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09/14/2011
TROPHY CLUB, Texas (Sept. 14, 2011) – Five-time and reigning NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson was never the star quarterback on his high school football team, so it took nearly 36 years later for him to finally experience the thrill of being honored at a spirited high school pep rally.
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08/26/2011
FORT WORTH, Texas (August 26, 2011) – Texas Motor Speedway unveiled its Speeding To Read pilot reading program to more than 600 students at Clara Love Elementary School on Friday and announced an exclusive partnership for the 2011-12 academic year with the Justin-based school for this NASCAR-themed educational program.
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08/23/2011
DALLAS, Texas (Aug. 23, 2011) – Texas Motor Speedway’s 2012 racing schedule will feature the opening Saturday night race of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season, the eighth race in the Chase and the only twin racing format in the IndyCar Series as part of its 10-day, 15-event motorsports season.
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08/23/2011
Foreigner and Texas Motor Speedway collaborated on a remix of the band’s hit song, “Hot Blooded,” that incorporates lyrics supporting the speedway’s “No Limits” marketing campaign and NASCAR racing in general. The song, which will be known as “Hot Blooded-No Limits,” was unveiled to a throng of fans and special guests Tuesday evening during Texas Motor Speedway’s 2012 Schedule Announcement Party at Gilley’s Dallas. A free download of the song is available at www.texasmotorsspeedway.com.
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08/23/2011
DALLAS, Texas (August 23, 2011) – Texas Motor Speedway is bringing top-tier entertainment to its Nov. 6 AAA Texas 500 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series event with the AXE Salute Our Troops Pre-Race Show Featuring Trace Adkins.
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08/23/2011
The search for Texas Motor Speedway’s next “Great American Sweetheart!” is one step closer as a field of more than 120 applicants has been narrowed down to 65 semifinalists. The opportunity to join Texas Motor Speedway’s recognizable spokeswomen – Becky, Brittany and Stephanie – will now be turned over to the fans as they can vote for their favorite semifinalists.
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08/22/2011
On a recent trip that required a connection through the Atlanta airport, I grabbed dinner between flights at an Asian fusion restaurant on “E” Concourse.
The name of the place was “One Flew South.”
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08/19/2011
FORT WORTH, Texas (August 19, 2010) - The Tony Stewart "Smoke Show" fantasy camp, the highest-grossing, single-day event for Speedway Children's Charities-Texas, produced $131,000 for the Texas Motor Speedway charity earlier this week to bring the event's four-year total to $810,000.
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08/18/2011
FORT WORTH, Texas (August 18, 2011) – For those living at Dallas LIFE homeless shelter, an extravagant feast is normally relegated to Thanksgiving and Christmas. On Wednesday, Texas Motor Speedway’s Speeding To Help volunteers, along with Levy Restaurants, prepared and served residents their first special meal of the year three months early.
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08/17/2011
By Reid SpencerSporting News NASCAR Wire Service (August 16, 2011) Based on Monday’s rain-delayed Sprint Cup race at Watkins Glen, apparently the only drivers who really want to take advantage of NASCAR’s new wild-card provision are the drivers who finished 1-2 at the Glen—Marcos Ambrose and Brad Keselowski. OK, that’s a little unfair. The three drivers currently fighting for what would be the second of two wild-card entries into the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup were victims of circumstance. Nevertheless, for those three drivers, Monday’s race will be remembered as a succession of opportunities lost. Denny Hamlin was the first victim, and his troubles started Saturday. Too aggressive on his qualifying lap, Hamlin spun and slapped the guard rail in Turn 5 at the 2.45-mile road course. That mishap left him 42nd on the grid for the start of Monday’s race, 17 positions behind Dale Earnhardt Jr., the man he was chasing for the 10th spot in NASCAR’s 10-race playoff. Hamlin gained ground with a strong drive in the first half of the event, but his race came to an end abruptly on Lap 65. As Hamlin was streaking down the hill at full speed toward Turn 1, his front wheels locked, and a brake failure sent him hurtling head-on into the tire barrier. The resulting 36th-place finish dropped Hamlin to 12th in the Cup standings, leaving him eight points behind 11th-place Clint Bowyer, 33 points behind 10th-place Tony Stewart and a whopping 44 points behind ninth-place Earnhardt who, in defiance of conventional wisdom, put distance between himself and Hamlin at Pocono at Watkins Glen. Hamlin’s misfortune presented a major opportunity to Paul Menard, who was running 13th with five laps left, but Menard became victim No. 2 on Lap 86 when his car ignited after a tire failure. Menard, who injected himself into the wild-card conversation with a victory July 31 at Indianapolis, finished 32nd and lost a spot to 15th in the standings. In order to overtake Hamlin, who also has one victory, Menard must gain 28 points on the driver of the No. 11 Toyota in the next four races. Victim No. 3, David Ragan, made it to the white flag in one piece—but not to the checkered flag. Contact from Boris Said’s Chevrolet sent Ragan’s Ford spinning wildly across the track as the cars began to climb the hill toward the esses. Ragan in turn wiped out David Reutimann in a wild accident that caused the final caution and froze the finishing order under yellow. Ragan finished 28th and dropped four positions to 23rd in the Cup standings. Despite his victory at Daytona, Ragan is no longer in a wild-card-eligible position, given that those spots are reserved for drivers in positions 11-20 in the standings after 26 races. After the melee on Monday, the permutations are endless. Hamlin could win another race and solidify his Chase chances. On the other hand, the driver who battled Jimmie Johnson for the championship to the final race at Homestead last year is more vulnerable than ever. Menard could win another race and knock out Hamlin. So could Ambrose, who is 22nd in the standings but one point out of 20th. Ambrose has had some excellent runs at Bristol and Richmond, two short tracks in the next four races, and he has improved dramatically at Atlanta, site of the Sept. 4 event, during his short tenure in Sprint Cup racing. Though it’s impossible to predict the Chase qualifiers at this point, there is one strong probability, namely that those who ultimately make the battle for the series championship will seize opportunities when they present themselves—as drivers failed to do at Watkins Glen.
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08/15/2011
By Reid SpencerSporting News NASCAR Wire Service (August 15, 2011) WATKINS GLEN, N.Y.—Marcos Ambrose passed Brad Keselowski on the first lap of a green-white-checkered-flag finish at Watkins Glen and won Monday’s rain-delayed Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips at the Glen under caution when a violent multicar wreck exploded behind him. Ambrose became the fifth first-time winner in NASCAR’s Sprint Cup Series this year. Keselowski was second when the yellow flag froze the field. Kyle Busch, who lost the lead on the final restart on Lap 91 of 92, came home third, followed by Martin Truex Jr. and Joey Logano. Kurt Busch, who entered the race fourth in the Cup standings, had a rough afternoon. After spinning in the inner loop on Lap 4 and losing a lap, Busch knocked AJ Allmendinger out of the lead and off the racetrack on Lap 9. Busch’s frustrating day came to an end on Lap 49, when a brake failure sent him hard into the tire barrier in Turn 5. “I had a big problem getting into the braking zones today—just rear brakes locking up,” Busch said after the crash. I had to crank eight rounds of front brake into our (car) just to survive. All that does is generate brake heat, and I blew out the left-front tire. “It was a bummer of a day and not anything that we expected. It must have been something with the brake package. Whatever Keselowski found at Road Atlanta (during his Aug. 3 testing accident), I had a problem with today.” As hard as Busch’s wreck was, it paled in comparison to the hit Denny Hamlin took in Turn 1 when his brakes failed on Lap 65. Hamlin rocketed into the wall, destroying the front clip of his No. 11 Toyota. “Something blew out in the left front,” Hamlin said after being released from the infield care center. “When it did, it must have cut a brake line, so I had no brakes. I was trying to do everything I could to weave or anything I could to get the speed down in the car. “There was just nothing you could do. The front tires locked up, and you can’t steer.” Hamlin finished 36th and lost ground to Dale Earnhardt Jr. in the battle for the 10th spot in the Cup standings.
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08/12/2011
By Reid SpencerSporting News NASCAR Wire Service
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08/09/2011
FORT WORTH, TEXAS (August 9, 2011) - With a convey of more than 30 volunteers, Texas Motor Speedway's Speeding to Help spread its support across the Mid-Cities Tuesday to help Community Powered Revitalization (CPR) make improvements to homes in need of repair. Sweltering temperatures did not faze volunteers as they helped remove insulation and wood beams to help elevate the ceiling for an elderly couple in Euless; removed and replaced a rotted patio roof for an elderly couple in Bedford; and helped build a ramp for a family with a wheelchair-bound son battling cerebral palsy in Hurst. For 18-year-old Jose Sandoval who is battling cerebral palsy, the day provided him with hope. Sandoval's family struggled to get their son in and out of the house. The metal ramp the family utilized was unsafe, as it was unstable and froze during winter months making it impossible to use. With the help of Speeding to Help, the Sandoval family can now easily and safely transport their son in and out of the house, as Texas Motor Speedway employees built a new wooden wheelchair ramp. "This is the best day ever," Sandoval said as he watched volunteers build the ramp. "This is a real blessing for us. I'm really pleased that they can help us and I'm really excited for the new ramp." CPR focuses on helping families who cannot make the necessary repairs to their homes. The program has continued to help those in need across the Mid-Cities and since it started more than three years ago approximately 100 homes have been renovated. Volunteers included the skills of more than 15 members of Texas Motor Speedway's operations department who helped oversee the projects. For them and for the other volunteers, it's an opportunity to make a unique impact in the community. "This is a way our staff can go out and actually get their hands dirty and do things to make a direct contribution back to the community that has been so good to us," Texas Motor Speedway President Eddie Gossage said. "To have the opportunity to meet their son and understand what they are doing that is making a direct assistance to this family is a lot more rewarding." This marks the second consecutive week Speeding to Help volunteers have helped those in need in the Mid-Cities. Last week volunteers helped feed 800 families in the Mid-Cities as Speedway Children's Charities at Texas Motor Speedway and Feed the Children provided two trailers full of food and personal supplies. On Aug. 18., Speeding to Help resumes in Dallas, as Texas Motor Speedway employees and Levy Restaurants will provide and serve lunch at Dallas LIFE Homeless Shelter. The month-long program will conclude by helping usher in the 2011-2012 school year with an incentive-based pilot reading program at Clara Love Elementary in Justin.
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08/05/2011
By Reid Spencer
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08/04/2011
FORT WORTH, Texas (August 4, 2011) – Port-A-Cool® and Texas Motor Speedway have agreed to terms for the international portable cooling unit company to serve as title sponsor for the upcoming U.S. National Dirt Track Championship at the Texas Motor Speedway Dirt Track.
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08/03/2011
FORTH WORTH, Texas (August 3, 2011) - Record temperatures didn't stop families from lining up as early as two hours prior to Wednesday morning's start of Texas Motor Speedway's kickoff of its Speeding to Help community outreach campaign at 6 Stones Mission Network's offices in Bedford. With the help of Speedway Children's Charities-Texas Chapter and Feed the Children, Speeding to Help assisted 800 families in need from Hurst, Euless and Bedford by providing each family with a 25-pound box of non-perishable food, a 10-pound box of personal supplies and a box of AVON products. More than 20 Texas Motor Speedway employees, including president Eddie Gossage, and members of 6 Stones Mission Network worked together in loading vehicles of less fortunate families with the supplies throughout the day. The supplies were donated to the cause by Speedway Children's Charities-Texas Chapter and Feed The Children. "Through our organization, we have helped about 32,000 people get emergency assistance with food," 6 Stones Executive Director Scott Sheppard said. "So this is important today. We are just thankful that Texas Motor Speedway is here and recognizing the need. Them wanting to be a part of helping says a lot of Texas Motor Speedway and the organization." The Mid-Cities area continues to see an increase in families struggling to remain above the poverty line. Statistics indicate 56 percent of HEB ISD elementary students come from homes that are classified as "economically challenged." The district has classified 876 children as "homeless." Bedford Mayor Jim Story understands the economic challenges that face his community as well as the surrounding cities. Through the help of programs like Texas Motor Speedway's Speeding to Help, families are given the steps they need to help eliminate the trend. "This is a big deal," Story said. "With Eddie Gossage and Texas Motor Speedway, they have done most of this work today and we appreciate them so much. There is not enough tax money to go around, so it is organizations like this that volunteer to help people out lots of times." Lending area families a hand can eliminate the sacrifices that some have been making as the Metroplex continues to be plagued with extreme temperatures that have topped the 100-degree mark for the 33rd consecutive day, including 109 degrees on Wednesday. "It's been a real eye-opening lesson for us and it makes you feel good to help people get by in these tough times," Gossage said. "It's so hot right now and for some families it is having to pick between putting food on the table or plugging in the air conditioning. You are seeing people in Dallas/Fort Worth struggling with this heat, so maybe they can keep on their air conditioner a little bit more. On behalf of Texas Motor Speedway, we're just pleased that we could make a positive contribution to these families in need." Speeding to Help will continue to help the Dallas/Fort Worth area throughout the month of August. On Aug. 9, volunteers will assist in the renovation of homes in the Mid-Cities area as part of the Community Powered Revitalization (CPR) program. On Aug. 18, Speeding to Help will partner with Levy Restaurants to provide and serve lunch to more than 175 homeless men, women and children at Dallas LIFE Homeless Shelter. The following week, Speeding to Help will help usher in the school year with an incentive-based pilot reading program at Clara Love Elementary in Justin. With a "No Limits" racing theme, "Speed to Read" will encourage elementary students to read more during the school year as classes will challenge each other for prizes and racing-related surprises.
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08/02/2011
FORT WORTH, Texas (August 2, 2011) - Time is running short for racing enthusiasts to experience NASCAR from the driver's seat with Speedway Children's Charities-Texas Chapter's Tony Stewart "Smoke Show" Fantasy Camp at Texas Motor Speedway fast approaching. The "Smoke Show" is just two weeks away and there are a handful of spots remaining for the Tuesday, Aug. 16, charity event. The "Smoke Show," a premier driving school hosted by two-time NASCAR Sprint Cup champion Stewart, is in its fourth year of existence and has raised $676,000 for children in North Texas. The event is the highest-grossing, single-day event for the Speedway Children's Charities-Texas Chapter. Stewart spends the day with "Smoke Show" campers, letting them walk in the shoes of a NASCAR driver on race day. Campers arrive to a professional-style locker room with personalized firesuits and participate in pre- and post-race festivities around their driving experience. Pre-race introductions, parade laps and the National Anthem are on the agenda as well as a Texas Motor Speedway Victory Lane celebration with the winner's trophy and revolvers. In addition to his pre-race instructional speech and coaching, Stewart will give each participant a heart-stopping, two-seater ride; join the participants for a special dinner and auction; and take part in a Q&A session. During the dinner and auction, hosted by KXAS-NBC sports reporter and producer Rontina McCann, campers will be presented with a certificate of completion highlighted with their fastest lap of the day and have the opportunity to bid on unique racing items, including a custom "Smoke Show" rifle provided by Turnbull Manufacturing. The cost to participate in the charity event is $6,000 and tax deductible. For those who would like to attend just the dinner and auction, a limited amount of seats are available at $250 each. For more information on the "Smoke Show," contact Speedway Children's Charities-Texas Chapter at (817) 215-8564 or visit www.scctexas.org. Since Speedway Children's Charities inception in 1997, the Texas Chapter has helped more than 1.8 million children in Dallas, Denton, Tarrant and Collin counties. Last year's fundraising helped move the chapter's total over $7.5 million in grants distributed to North Texas non-profit organizations since 1997.
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07/29/2011
By Reid SpencerSporting News NASCAR Wire Service (July 29, 2011) INDIANAPOLIS—“I have signed a contract,” Carl Edwards said, and those within earshot at Indianapolis Motor Speedway leaned closer, much like a scene in one of the old E.F. Hutton commercials. “And that’s the contract I signed in 2008 to race for Jack (Roush) in ’09, ’10 and ’11 and try to win the championship, so that is my mission,” Edwards continued. “That’s the only contract that I have signed right now and that’s the one that I’m going honor, so that’s what I’m doing.” Accordingly, NASCAR racing’s marquee free agent is still a free agent for the time being, despite persistent rumors that place him in the No. 20 Home Depot Toyota at Joe Gibbs Racing, with current No. 20 car driver Joey Logano moving to a fourth JGR car. What was obvious in Edwards’ answers to reporters’ questions Friday at Indy, however, was the change in language from earlier responses. In the final year of his three-year deal with Roush Fenway Racing, Edwards had been saying he hasn’t made a decision yet. He didn’t say that Friday. “I’d rather not say,” Edwards responded when asked point-blank if he had decided where he’d drive next year. “I’m not purposely withholding anything, other than to just be able to get the business side of everything done. When I’m able to talk about next season, if it’s appropriate, I will talk about it, and I’ll tell you guys.” There have been clues that suggest Edwards may be headed for Gibbs. At Michigan, Edwards talked in a conciliatory way about JGR driver Kyle Busch, with whom Edwards has had issues in the past—most recently at Phoenix in February. At Indy, Busch and teammate Denny Hamlin were equally full of happy talk. “If Carl came over to Gibbs, certainly it would be beneficial,” Busch said, “because he’s really good at what he does, he’s got great communication, he’s got good feedback, and he’s been one of the top three or four guys in the sport every year he’s been around, or every year that Roush has had good stuff and they’ve been competitive.” Hamlin’s response was strikingly similar. “I think it would be good for our team,” Hamlin told Sporting News. “I think that the dynamic of the three drivers that we already have is good. Having a guy that has already contended for championships and wins on a weekly basis can’t be a bad thing.” From the sound of it, the welcome mat is already in place.
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07/28/2011
FORT WORTH, Texas (July 28, 2011) - Just like drivers of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Texas Motor Speedway is on the chase this summer. The speedway is looking for the newest member of "The Great American Sweethearts!" to join Becky, Brittany and Stephanie for the Nov. 3-6 AAA Texas 500 weekend and the entire 2012 race season.
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07/28/2011
By Jim PedleySpecial to the Sporting News NASCAR Wire Service
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