR Winston Cup race is under consideration. No temporary seats were added in 2001. Howie Long will serve as the Grand Marshal for the Winston Cup Samsung-RadioShack 500 on April 7. Long, who does numerous commercials for RadioShack, made an appearance at TMS on Tuesday.(Star Telegram)(1-24-2002)

NASCAR: No 2nd Cup race at Texas: NASCAR president Mike Helton knew the question and had the same answer. There are no plans for a second Winston Cup race at Texas Motor Speedway. "This is not a new issue. This is not a new question," Helton said Tuesday during a visit to the track. "It has been played out quite a bit and it's not changed." The long-running debate continues between NASCAR officials and TMS owner Bruton Smith, who maintains that he has been promised a second Cup date for Texas.(Sporting News/AP)(1-23-2002)

Bruton still lobbying for 2nd Cup race: Wrapping his remarks in a plea for NASCAR to cut costs that he says are "out of control," racing mogul Bruton Smith issued his annual request Tuesday for a second Winston Cup date for his Texas Motor Speedway. Smith, the chairman of Speedway Motorsports Inc. and owner of TMS, said he is anticipating a second consecutive sellout crowd of 210,000-plus fans when NASCAR's premier series visits the 1.5-mile quadoval in Fort Worth for the Samsung/RadioShack 500 on April 7. And Smith said he is prepared to have Eddie Gossage, TMS' executive vice president and general manager, add temporary seating if needed for the series' sixth visit to North Texas. But Smith reiterated his frustration over being limited to one Cup date by officials of the Florida-based sanctioning body. Smith delivered his remarks during a "Tire Side Chat" with H.A. "Humpy" Wheeler, the president of Lowe's Motor Speedway, at the end of the first day of the 2002 UAW/GM Motorsports Media Tour. NASCAR granted Smith his current Cup date in July 1996, after he purchased one-half of North Wilkesboro (N.C.) Speedway. Smith and Gossage have maintained that NASCAR officials promised a second Cup date for their commitment to helping "grow" the sport. Earlier, Smith called on NASCAR's hierarchy - apparently meaning chairman Bill France Jr. and president Mike Helton - to put the brakes on rising costs. Smith said the "acceleration of sanctioning fees and purses" required by NASCAR since 1998, and a slowdown in the sales of corporate suites, have prompted SMI to cut approximately 152 people from the payroll and scale back planned construction. "The costs associated with some of these cars, some of the things happening ... and who should be controlling this? NASCAR should be controlling this," said Smith, who owns six tracks playing host to nine Cup events in 2002."(Star Telegram)(1-16-2002)

New Texas Sponsor: Texas Motor Speedway today announced Fort Worth-based RadioShack Corporation and Dallas-based Samsung Telecommunications America have signed as new promotional partners of the speedway. The three-year promotional partnership kicks off with the April 7, 2002 NASCAR Winston Cup race, which will be named the Samsung/RadioShack 500. The Samsung/RadioShack 500 gives both companies the opportunity to extend current sports marketing initiatives to a broader demographic. The partnership also complements RadioShack's and Samsung's ongoing efforts to enhance strategic business relationships while providing tangible benefits and services to consumers. To bring additional consumer interest to the race, as well as increase visibility for Samsung and RadioShack products, the companies will participate in various promotional activities that include providing wireless product retail opportunities for spectators at the race.
AND: Texas Motor Speedway announced that O'Reilly Auto Parts will be the Official Auto Parts Store of Texas Motor Speedway and sponsor the NASCAR Busch Series race, the O'Reilly 300, beginning with the April 6, 2002 event. O'Reilly will also sponsor Qualifying Days for NASCAR Winston Cup and Busch weekend through 2005, and continue to sponsor the June NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race, the O'Reilly 400, for four more years as well.(Texas Motor Speedway PR)(1-8-2002)

Texas Pit Passes: Pit passes for the April 4-7 Texas 500 weekend will be offered to current Preferred Seat License holders and season ticket holders for the 2002 season at Texas Motor Speedway. Only a limited number of pit passes will be available for the weekend. PSL seat holders may purchase weekend pit passes for $125 each starting January 16 at 9:00am/ct. Season ticket holders will be able to begin purchasing Texas 500 weekend pit passes on January 21. Single-day pit passes will be available starting January 28 if any are still available. The pit passes will be available for purchase at the speedway ticket office(Texas Motor Speedway PR)(1-8-2002)

Texas and Radio Shack: A lawsuit filed by Texas Motor Speedway against Radio Shack Corp. will be dismissed soon, and the consumer-electronics giant will proceed with previously undisclosed plans to be the title sponsor of the speedway's spring NASCAR races in 2002-2004, a TMS lawyer says. TMS filed a breach-of-contract suit against Radio Shack in state district court in Denton County on Oct. 26, alleging that the electronics retailer reneged on the three-year sponsorship agreement and failed to make required payments under the contract, according to court documents. The suit asked for an unspecified amount in damages. A motion of nonsuit, which essentially dismisses the case, will be filed within a week or so, Bryant said. Sarona Winfrey, TMS director of public relations, said the lawsuit stemmed from a "miscommunication." She said TMS was planning an announcement in the coming weeks, but declined to elaborate. General Manager Eddie Gossage also declined comment.(Winston Cup Scene - need sub to read)(12-6-2001)

Texas Donation and Tree Ceremony: As Americans continue to donate in record numbers to national charities since the tragedies of Sept. 11, the Texas chapter of Speedway Children's Charities (SCC) prepares to hand out a record $403,572 to 92 Tarrant, Dallas, Denton and Collin County organizations benefiting children. The SCC will present the checks at the annual Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony, Tuesday evening, December 4 at The Speedway Club beginning with entertainment at 5:45pm. The ceremonies begin at 6:15pm and include a visit from Santa, who will appropriately arrive in the back of a NASCAR truck driven by CTS driver David Starr, as well as the lighting of the 40-foot Christmas tree. The event will be hosted by SCC board member and KXAS-TV sports director Scott Murray. Following the tree lighting ceremony, the special SCC grants and awards will be presented.(TMS PR)(12-3-2001)

Texas Tix: Single event tickets for the 2002 races at Texas Motor Speedway went on sale on Saturday, Oct. 20th. See the TMS site for more info(10-21-2001)

Texas/CART settle: Texas Motor Speedway's suit against CART over cancellation of a race last Spring was settled Tuesday. The inaugural Firestone Firehawk 600 was canceled two hours before it was to start April 29 because drivers complained of dizziness after practices earlier in the weekend. The settlement was announced in a joint statement from Joseph F. Heitzler, chairman and CEO of Championship Auto Racing Teams Inc., and Bruton Smith, chairman and CEO of track owner Speedway Motorsports Inc.(CBS/AP)(10-16-2001)

NHIS-TMS Swap? UPDATE 2: A source Wednesday night confirmed that Bruton Smith contacted Bob Bahre, owner of the New Hampshire track, over the weekend to offer to hold what is now scheduled to be the season's final race at Texas Motor Speedway, which is owned by Smith's Speedway Motorsports Inc. Smith would share the revenue from the race with Bahre, compensating Bahre for the loss of the date at his track. Smith, meanwhile, would get a second 2001 Cup race for his Texas track in the bargain. The discussions apparently haven't gone beyond the initial overture from Smith, and the chances of such a swap being made would appear remote. Smith and Bahre each got Cup dates for their tracks by buying 50 percent interest in North Wilkesboro Speedway and their standoff over that has kept the North Wilkesboro track idle. Since the new date for the New Hampshire race was announced, there have been many rumors about what might happen instead of Winston Cup going to New Hampshire on Thanksgiving weekend. Early this week there was talk that this weekend's race at Dover might switch with the postponed event. There has also been talk about a possible swap between Rockingham and New Hampshire and even some talk that the New Hampshire race would be canceled outright. By all appearances, however, New Hampshire International Speedway is progressing with plans to host the race in November. The track's public relations office sent e-mails to media representatives Wednesday asking them to reconfirm their plans to cover the event.(That's Racin')(9-20-2001)
UPDATE: Texas Motor Speedway owner Bruton Smith is trying to work out a financial agreement to purchase the rescheduled Nov. 23 NASCAR Winston Cup race at New Hampshire and move it to TMS, sources confirmed Wednesday. Smith, president of Speedway Motorsports Inc., which is the parent company of TMS, is negotiating with New Hampshire International Speedway chairman Bob Bahre about making the switch. Smith could not be reached for comment Wednesday evening. TMS general manager Eddie Gossage was contacted and said he had no comment.(Dallas Morning News)(9-20-2001)
UPDATE 2 - NO SWAP: New Hampshire International Speedway owner Bob Bahre said Thursday he has received an offer from Speedway Motorsports Inc. owner Bruton Smith to move Bahre's rescheduled race to Texas Motor Speedway, but Bahre said he has declined. Bahre confirmed he received two phone calls from Smith about the offer, which would include Smith sharing the revenue from a Texas race with Bahre, compensating him for the loss of the date at his track.(That's Racin')(9-20-2001)

Texas Pavement Testing: The first drivers to conduct a test session at the newly-repaved Texas Motor Speedway Wednesday gave a unanimous thumbs up on the smooth asphalt surface. #24-Jack Sprague, #1-Ted Musgrave and #14-Rick Crawford all hailed the new granite-based asphalt during a Goodyear Tire test for the CTS. The first race on the repaved 1.5-mile superspeedway will be the Silverado 350 for the Craftsman Truck Series on Saturday afternoon, September 15. “This is a banked Indianapolis, it is so smooth,” said Musgrave, who has four Truck victories this season. “You can’t even feel going over the tunnels (under the turns in each end of speedway) now, they did a great job getting that smoothed out. I did a long run and my last lap was the fastest of the entire session. This is going to be fast come race week.”(Texas Motor Speedway Site), and Crawford said he practiced in the 31.70-second bracket (170.347 mph) in June. By noontime Wednesday, he already had cut laps in the 31.50-second (171.429 mph) and 31.60-second (170.886 mph) range.(Star Telegram)(8-30-2001)

TMS Paving Done: The repaving project on the 1.5-mile superspeedway was completed last week, and count NASCAR Truck driver David Starr of Irving as one who thinks the surface is "awesome." Some Winston Cup drivers have expressed concern that TMS might be a one-groove track again with the new surface. But Gossage said TMS has a triangular-shaped trailer that will have race tires on it to lay down rubber in the upper grooves(Star Telegram)(8-24-2001)

Motorcycle Jump at Texas: Robbie Knievel, the son of legendary motorcycle stunt jumper "Evel" Knievel, will attempt to jump 20 Indy Racing League cars lined up on the front stretch before the start of the Chevy 500 IRL at TMS on Sept. 16. The jump will be approximately 175 feet and will take place at 2 p.m., with the race scheduled to start at 3:30 p.m. The Indy Cars will be backup cars and show cars, not the same cars that will be used to race later in the day. If there is any damage to the cars, the track will be responsible, Gossage said(Star Telegram), Knievel was supposed to attempt some BGN races as announced earlier this year but have heard nothing since(8-24-2001)

Texas Date Changed and Tix Info UPDATE Oops a NEW date: Texas Motor Speedway today announced it’s 2002 season schedule which features a NASCAR Winston Cup and Busch Series weekend, two Indy Racing League and NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series events, two weekends of Pennzoil World of Outlaws racing and a season finale return of the Extreme Monster Truck Nationals. with Easter falling on the first weekend of April – the traditional date for the NASCAR Winston Cup and Busch weekend in Texas – the races will move up to March 16-17. Season tickets for the 2002 season will go on sale Monday, August 20. As always, Season Ticket Holders are guaranteed seats for all races on the 1.5-mile superspeedway as well as a number of perks including a special party during NASCAR Winston Cup week in 2002.(TMS Site)(8-15-2001)
UPDATE: NASCAR has changed Texas Motor Speedway’s 2002 Cup and BGN dates to April 6-7. The change by NASCAR comes only one day after the speedway publicly announced its 2002 schedule. “We were surprised but pleased to get the call from NASCAR about a new date,“ said speedway general manager Eddie Gossage. “The new date offers warmer, dryer weather than the mid-March date which was previously announced. This is good news for NASCAR’s fans and competitors.” NASCAR moved the 2002 Winston Cup date to April 7. The NASCAR Busch Series race will also move to April 6 with qualifying for the two races on Thursday and Friday, April 4-5.(TMS Site)(8-15-2001)
UPDATE 2: The new date for Texas also means that Talladega's spring date won't be moving to that weekend, as the track had informed its season-ticket holders it would next year. The shifts are apparently related to NASCAR's change of mind about moving Darlington's spring race from March up to the season's second weekend in February following the Daytona 500. Rockingham is now back in that slot, as it has been in recent years. Rockingham was slotted for April 21, but now it appears that Talladega will return to that date. That means that Darlington's race will likely be back in its usual March slot, too.(That's Racin')(8-16-2001)

Texas Repaving Almost Done: Eddie Gossage, Texas Motor Speedway's executive vice president and general manager, said the complete repaving project at TMS by Sunmount Construction of Justin should be completed Tuesday. Separate tire tests for the CTS and IRL, both of which are scheduled to compete at TMS in mid-September, are scheduled for the end of August. Gossage said TMS workers also will attempt to create a second groove, above the bottom line, with a trailer-like device that will grind soft-compound rubber into the new surface. In addition, all racing schools at the facility will conduct their lapping sessions in the second groove once the paving is completed. "Before the Winston Cup guys get here [in March], the track will be six to eight months old," Gossage said. "It'll have thousands of miles on it. So, it'll be a long way from being a virgin racetrack."(Star Telegram)(8-9-2001)

No 2nd Texas BGN or Cup Race in 2002: No second NASCAR Winston Cup or Busch Grand National series race dates will appear on the 2002 schedule at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth. Eddie Gossage, TMS' executive vice president and general manager, said NASCAR officials Brian France, George Pine and Kevin Triplett told him no on the second Cup date during a meeting at Lowe's Motor Speedway in May. "There was some discussion and consideration given to a second Busch date, but we've subsequently been told they can't schedule that," said Gossage, who said he was so informed by Brian France 21/2 weeks ago. Gossage also said he is willing to complete the final race of TMS' three-year contract with the American Le Mans Series in 2002, if series founder Don Panoz wants to return to the combined oval/infield course(Star Telegram)(7-14-2001)

Texas Hits Midway: Maintenance on Texas Motor Speedway's racing surface is at the midway point with work progressing right on schedule, according to speedway officials. The 1.5-mile speedway surface is being re-paved with a granite-based asphalt compound that will dry much faster than the current limestone-based compound. Crews are working on a concrete base over the tunnel areas which extends into turns one and two and turns three and four. Milling is also progressing on the front and back straightaways. Once that is completed and the concrete has cured, crews will begin preparations to lay down the asphalt which is scheduled for early August(Speedway Illustrated)(7-13-2001)

Texas Starts Repaving: Texas Motor Speedway is repaving its racing surface. Work began following an Indy Racing League event there on June 9 and will be complete in time for an IRL-NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series weekend there in September. The speedway is being repaved with a granite-based asphalt compound designed to dry more quickly than the old limestone-based compound(That's Racin')(6-20-2001)

Texas says No to Drags: Texas Motor Speedway general manager Eddie Gossage told NHRA president Tom Compton on Tuesday that TMS officials have decided not build a drag racing facility at the Fort Worth speedway. Gossage said he seriously considered the possibility of adding a state-of-the-art drag racing facility at TMS but concluded it wasn't a viable option for now(Dallas Morning News)(6-20-2001)

2002 Season Finale at Texas? There is speculation that next year's end-of-the-season race could be at Texas instead of at Atlanta(Winston Salem Journal)(6-17-2001)

TMS Sues CART: Texas Motor Speedway announced that it would give refunds to all fans for the CART FedEx Championship Series event that was postponed April 29, then Tuesday went about the task of getting CART to pay for it. TMS filed suit today in the 393rd District Court in Denton County, Texas against the sanctioning body and several key officials, seeking the return of the purse money and sanction fee in addition to compensation for speedway expenses and lost profits, as well as other unspecified damages(SpeedVision)(5-9-2001)

Texas to Reconfigure: TMS President Eddie Gossage says he plans to start tearing the banking at the Texas Motor Speedway to repair some rippling in the asphalt in the corners after the June 9 IRL race. Gossage and track owner Bruton Smith did a major track reconstruction in 1998, after Winston Cup drivers and NASCAR boss Bill France Jr. insisted something be done. Winston Cup team owners themselves have been pushing for France to order similar changes to Daytona and Talladega, calling those two tracks "dinosaurs," built for another era and all but unsuitable for racing with today's stock cars(Winston Salem Journal)(5-5-2001)

Quite an Impact: Last season's Texas 500 was ranked the sixth-biggest professional sports event in the country, based on economic impact in the local market, generating $165 million. The top 10, according to the business survey by Street and Smith were: the Indy 500 ($336 million), the Daytona 500 ($240 million), the Brickyard 400 ($219), the Super Bowl ($215 million), the US Grand Prix at Indianapolis ($170 million), the Texas 500 ($165 million), the August Bristol 500 ($119 million), the March Bristol 500 ($80 million), the Kentucky Derby ($60 million), and the Winston 500 at Talladega ($42 million).(Winston Salem Journal)(4-2-2001)

Texas to Resurface the track? on Sunday's ESPN RPM 2Day show, it was mentioned that talk around the track was that after the IRL race at the Texas Motor Speedway, that the track surface there would be completely torn up, removed and redone(4-2-2001)

Texas 2nd Date? Eddie Gossage, who runs Texas Motor Speedway for Bruton Smith, said he feels closer than ever to getting a second Winston Cup date for this track, despite Bill France's warning at Daytona in February that Smith would probably never get another Cup date at TMS(Winston Salem Journal)(4-1-2001)

Texas Grand Marshal: Christopher Titus, star of the Fox show, Titus(a Jayski favorite), will serve as the Grand Marshal of the Harrah's 500 Winston Cup Race on April 1, 2001(Harrah's PR)(3-20-2001)

Texas Tix: Texas Motor Speedway will place 1,000 front-stretch tickets for the April 1 Harrah's 500 on sale Tuesday morning. The seats, priced between $75 and $100, were previously blocked off for sponsors. Purchases can be made at the speedway ticket office or through Ticketmaster(Dallas Morning News)(3-13-2001)

AJ and Texas: Racing Legend, AJ Foyt, owner of the #14 Conseco Pontiac driven by Ron Hornday in the Cup series and of the #14 Harrah's Chevy in the BGN series for son Larry Foyt, will give the starting command at the Winston Cup race, the Harrah's 500 at Texas Motor Speedway on April 1st(Harrah's PR)(3-12-2001)

More Happy Hour at Texas: Fans will see even more of their favorite NASCAR Winston Cup drivers as the traditional “Happy Hour” practice session is expanded for the Harrah’s 500 weekend at Texas Motor Speedway. In previous years, the final Winston Cup practice has been scheduled to follow the Saturday NASCAR Busch Series race. This year, the practice will run from 10:00-11:30am/ct(11:00-12:30pm/et) on Saturday March 31 prior to the Jani-King 300(televised at 4:00pm/et on FX)(TMS Site)(3-8-2001)

TMS Party: Texas Motor Speedway is hosting a Daytona 500 Watching Party Sunday in its Victory Lane Club. The first 1,000 fans will be admitted, and free food and non-alcoholic drinks will be provided(TMS)(2-16-2001)

TMS 2nd Date Argument increases: Bruton Smith on Friday disputed Bill France's claim that NASCAR had never promised Smith a second Winston Cup series date for his track in Fort Worth, Texas. During media activities Thursday at Daytona International Speedway, France, chairman of NASCAR's board of directors, said Smith was never promised a date and that Smith had "told the story so many times, I think he believes it himself." Bruton, whose Speedway Motorsports Inc. also owns tracks at Atlanta, Charlotte, Sears Point, Bristol, Las Vegas, said France's claim was "simply not true." Smith said time was "long overdue" for Texas Motor Speedway to be given a second stop on the Winston Cup series schedule.(That's Racin')(2-9-2001)

Texas Aero Test UPDATE 2: A speed-reducing aerodynamic package similar to one introduced at Talladega last fall is scheduled to be tested at Texas Motor Speedway(TMS) in conjunction with a tire test booked by Goodyear Racing on Jan. 22-23. Cup regular Steve Park is the only driver currently scheduled to run laps. If successful, NASCAR could implement the package before the Harrah's 500 on April 1st(Star Telegram)(1-12-2001)
UPDATE - Plates at Texas? on Tuesday, Winston Cup driver Steve Park(#1 Pennzoil Chevy) was helping NASCAR conduct aerodynamic testing at the track. TMS GM, Eddie Gossage said there was a good chance that some form of restrictor plates, similar to those at Talladega(and Daytona), would be used at Texas(ESPN/AP)(1-24-2001)
UPDATE 2: Steve Park tested the so-called Talladega/Daytona aerodynamic package at TMS on Monday under NASCAR supervision and wasn't impressed. Park, still at the track Tuesday for a two-day Goodyear tire test, said the changes either slowed the car too much or made it off-balance. TMS general manager Eddie Gossage and promoters of several other tracks have been lobbying NASCAR to implement the alternate aero package because it made for a thrilling race last October at Talladega. But the changes – including a taller spoiler, air deflector on the roof and more clearance under the front air dam – may not be appropriate for a midsize super speedway like TMS(Dallas Morning News)(1-24-2001)

Texas BGN Sponsor: Jani-King International has signed on as the sponsor of TMS' March 31 Busch Series race. Jani-King, a commercial cleaning service company, also will sponsor a car(#16?) in the race for Fort Worth, TX driver David Starr. Starr, who will compete fulltime in the CTS(#41 TKO Dodge)(Dallas Morning News)(1-24-2001)

Texas Aero Test: A speed-reducing aerodynamic package similar to one introduced at Talladega last fall is scheduled to be tested at Texas Motor Speedway(TMS) in conjunction with a tire test booked by Goodyear Racing on Jan. 22-23. Cup regular Steve Park is the only driver currently scheduled to run laps. If successful, NASCAR could implement the package before the Harrah's 500 on April 1st(Star Telegram)(1-12-2001)

TMS Tries for 2nd Cup date: Bruton Smith plans to accelerate his push for a second Cup race at Texas Motor Speedway in 2002. Smith has lobbied NASCAR for a second Cup date at TMS since the track opened in April 1997. After maintaining a relatively low profile on the subject for nearly two years, Smith said he had a strategy mapped for presentation to NASCAR president Mike Helton(Star Telegram)(1-12-2001)

New Texas Seats: Texas Motor Speedway unveiled a glass-enclosed section with 3,200 club seats on Tuesday, making it the first automobile racing track to offer fans an amenity now commonplace in other sports. Season tickets in the Victory Lane Club will sell for $995 for the front two rows and $895 for the back two rows, but fans signing up early can get a discount of $100 per ticket on the seven races in the package. For the speedway , the club seats provide a way to make money without building anything new. To create the new club section, it converted 50 suites on two levels into an elongated lounge area, offering a panoramic view of the 1.5-mile track.(Dallas Morning News)(1-10-2001)

Texas Motor Speedway News: The 2001 NASCAR Winston Cup race at Texas Motor Speedway will have a new name – The Harrah’s 500. “We are pleased to welcome Harrah’s Entertainment, Inc. to our group of sponsors,” said speedway general manager Eddie Gossage. “They are a company recognized around the world and will be a great promotional partner for us. They are actively involved in several racing series so it only makes sense that they would want to branch out and sponsor the race that draws the second-largest crowd and the second-highest television ratings of the NASCAR Winston Cup season." Also, Texas will not sell beer again in 2001, a decision that under Texas laws allows fans to bring their own in coolers to the race(TMS Site and That's Racin')(11-18-2000)

Texas 2001 Schedule: The 2001 schedule at Texas Motor Speedway will feature all three of NASCAR's top series, both American open-wheel series, the nation's top dirt-track series and a road-racing series. In all, the track that now officially bills itself as "The Great American Speedway" will host five major weekends -- two in March and one each in April, June and September. But missing again from a jam-packed schedule announced yesterday by Eddie Gossage, TMS' executive vice president and general manager, was the coveted second Winston Cup and stand-alone Busch Grand National races. Even though both schedules have not been released by NASCAR, it's well known that TMS will not have a second Winston Cup date next year. But Gossage has not lost hope on a second Busch race in 2001(Star Telegram)(9-14-2000)

2nd TMS BGN Date? Texas Motor Speedway general manager Eddie Gossage's hopes for a second BGN race in 2001 have turned to expectation. With the news this week that Myrtle Beach Speedway in South Carolina will not stage a Busch Series race next year, a date has opened up on the schedule. NASCAR chief operating officer Mike Helton has said all along that a second Busch Series race at TMS is a possibility(Dallas Morning News)(8-24-2000)

Fewer TMS Seats? Texas Motor Speedway may have fewer seats available for the 2001 Winston Cup race than it has had for its past two Winston Cup races. The speedway has not "budgeted" for temporary seats for next year's race. The speedway added 12,000 temporary seats in 1998 and 16,000 last year. Without temporary seats, TMS' seating capacity is 154,861, counting the suites and Speedway Club. The condominiums in Turn 2 can hold an additional 2,300 spectators. Speedway officials announced a sellout crowd of 223,000 for last year's race(Dallas Morning News)(8-17-2000)

IROC to TMS? Texas Motor Speedway general manager Eddie Gossage and IROC president Jay Signore have corresponded about the possibility of bringing an IROC race to the speedway. Gossage wanted to run an IROC race in conjunction with the inaugural Texas 600 CART race, but the April 28-29 weekend won't work for IROC. NASCAR is racing at California Speedway that weekend, and several of the IROC drivers come from NASCAR(Dallas Morning News)(8-10-2000)

Texas Dip Found UPDATE: Texas Motor Speedway officials believe they've discovered what caused the dips in Turn 4 that became a major issue during last month's IRL event. Supposedly an electrical conduit that runs under the affected area of the track has carried away dirt during rains, causing the track to sink slightly. Construction crews will begin work on the area within the next couple of weeks. The dips will be cut out, conduit's removed and the area will be repaved in time for the Grand Prix of Texas road races over Labor Day weekend(Dallas Morning News Notes)(7-27-2000)
UPDATE: Besides fixing the troublesome dips in Turn 4, the speedway has decided to repair a problem area near the top of Turns 1 and 2. The corrective action should address the track flaws cited most often by drivers(Dallas Morning News Notes)(8-10-2000)

TMS News: Texas Motor Speedway officials have explored the possibility of running an ARCA stock car race along with the 2001 CART event that will be announced Tuesday(Dallas Morning News)
AND: CART announced today that it would run a 600km event at Texas Motor Speedway on May 6 next year(2001)(SpeedVision)(7-11-2000)

CART to TMS? The addition of a Championship Auto Racing Teams open-wheel race to the 2001 schedule at Texas Motor Speedway will be announced Tuesday, an industry source said yesterday. TMS has booked a news conference for a "major announcement" regarding next season at The Movie Studios at Las Colinas in Irving. Bruton Smith, the owner of TMS and chairman of Speedway Motorsports Inc., is scheduled to attend. The source said that Bobby Rahal, CART's interim president and chief executive officer, also would attend. Eddie Gossage, vice president and general manager of TMS, would not confirm that CART was poised to join the track's lineup(Star Telegram) AND The Texas Motor Speedway will become the first racetrack to host the Indy Racing Northern Light Series and the CART FedEx Championship Series in the same season next year according to track general manager Eddie Gossage. Gossage appeared on Dallas-Fort Worth talk radio station WBAP Thursday morning and confirmed that the speedway would be hosting the CART series during the 2001 season(SpeedVision)(7-6-2000)

No 2nd BGN Texas Race? NASCAR chief operating officer Mike Helton said no decision has been reached on whether Texas Motor Speedway will receive a second Busch Series race in 2001. TMS currently has one Busch Series race, and it is held in conjunction with the track's Winston Cup race. Speedway general manager Eddie Gossage has requested a second Busch Series event, which would be paired with a non-NASCAR race(Dallas Morning News)(7-1-2000)

TMS Column: Tony Fabrizio's motor sports column - Troublesome clay soil will keep TMS imperfect(Dallas Morning News)(6-22-2000)

TMS Turn Four Problems? Pole qualifying for the IRL race at Texas Motor Speedway was postponed Thursday night after drivers Davey Hamilton and Jimmy Kite crashed in separate incidents during practice in the track's infamous Turn 4. Depending on who did the explaining, the crashes were caused by either a failure in the right rear suspension of the 2000 G Force chassis, a bump in the preferred racing groove three-quarters of the way between turns 3 and 4, or a combination of both(Star Telegram) Something to note: the Trucks had no problems with a 'bump'(6-9-2000)

Texas and Coolers and Beer: Officials of the Fort Worth track announced that they'll continue to let fans bring coolers to major races(WFAA.com/AP) AND The surveys on potential beer sales are now complete and the results are in. Texas Motor Speedway announced that it will not have widespread beer sales at major race events at the 1.5-mile superspeedway. Allowing widespread beer sales at the track, by Texas law, would have prohibited fans from bringing beer in their coolers. So by not selling beer and allowing fans to bring their coolers, the track will lose money on projected sales, but listened to the fans instead(Texas Motor Speedway Site)(5-24-2000)

IROC at Texas? maybe: Jay Signore, president of the IROC series, confirms that he has had casual conversations with Texas Motor Speedway about running a future event at the track. Signore said scheduling and the series splits in Indy cars and road racing have made it impossible to get the desired mix of drivers. He said one option being considered for next year is to have each racing discipline stage its own IROC "qualifying" race. The finishers would be brought together in the fall for a showdown(Dallas Morning News)(5-18-2000)

The Winston at Texas? No: Texas Motor Speedway(TMS) general manager Eddie Gossage says he's heard the rumors about The Winston moving to TMS and that it isn't going to happen. He said Speedway Motorsports Inc. chairman Bruton Smith wouldn't accept The Winston as an alternative to a second Winston Cup race at TMS(Dallas Morning News)(5-18-2000)

2nd Texas BGN race? UPDATE: Texas Motor Speedway(TMS) apparently has been shut out for a second Winston Cup race in 2001, but the speedway hasn't given up on a second Busch Series event. A stand-alone Busch Series race wouldn't have the same drawing power as TMS' highly successful existing race, because Winston Cup drivers probably wouldn't compete. But TMS general manager Eddie Gossage believes it would still attract a crowd of 65,000 to 75,000. NASCAR has given no indication it will give TMS a second BGN race, and it currently stages Busch Series races at major speedways only in conjunction with Winston Cup events(Dallas Morning News)(5-4-2000)
UPDATE: If Texas Motor Speedway is awarded a second BGN race in 2001, general manager Eddie Gossage may pair it with an ASA event. TMS is lobbying NASCAR for a second Busch Series race for 2001, which Gossage would like to run on a Saturday night in late summer or early fall. TMS would become the first track with one Cup race to have two BGN races(Dallas Morning News)(5-11-2000)

Texas and Alcohol: Texas Motor Speedway lost money on alcohol sales during the DirecTV 500 race weekend three weeks ago, and officials are pondering whether to sell it at future events. See full Star-Telegram article at: Texas Motor Speedway alcohol-sales plans; Selling in stands being considered by Mitch Mitchell(4-22-2000)

TMS Beer News: Beer and margaritas will be sold at beer gardens this weekend at Texas Motor Speedway. As a last-minute experiment, the speedway announced yesterday that it will sell beer and margaritas at beer gardens that are away from the grandstand. But the beverages must be purchased and consumed in the gardens, where the racing can be seen only on television screens(Star-Telegram)(3-31-2000)

Fort Worth Tornado: the Fort Worth, TX area was hit by a tornado on Tuesday, causing damage in the area and four people died, at last count. First of all, thoughts and wishes go out to the families of these people and any injured or left homeless. For those wishing to help. contact the Red Cross: www.redcross.org. As for the race, my understanding is that the tornado was a few miles away from the track and the race and activities are on schedule. Folks traveling to the area may wish to check on their hotel status. A few sites with coverage of the disaster are: Star- Telegram and Dallas Morning News, The Weather Channel and the Texas Motorspeedway Site, and the Fort Worth Star Telegram. Also a story at Tachzone: Texas Tornadoes(3-29-2000)
UPDATE: The tragic tornados that struck the Fort Worth, TX area Tuesday did no damage to the Texas Motor Speedway and all events scheduled there will come off as planned. However, local officials are recommending travelers call ahead to confirm lodging reservations as some hotels are being used to shelter the persons who lost their homes in the disaster(Speedway Illustrated)(3-30-2000)

Texas Coolers: Texas Motor Speedway will not sell beer to fans at the March race this season. A county vote created the option of fans bringing beer in coolers into the track. But the law is written in such a way that a facility must choose between allowing coolers or selling beer. Track owner Bruton Smith decided to concede to the fans’ wishes and opted for the coolers instead of the concessions(Times-Dispatch)(3-5-2000)

Texas Pole Day/Petty: Fans will once again be able to watch two days of exciting qualifying action for free, courtesy of Sprint, this year’s sponsor for CUP and BGN pole days at Texas Motor Speedway. Race fans can get a free $10 general admission ticket good for both qualifying days by visiting participating Radio Shack or Sprint PCS stores throughout Texas. The ticket, which features Adam and Kyle with the #45 Sprint Chevy, is good for BGN qualifying Thursday, March 30 and CUP qualifying Friday, March 31. Sprint is also mailing the commemorative tickets to all their Texas customers. Sprint is also revved up for the Winston Cup qualifying debut of Adam Petty, driver of the #45 Sprint Chevrolet Monte Carlo. If Petty qualifies for the DIRECTV 500, it will be the first time he will race against his father, Kyle Petty(Texas Motor Speedway Site)(3-4-2000)

Texas Pole Sponsor: TMS's Eddie Gossage will be at Las Vegas Motor Speedway Thursday to announce a sponsor for DIRECTV 500 Winston Cup pole qualifying March 31. The sponsorship will allow the speedway to let fans who obtain a coupon to attend Winston Cup pole qualifying for free. A similar offer last year attracted some 78,000 spectators, one of the largest crowds of the season for pole qualifying(Dallas Morning News)(3-2-2000)

Speedway Motorsports: NASCAR isn't the only racing entity seeking to expand their media horizons. Bruton Smith, owner of Speedway Motorsports Inc. announced today the purchase of Racing Country USA, a nationally syndicated radio show from Morris International. Founded in 1990 as NASCAR Country, Racing Country USA is a two-hour program reaching over 300 affiliates nationwide. The format includes country music, NASCAR-related features and interviews with top personalities from both venues(Speedway Illustrated)(2-18-2000)

Texas News: from an announcement on the TMS site: Texas Motor Speedway officials do not plan to sell beer during April’s DIRECTV 500 weekend and will seek further input from its fans before making a decision regarding future events at the speedway. The speedway made the announcement following the Feb. 5 vote allowing the sale and on-site consumption of alcohol in a previously dry part of Denton County where the speedway is located. However, speedway officials have decided no change will be made to its current policy on beer, allowing fans to continue bringing beer in their coolers along with soft drinks, water and snacks to the April 2 DIRECTV 500(TMS PR)(link FIXED)(2-8-2000)

Nothing is easy - Texas Vote Sham? Seventy-three voters opened the taps Saturday for restaurants and bars near Texas Motor Speedway. Darned if anybody knows who they were. The total of 99 voters came from a registration list of 210 in a precinct that Constable Mike Barrow said is home to "114 people, max. I have no idea where those others are." Twenty voters signed up in the final month. Twenty of the 99 ballots were cast on Jan. 19, the first day of early voting. Weird huh? See the full story at the Star-Telegram: Phantom voters aid future of speedway by Bud Kennedy(2-8-2000)

Texas Seats: Texas Motor Speedway announced that 16,000 additions temporary seats were being added to handle the demand from ticket buyers for the speedway's upcoming NASCAR doubleheader. Tickets for the DirectTV 500 Cup race, on April 2, and the BGN race on April 1st are scheduled to go on sale Saturday(goRacing)(2-3-2000)

Texas Vote UPDATE: Voters in Denton County's Justice of the Peace Precinct 7 go to the polls Saturday to decide whether wine and liquor can be sold at the Texas Motor Speedway(Dallas Morning News)(2-5-2000) -- UPDATE: Texas Motor Speedway fans may soon be able to buy beer and wine while at the races now that voters have approved alcohol sales for the southwest Denton County precinct. Speedway general manager Eddie Gossage said he and other speedway officials will meet this week to discuss alcohol sales at the facility(including the cooler issue)(Dallas Morning News)(2-6-2000)

Texas Story: Beer vote may not empty fans' coolers by Tony Fabrizio of the Dallas Morning News(2-3-2000)

Texas Story: BYOB could end at Texas Motor Speedway from ESPN vis the AP(2-1-2000)

Texas Seats and Roads: The Texas DOT is scheduled to open the 3.9-mile bypass on Highway 114 around the town of Roanoke in mid-to late February. When the new section is opened, it will create a four-lane highway to Texas Motor Speedway. The speedway also announced plans to join with Denton County to construct a new interchange at the far northeast corner of the speedway property and 1-35W with frontage roads extending south to Highway 114. Future plans call for the highway to be expanded to six lanes with frontage roads which will stretch from the east end of Roanoke to I-35W.(TMS Site) and Texas Motor Speedway is adding 16,000 seats which will be in place for the CUP race on April 2(WRAL/AP)(1-21-2000)

TMS Vote: Beginning Wednesday(1-26), a decision about whether to legalize alcohol sales at Texas Motor Speedway will be in the hands of 210 registered voters in Denton County. A key issue has been the use of coolers at the speedway. If the proposal is adopted, fans will be allowed to bring coolers to racing events but won't be allowed to carry alcohol in them, speedway officials say(Star Telegram)(1-20-2000)

Insurance and Speedways UPDATE: Nationwide Insurance will sponsor a safety program at tracks owned by Speedway Motorsports. The company will make a $1,000 donation to Speedway Children's Charities in the name of a driver who most notably demonstrates safety during a race. It will provide fan assistance during races and a booth so pictures of children can be taken to assist in identification in case they become lost(St Peterburg Times)(1-12-2000) -- UPDATE: Some more info on the Nationswide sponsorship at the six Speedway Motorsports tracks. It includes: 1.) Sponsorship of the safety vehicles used at those six tracks (including new uniforms for the personnel), 2.) Nationwide Fan Assistance patrol, (10 golf carts at each track to help with medical transports, and serve as roving information booths answering questions, giving directions, etc.), 3.) "Safe Driving Move of the Race", (reminiscent of the Raybestos break of the race) and finally 4.) the child registration booth already mentioned. This is tied into the Nat'l Center for Missing and Exploited children. Nationwide will also have a hospitality tent at each track and a program to give away 50 tickets per race by the Nationwide State Management team for each home state for the track(1-14-2000)

Texas Coolers II: more news on Texas Motor Speedway and the tiny Denton County precinct in Texas. Denton County Commissioners Court is expected today to call an election for Feb. 5 that would decide whether the sale of beer, wine and mixed drinks would be allowed at the speedway and throughout Justice of the Peace Pct. 7. Allowing beer sales at the speedway could open the gates for high-profile advertising and sponsorships by beer companies. But selling beer and other alcoholic beverages would likely end the practice of allowing race fans to bring alcohol in coolers. The column mentions that it would be TMS's preference if the issue does pass, that TMS would increase security to examine all coolers and allow fans to bring in soft drinks and sandwiches but no alcohol. More on the story at the: Star Telegram and an UPDATE to that story: A four-year effort to legalize alcohol sales at Texas Motor Speedway will finally be in the hands of voters. The 193 registered voters in tiny Justice of the Peace Pct. 7 in southwest Denton County will have the chance to decide whether they want their precinct, which includes the speedway, to be wet. Early voting will be from Jan. 19 to Feb. 1. Election day is Feb. 5. Denton County Commissioners Court accepted a certified petition yesterday, then voted, 5-0, to call a local-option election on whether to legalize mixed-beverage sales for the precinct, saying that voters should have the final word on the issue(Star Telegram column)(1-12-2000)

Texas, coolers and beer: Denton County(Texas) Commissioners Court is expected to meet Tuesday(Jan 11th) to call a Feb. 5 local-option election to legalize on-premise beer and wine sales in Justice-of-the-Peace Precinct 7, which includes the Texas Motor Speedway. Beer sales would better allow officials to monitor underage drinking, something that can't be done if beer is brought to the speedway in coolers. Beer in coolers may be banned if sales are legalized. Making the speedway wet also would allow beer companies to advertise their products at the facility and to endorse events. But some racing fans say they don't want to pay for what they expect would be inflated prices for beer and prefer the freedom of bringing coolers to the speedway(Star-Telegram)(1-7-2000)

WoO and Cup UPDATE: Three Pennzoil World of Outlaws(WoO) Series races will be run in conjunction with the Cup Series events in 2000. They will run twice at Lowe's Motor Speedway(Charlotte) and once at Texas Motor Speedway in conjunction with Winston Cup events. Ground was broken in August for dirt tracks at TMS and LMS, both owned by Speedway Motorsports Inc(SpeedNet) -- UPDATE: oops on the WoO...they will also run at Las Vegas the same weekend as the Cup cars(11-30-1999)

Texas Tickets on Sale...NOW: 2000 NASCAR Winston Cup Individual Race Tickets Go On Sale At 9:00am at Texas Motor Speedway for the races being held there in 2000, see the TMS Site for info(11-13-1999)

No 2nd BGN for Texas: Uncertain whether they'll land a second Winston Cup race any time soon, Texas Motor Speedway officials also have been pursuing the next best thing: A second Busch Series race. But they won't get it in 2000. TMS general manager Eddie Gossage said he has been told by NASCAR that the race will not be granted. No track with only one Winston Cup event has two Busch Series races.(Dallas Morning News)(8-3-1999)

Texas 2nd Race? Bruton Smith says he's confident that when NASCAR releases its 2000 schedule later this summer, Texas Motor Speedway will have a second Winston Cup date. He says this with an unspoken confidence that suggests he knows something he can't reveal. Or maybe it's just that he believes so strongly that his track and the Dallas-Fort Worth market deserve a second race that one will be awarded. Either way, there is no indication from NASCAR that Smith's optimism about 2000 is justified. NASCAR president Bill France and new chief operating officer Mike Helton are the principles involved in making the schedule. Each has said that when NASCAR expands the schedule, its first priority will be to go to new markets. Both Smith and TMS general manager Eddie Gossage say they've been told by NASCAR vice president Brian France they will eventually get a second race. But France, reached this week in Daytona Beach, Fla., wouldn't confirm he made such a promise. And he didn't sound encouraging. See the rest of the story at: Texas Motor Speedway optimistic it'll get second NASCAR date by Tony Fabrizio of the Dallas Morning News via That's Racin'(7-23-1999)

Texas Drag Strip: TMS plans to add drag strip(AP/ESPN)(7-22-1999)

Texas News: Texas Motor Speedway will add a "super nice" dirt track within the next several months and may build a state-of-the-art drag strip, owner Bruton Smith said Friday. Smith also said he is optimistic TMS will get a second Winston Cup race in 2000 and that the Indy Racing League will not return to at least one of his facilities(Lowes) unless it changes to full-bodied cars. He said the "jury is out" on the IRL's future at TMS. Smith said there is no chance he'll move the poor-drawing spring race at Atlanta or any other Winston Cup race at an SMI track to Texas. So he must rely on NASCAR to either give him a new date or the race of a non-SMI facility such as Darlington Raceway, whose March race continues to draw poorly. He said that NASCAR president Bill France and executive vice president Brian France have been telling him for three years that Texas will get a second race(Dallas Morning News)(7-11-1999)

Smith and Track Dates: If Bruton Smith wants to add second NASCAR Winston Cup races at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and Texas Motor Speedway next year, he can. Smith, chief executive of Speedway Motorsports Inc., owns those tracks and four others that have Cup races. He could move the first of two Cup dates from his Atlanta Motor Speedway, because its March race always seems plagued by bad weather. See the rest of the story at: Date could move to Las Vegas(Las Vegas Review Journal)(7-2-1999)

Texas 2nd date? Sears Point news: An upbeat Bruton Smith has upgraded his prospects for a second Winston Cup race at Texas next season to "confident." The new NASCAR schedule may also include some date changes for Atlanta, lately plagued by cold, rainy weather for both the March and November events, Smith said. The story goes on to say that Smith hopes to inprove the garages and other parts of Sears Point. See the complete article at PitNow: Smith hopes second Texas date comes through(6-28-1999)

Pocono/Texas? Hearing that Pocono Raceway rejected a $50 million dollar offer from Texas Motor Speedway to buy a Winston Cup date from the track(6-9-1999) - never heard anything more on this(7-5-1999)

Speedway Motorsports Track News: It was announced that the catch fences on the tracks in Charlotte, Atlanta and Texas will be raised six feet from 15 feet to 21 feet with the additional six feet hanging over the track. The cost of the project will be $1.5-2 million(RPM2Nite)(5-19-1999)

TMS Fences: The catch fencing at Texas Motor Speedway likely will be raised by as much as 4½ feet and the overhang extended before the Pep Boys Indy Racing League's Longhorn 500 on June 12. See the story at: Fences may rise at TMS by John Sturbin(Star-Telegram)(5-12-1999)

TV Ratings for Texas: The Primestar 500 drew a local Fort Worth/Dallas rating of 10.7 with a 22 share, compared to 1998 figures of 8.8 rating with a 21 share -- a ratings increase of 22%(NOL)(4-1-1999)

Three Left: Only three drivers have finished all 1,002 Winston Cup laps held at Texas Motor Speedway. The drivers are also the top three finishers in Sunday's race: Terry Labonte, Dale Jarrett and Bobby Labonte(Dallas Morning News Notes)(3-29-1999)

TMS Sponsor: Humpy Wheeler said Texas Motor Speedway should add a corporate name within a year at a price of $3 million to $5 million annually. See complete story at: Suitors line up for TMS; sponsor's name could net up to $5 million (Star-Telegram)(3-28-1999)

Texas Troubles? UPDATE 2: Heard from many readers including Wide Freakin' Open! on this - On Speedvision's Inside Winston Cup Racing Show and #33 driver Kenny Schrader mentioned there is a rumor of water still seeping up through Texas Motor Speedway surface. JAYSKI NOTE: I have not seen or heard this reported anyplace else, all I have heard is how much the drivers like the improvements to the track.(3-23-1999) -- UPDATE: Many sources have checked into this for me and said the track is having no drainage, seepage or water problems and that there were no complaints at all from any of the drivers who tested there(3-24-1999) -- UPDATE 2: Executive vice president and general manager of TMS Eddie Gossage says there are no problems with water "weeping" through the pavement anywhere at Texas Motor Speedway, a rumor that surfaced in the garage area at Darlington on Sunday. Gossage was referring to a published report in which NASCAR Winston Cup driver Ken Schrader and Winston Cup crew chief Jeff Hammond cited possible drainage problems at TMS. The track had a new drainage system installed last April and May as part of a $3 million reconstruction. A NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race and two Pep Boys Indy Racing League events have been run at the reconfigured track without incident since last spring's water problems. And several Cup teams have tested at the 1.5-mile quadoval, also without incident, since December(Star-telegram, thanks Mike)(3-25-1999)

TMS Industrial Park: Texas Motor Speedway next project could be an industrial park for auto-related businesses. The park on the northeast corner of the 1,500-acre Speedway site could be the next possible phase for development, according to Eddie Gossage, executive vice president and general manager of TMS(Dallas Business Journal)(3-24-1999)

Texas Seats: TMS general manager Eddie Gossage announced Tuesday the track will add 2,199 temporary seats overlooking Turn 2. Construction will begin this week and will mean nearly 17,000 new seats for the Primestar 500(Holly Cains Notes/Dallas Morning News)(3-12-1999)

Texas Test UPDATE 3: Sterling Marlin will be testing the #40 Coors Light Chevy at Texas on March 1 and 2.(Sterling Marlin Site)(2-25-1999) -- Other drivers/teams that will test at TMS: #42-Joe Nemechek, #5-Terry Labonte, #14-Randy LaJoie and Kenny Irwin Jr in the BGN #11(THat's Racin')(2-26-1999) -- On Monday five drivers/teams tested at TMS: #40-Sterling Marlin; #5-Terry Labonte; #60-Geoffrey Bodine; #42-Joe nemechek and #14-Randy LaJoie/Boris Said. No speeds mentioned, but Bodine did say the track is much better and that turns 3 and 4 are much wider.(WC Today Radio)(3-2-1999) -- Testing wrapped up on Tuesday, no speeds reported(WC Today Radio), also see the story at the TMS Site (3-3-1999)

Texas Testing: Story and driver comments on the Texas Motor Speedway 3 million dollar improvements at Speedway widening will tighten up field (Dallas Morning News)(3-3-1999)

Texas Memorial: Texas Motor Speedway served as gracious host for a memorial service honoring the lives and the sacrifice of the fallen firemen. Several thousand people attended the memorial; some were members of the firefighting and police forces. Read about it at Pubbers Paradise Motorsports Page(2-21-1999)

Texas and Bush: Texas Governor George W. Bush will serve as the Honorary Starter for the March 28 PRIMESTAR 500 at Texas(SpeedNet)(2-17-1999)

Fireman Memorial at TMS: Texas Motor Speedway will be the site for a special memorial service in honor of three local firefighters who recently lost their lives in the line of duty. The service is scheduled for Sunday, Feb. 21 at 2 p.m. A church fire killed Garry Sanders, 20, who was a Sansom Park volunteer firefighter, and two River Oaks volunteer firemen, Phillip Dean, 29, and Brian Collins, 35. All three men were trapped inside the church after the fire escalated and part of the roof collapsed. According to Eddie Gossage during a WBAP radio interview with news director Dan Potter, Garry Sanders was also a member of the track's fire crew, working the IRL race last fall. Gossage went on to say that gates open on Sunday at 12:30pm. He said that many fire departments will have their equipment lined up along the front stretch to serve as a backdrop during the memorial. Gossage said he heard yesterday on WBAP that the River Oaks Fire Department needed a site for a memorial, one that could handle a large crowd. Immediately Gossage called the fire chief and offered TMS as a site for the memorial. From there the ball kept on rolling. Eddie Gossage invited everyone to come to the track Sunday to pay their respects to the fallen firemen(2-18-1999)

Texas adds seats: With next month's Cup race approaching a sellout, 10,000 temporary bleacher seats were added at Texas Motor Speedway(TMS). The seats, ranging in prices from $55 to $80, bring seating capacity for the Primestar 500 on March 28 to 164,481. Factor in the campers in the infield, and a crowd in excess of 215,000 is expected. See the whole article at TMS adds temporary seats for NASCAR Winston Cup (Star Telegram)(2-3-1999)

Texas and Vegas: See the story by Holly Cain of the Dallas News at Smith's new purchase could shake up TMS(12-17-98)

Burton Tests at Texas: Jeff Burton, who is testing Tuesday and Wednesday for Goodyear, says the changes made to the racing surface earlier this year have made a real difference. Following the April 5 Texas 500, speedway officials embarked on an aggressive reconfiguration of the 1.5-mile racing surface. A completely new drainage system was installed around and underneath the speedway, the transitions entering turn one and exiting turn four were redesigned and the 24-degree banked corners were widened by eight feet. See complete story at the Texas Motor Speedway Site - News and Notes(tickets can be purchased thru the site too)(thanks many readers for the heads up on the story)(12-9-98)

TMS Tree Lighting: Speedway Children's Charities to donate more than $200,000 to lcal charities in tree lighting ceremony - A winter wonderland, complete with Santa Claus, hay rides, hot air balloon rides, holiday music, and a Christmas tree will welcome grant recipients to the second annual Speedway Children's Charities Christmas Tree Lighting on Tuesday, Dec. 1 at Texas Motor Speedway(11-28-98)

Firefighters spent Friday night and much of Saturday morning battling a blaze at a Texas Motor Speedway office tower that will house the track's executive headquarters, Fort Worth Fire Department officials said. Fire causes minor damage at speedway office tower, Track operations won't be affected, officials say. See the story at: The Dallas Morning Star.(8-9-98)

Primestar announced it will be the title sponsor of the spring(and only at present) Winston Cup race at Texas Motor Speedway for the next three years.(many sources)(7-22-98)

Texas Motor Speedway has scheduled a news conference for Wednesday(7-22) when it is expected to announce Primestar as title sponsor for its annual Winston Cup race. The race will be known as the Primestar 500. It is not known how long Primestar's sponsorship agreement lasts with Texas Motor Speedway. Primestar is currently the title sponsor of the #16 Roush Racing Ford driven by Ted Musgrave. Musgrave and owner Jack Roush are expected to attend the news conference.(That's Racin'), Musgrave huh?(7-17-98)

UPDATED: More images available and an updated story on the Texas Motor Speedway overhaul at Pubber's Paradise. Thanks Mike.(5-19-98/6-5-98/6-15-98)

Everything in Texas is BIG; Including the Future of Motorsports A Special Article by Jack Stanton of The Racing Connection.(www.raceshow.com)(6-9-98)

From all the interviews I saw with the Truck and IRL drivers, they seem to really like the changes at Texas Motor Speedway.(6-4-98)

There's a new word before the Texas in Texas Motor Speedway. Reconfigured. Or Revamped. Or, it's hoped, Improved. Check out the story at That's Racin'.(6-2-98)

Repaving crews at Texas Motor Speedway could wrap up the final resurfacing of the reconfigured 1.5-mile trioval Wednesday, eight days before the scheduled start of the season's second major race weekend. See the rest of the story from That's Racin' at: TMS paving reaches last phase as race nears.(That's Racin')(5-28-98)

Story about Bruton Smith and the Race Track situation and the proposed new racing series at Smith lives in world of wheels and deals/Texas track back on solid ground by Skip Wood of the Times-Dispatch.(5-22-98)

More news on Texas Motor Speedway: "The banks are still 24 degrees and the walls have been raised not moved back. Paving started yesterday and John Sturbin at www.thatsracing.com at the end of the Johnny Rutherford story reports the target completion date is May 25. Sources tell me that's a really ambitious date but the track will be ready for the June IRL and Truck races.(5-14-98)

From a reader: "On May 2nd of this year, I attended the Autofest at TMS. A week before that my son and I took the track tour where I took some photos of the track. During the tour, our TMS tour guide told us facts that are different than what is being reported over the wire. It does not mirror what we were told at the track during the tour. Nor does my photo bear out the news article. According to the guide, the turns are to be banked at 30 degrees and the walls will be moved toward the stands to help widen the track's racing surface. It is true that the 8 degree Kiddie CART track is gone and will be replaced with racing surface and apron. Please note in the photo the catch fencing that has been removed. Where the fencing has been removed is where the walls will be modified. Turn 1 is being redone the same way." See the images at Pubber's Paradise. Thanks Mike.(5-12-98)

Texas Motor Speedway's unique double-banked turns are being eliminated, a move speedway officials believe will improve the quality and safety of racing at the track. The speedway was designed with a high bank of 24 degrees and a lower bank of 8 degrees to accommodate stock cars and open-wheel Indy-style cars, respectively, in turns 1 and 2 and in turns 3 and 4. But when a major construction project, now under way, is completed in time for the Indy Racing League's visit during the first week in June, the lower bank will be gone. Instead, the 24-degree bank will be maintained throughout the turns, tapering down to the apron of the racetrack. See the story at Texas Motor Speedway undergoing major overhaul.(News and Record)(5-7-98)

NASCAR officials, led by Winston Cup series director Gary Nelson, spent a half-hour viewing the resurfacing work at Texas Motor Speedway Wednesday before continuing on to Fontana, CA. See the story at That's Racin'.(StockCar Fans)(4-30-98)

Show me the speedway. That seems to be NASCAR's prevailing attitude toward planned Texas Motor Speedway renovations. NASCAR skeptical of repairs to TMS.(4-29-98)

Work has started on Texas Motor Speedway and they already have bulldozed up the asphalt in the turns and have removed some catch fence and are working on the water drainage situation. Burton Smith is going to have some of the drivers come to TMS and give him feedback on the remodling project. Turns will be wider and a smoother transition from the turns. The job is supposed to be done by June 1st.(WC Today Radio)(4-23-98)

Heavy equipment today ripped away the track surface at Texas Motor Speedway as part of an overhaul sought by drivers.(Chaz Hinkle), for more info see Indy circuit promised dry run at TMS track.(4-22-98)

"Bruton Smith may not be rebuilding Texas Motor Speedway's corners for the June 6 NASCAR Truck race after all, according to car owners familiar with the situation. The rebuilding project Smith announced after the crash-filled Texas 500 couldn't be finished in time, apparently. So, while design studies are continuing and drains are to be installed in the water-logged corners, the full project won't take off until after the Truck and IRL event."(JournalNow)(4-20-98)

Texas Motor Speedway announced today a reconstruction of the racing surface following Sunday's Texas 500 NASCAR Winston Cup race. Bruton Smith said that it was obvious the changes made after the inaugural race were not adequate. Plans are to make it similar to Charlotte since it is the same size and configuration as Charlotte. Smith said the turns would be modified to make entrance and exits compatible for the big NASCAR Winston Cup cars. They will repave with a much smoother and tighter asphalt mix that will drain quickly and install a more complete drainage system to solve the seepage problem. Smith said he estimated the new revamping at $1 to $2 million. Completion date on the revamping will be decided upon soon. They expect to fix the seeping problem in the next few weeks. The next racing at Texas is the NASCAR Craftsman Truck/Pep Boys Indy Racing League weekend June 5-6. Smith said he will confer with a team of engineers and asphalt specialists, as well as NASCAR officials, drivers and crew chiefs to determine the exact changes to be made.(4-6-98)

Homestead spend $8 million last year to reconfigure the turns there. Will $2 million be enough to fix what's wrong at Texas?(SpeedNet)(4-8-98)

Texas Motor Speedway owner Bruton Smith angrily denied a rumor(never posted here) that next Sunday's Texas 500 in Fort Worth is in jeopardy of being postponed by NASCAR because of water seepage in the racetrack's surface. See the rest of the story at TMS owner, NASCAR deny postponement rumor,(That's Racin')(3-29-98)

Turn 4 at Texas Motor Speedway has been reshaped and repaved, and declared ready for a busy round of testing next month. The Winston Cup and BGN tests are 3/11 and Cup only on 3/12-13(Fort Worth Star-Telegram/John Sturbin)(2-15-98)

News on Texas Motor Speedway: TMS builds toward less controversy in Year 2, by Holly Cain of The Dallas Morning News(2-8-98)

Forget my Texas Motor Speedway news! NASCAR Fans Website Newsletter reports that they have added an additional 5 feet to the inside track on the frontstretch dogleg. I hear Texas will not get a second race in 1998(5-21-97)

Repairs to a 175-by-40-foot section of sagging pavement (the hump) between Turns 1 and 2, and the widening of pit road by 12 feet, have been completed at Texas Motor Speedway. No changes will be made to the front straightaway or the back stretch inside retaining wall(3-29-97)

I hear they have a shortage of tires to test at Texas Motor Speedway and the track is coming up in places. Mark Martin says there is a hump in the track that is worse than the one in Charlotte. Some drivers are saying if you hit it just right you could have an accident(On RPM2Nite, no driver interviewed mentioned this), I also hear the parking lots are far from finished(3-13-97). I hear Eddie Gossage of Texas Motor Speedway talked on the John Boy and Billy radio show thursday morning griping about remarks Dale Earnhardt made about the new track. Evidently Earnhardt was quoted in the local Dallas newspaper about the track being too narrow and not to his liking - gossage said that if Dale doesn't like the track he can pack up and go home(3-14-97)

$$$! Texas Motor Speedway announced the purses for the Winston Cup and Busch Grand National series at $4.6 million. The Winston Cup series Interstate Batteries 500 winner will get $340,650 (fourth best in series history) of a $3.8 million purse. The Busch series Coca-Cola 300 on April 5 will be worth $783,150, third-best in series history. First place gets $53,650(3-12-97)

Texas International Speedway reverts back to Texas Motor Speedway as the lawsuit was settled out of court

Recent Texas Motor Speedway News
Past Race Track and Schedule News/Rumors
Jayski's Silly Season Site Main Page

the Jayski site is owned and served by:

Born On Date: October 10, 2002

This page designed by Jayski LLC, 1996-2009© All Rights Reserved.
Jayski's® is a registered trademark of Jayski LLC
Do not duplicate or redistribute in any form without permission or credit.