TEXAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY NEWS/RUMORS
Shipping Address:
3545 Lone Star Cir.
6th Floor, PR Dept.
Justin, TX 76247
Mailing Address:
PO Box 500
Ft. Worth, TX 76101
Phones: (817) 215-8500, (817) 215-8520
Fax: (817) 215-8424
Track Specs:
Degree of Banking: Turns: 24 degrees
Straightaways: Banking: 5 degrees;
Straights: Frontstraight - 2250 feet; Backstraight - 1330 feet
Grandstand Seating: 154,861
Website:
Texas Motor Speedway
ESPN's NASCAR Track Guide: Texas Motor Speedway
for info on the old Texas shareholder vs NASCAR lawsuit, see my Lawsuit's Page
2008 TMS SCHEDULE AT A GLANCE
• Thursday, April 3: Opening Busch Series practice
• Friday, April 4: The Dallas Morning News Qualifying Day (Cup, Busch); Rockin’ Roundup With Big & Rich concert
• Saturday, April 5: O’Reilly 300 Busch Series race
• Sunday, April 6: Samsung 500 Sprint Cup Series race
• Thursday, June 5: Craftsman Truck Series qualifying
• Friday, June 6: Sam’s Town 400 Craftsman Truck Series race; IndyCar Series qualifying
• Saturday, June 7: Bombardier Learjet 550k IndyCar Series race
• Thursday, Oct. 30: 7-Eleven Qualifying (Trucks)
• Friday, Oct. 31: Silverado 350k Craftsman Truck Series race; 7-Eleven Qualifying (Cup, Busch)
• Saturday, Nov. 1: O’Reilly Challenge Busch Series race
• Sunday, Nov. 2: Dickies 500 Sprint Cup race
Note-Start times for all events will be announced at a later date.
B
TWO Race Tracks Jeff Gordon has never won a CUP race at: There are TWO current race tracks the Nextel Cup Series runs on that #24-Jeff Gordon has not won at [a Nextel Cup race]:
Texas 0 for 15 with a best of 2nd in 2002
Homestead 0 for 8 with a best finish of 3rd 2004
Gordon has won at 22 [20 active] of 24 tracks he has raced on including two not on the circuit any longer, North Wilkesboro and Rockingham.
Gordon won at Phoenix in April to finally knock that track off the list in his 17th try there.(4-6-2008)
- 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)
- 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) Comment here
- 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) Comment here
- 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)
