Texas Motor Speedway: A History Unmatched
Before Texas Motor Speedway, another was known as Texas’s premier race track. Texas International Speedway, as it was initially named, opened in 1969 but was renamed Texas World Speedway shortly after. The track had a unique layout comparable to Michigan International Speedway’s, but with much steeper banking, allowing faster speeds. The speedway opened in 1969, and in December of the same year, the race track hosted its first NASCAR race. Unfortunately, due to its layout, it experienced several issues, including the Oil Crisis of 1973, putting a damper on any major races.
Despite these issues, NASCAR returned in 1979, but only remained active there for another two years. In 1981, NASCAR president Bill France Jr. withdrew further races from the track due to poor track quality, amenities, and attendance. Though the track changed hands many times, major racing events were never held again. This eventually became a problem for the state of Texas because there wasn’t a track to hold world-class racing series like NASCAR.
Then, Eddie Gossage, VP of Public Relations at Charlotte Motor Speedway, and Speedway Motorsports owner Bruton Smith began searching for land to house a new track. However, it wouldn’t be long before the search was over. Real estate developer Henry Ross Perot Jr. approached the pair and offered to show them a piece of land he owned. Gossage and Smith liked what they saw and purchased the land from Perot just days later.
Texas Motor Speedway: The Early Days
Since its groundbreaking on April 11, 1995, Texas Motor Speedway bounced around many ideas regarding the track’s layout. Developers knew they couldn’t repeat the same mistakes made with the design of Texas World Speedway. Therefore, it was decided that the track should appeal to both NASCAR and Open-Wheel Racing, specifically, IndyCar.
To do this, the track needed to feature banking high enough for stock car racing (24 degrees) and low enough for Open-Wheel (8 degrees). The featured plan also included a wall for optimal speed reduction for open-wheel races, but developers were met with harsh criticism from open-wheel drivers.
IndyCar driver and co-owner of Curb-Agajanian Racing spoke out before the track’s debut in 1996, stating that developers had decided not to add a wall for open-wheel drivers. The move was only the beginning of the hectic first few years of racing at the track. The 1997 Interstate Batteries 500, the track’s inaugural race hosting the NASCAR Winston Cup Series, was plagued with rain, traffic delays, and a lack of parking availability.
Most Memorable Moments
Since its debut in 1997, the 1.5-mile quad oval fans know and love as Texas Motor Speedway has easily become one of the most iconic tracks in the NASCAR circuit. For nearly 28 years, the track has been home to some of the most unforgettable and thrilling moments in NASCAR history. This is the track where legendary driver and Hall of Famer Carl Edwards secured his fourth rookie win at the Dickies 500 on November 6, 2005.
He won at Texas Motor Speedway again in 2008, holding off 7-time champ and fellow Hall of Famer Jimmie Johnson. Carl Edwards isn’t the only one who has had luck at Texas Motor Speedway. Dale Earnhardt Jr. hit a significant milestone in his career in 2000, earning his first victory at Texas in the NASCAR Cup Series. Jimmie Johnson holds the record for the most wins at the track in NASCAR history, with seven, tying Kyle Busch and Carl Edwards with four.
Final Thoughts
NASCAR has made history at Texas Motor Speedway and produced some of the most notable winners, including Carl Edwards, Jimmie Johnson, and Kyle Busch. Yet, there’s always room to write a new history in a more modern era of NASCAR with newer drivers and Next Gen cars. Each new race at the track brings a new level of excitement, and this weekend, the Xfinity, Craftsman, and Cup Series are on track to do just that. So, get ready.
