Texas Speedzone - TMS Speed Reads

FORT WORTH, Texas (Aug. 23, 2006) – It is back to school for the kids and that means the summer season of Lone Star Legends racing comes to a close Saturday at Texas Motor Speedway.

FORT WORTH, Texas (Aug. 23, 2006) – It is back to school for the kids and that means the summer season of Lone Star Legends racing comes to a close Saturday at Texas Motor Speedway. Spectators and participants at the final night of summer Legends racing will be treated to “Fan Fest,” featuring concessions bargains, giveaways, autographs, speedway mascot Sparky as well as division championship finales, that will be held on the ¼-mile oval located on the frontstretch of Texas Motor Speedway. “Fan Fest” is being presented by Free FM Live 105.3, the official radio station of Texas Motor Speedway. “We have had an exciting summer of racing in our Legends series,” Texas Motor Speedway President Eddie Gossage said. “What a great way for families to spend time together each weekend out here and see some very competitive racing in all classes. Saturday will be an exciting night to see who claims the championships in each division.” “Fan Fest” gets underway 5 p.m. Saturday when gates open at Texas Motor Speedway. Fans receive free parking and free admission to the grandstands for the evening’s racing entertainment. In addition, food and drink concessions will be discounted for the evening, including $1 hot dogs. Prior to the racing action, drivers will be available for autographs beginning at 6:30 p.m. and there will be merchandise and prize giveaways throughout the evening. Prizes include tickets to the November Dickies 500 NASCAR triple-header race weekend, Legends Driving School and official Texas Motor Speedway merchandise. “It will be non-stop action of racing and prize giveaways on Saturday night,” Gossage said. “This is our way of saying ‘thank you’ to our great fans that have supported Legends racing all summer.” Racing action begins at 7:30 p.m. and features events in the Legends, Thunder Roadsters and Bandoleros divisions. There are some dramatic championship battles coming into the final weekend of Legends racing. The Legends Pro division is the tightest as Nathan Wilson and Miachel Dabney Jr. are tied for the lead, and both just 14 points in front of Mark Webb Jr. In the Masters division, Don Johne holds an 18-point advantage over Buddy Goudy. Goudy, driver of the popular BOO car, also competes in the Roadsters division where he is the points leader. The up-and-coming stars are represented in the Young Guns division where Bryce Walker has a 21-point lead over Cody Poage. Kyle Nelson, son of Texas Motor Speedway Assistant General Manager Kenton Nelson, is third, 24 points off the pace. Texas Motor Speedway’s Total Access Presented by Chevrolet will be broadcasting live from “Fan Fest” on Free FM, Live 105.3 (4:00– 5:45 p.m.) with host Brad Gillie. The show will feature interviews with NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series drivers Matt Kenseth, Jimmie Johnson, and Kurt Busch, as well as drivers from the weekly Legends competition at Texas Motor Speedway. Following the races, the championship awards ceremony will be conducted in Victory Lane for all the classes of racing. All fans are invited to come out of the grandstands and join the festivities in Victory Lane. Upcoming Media Events Saturday, Aug. 26: Fan Fest. Season Finale for Lone Star Legends Summer Series. Gates open 5 p.m., Racing 7:30 p.m., Frontstretch ¼-mile oval. Wednesday, Sept. 6: Terry Labonte Night at the Corpus Christi Hooks, Whataburger Field, Corpus Christi. Thursday, Sept. 14: Cut To The Chase Luncheon with live satellite hookup with Chase for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup participants, Hotel ZaZa, Dallas, 11 a.m.–1 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 19: Terry Labonte’s Training Camp with the Dallas Cowboys. Labonte will give driving instruction to Cowboys stars as they wheel the Team Texas stock cars around TMS, Time TBD. Thursday, Sept. 28: Media Day with NEXTEL Cup points leader Jimmie Johnson, time / location TBD. Friday-Sunday, Sept. 29-Oct. 1: 14th Annual Lonestar Nationals, Goodguys Rod & Custom Association. Upcoming Race Event Thursday-Sunday Nov. 2-5 Dickies 500 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series Weekend Thursday, Nov. 2: NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Qualifying. Friday, Nov. 3: NASCAR Busch Series & NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series Qualifying. Silverado 350k, NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. Saturday, Nov. 4: O’Reilly Challenge, NASCAR Busch Series. Sunday, Nov. 5: Dickies 500, NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series. Note-All Times Central. Ų HARD HAT AREA The lower level of the Time Warner Cable Broadcast Center is nearing completion in preparation for the Dickies 500 NASCAR triple-header Nov. 2-5. The construction of the television/radio media deadline room, TV studio/makeup room, four radio suites and trackside conference room has been completed as well as the texturing and painting of the walls. Installation of the air conditioning ducts is ongoing and installation of the ceiling and carpeting is next on the construction agenda. The deadline room will seat approximately 30 and will be equipped with Internet, phone lines and multiple televisions for race and timing/scoring feeds. The radio suites, which range in size from approximately 6’x7½’ to 6½’x9½’, each will have ISDN and phone lines, Internet, ambient trackside audio and a television. The lower-level television studio will be 8’x11’ and be available for sit-down interviews as well as double as a make-up and voice-over room. The target date for completion of the lower level is mid-September. Ų JIMMIE SAYS DON’T GIVE UP The Jimmie Johnson “Hands On” Promotion is underway at participating Lowe’s Home Improvement Warehouses in the Fort Worth/Dallas area. Fans are registering for the opportunity to be one of 10 chosen to put their hand on a new Chevrolet Monte Carlo and be the last one standing in a contest of endurance. And what does the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series points leader think about such determination by his fans? “I think they are crazy for one thing!” Johnson said laughing. “I don’t know if I have any type of strategy for them other than to encourage them to never give up. That has been the motto of the No. 48 car, and whoever is going to win that car is going to have to want it a lot and not give up.” Fans can enter the contest through Sept. 17 at designated Lowe’s locations with a chance to be one of 10 finalists chosen. They will join the No. 48-decaled Chevy Monte Carlo beginning Friday, Sept. 29 at the Chevrolet Regional Display at the State Fair of Texas for the finale. Each finalist will place one designated hand on the car when the contest begins, and they must be standing and in continuous contact with the prize vehicle 24 hours per day, excluding sanctioned breaks. The last person standing with their hand on the ’07 Monte Carlo will take it home. For participating Lowe’s stores locations and contest rules, go to www.texasmotorspeedway.com or www.kscs.com. Ų MIKEY (AND MIKEY) LIKES IT ESPN Radio’s immensely popular Mike and Mike in the Morning show, featuring Mike Golic and Mike Greenberg, will broadcast live Friday, Nov. 3 from Texas Motor Speedway during the Dickies 500 NASCAR triple-header weekend. The show will air live from 5-9 a.m. CT from the infield café and will be open to fans with infield tickets. Mike and Mike in the Morning made their debut at a NASCAR venue last season during the inaugural Dickies 500 race weekend at TMS. “We were extremely pleased last season to have a show of the magnitude of Mike and Mike decide to make their NASCAR debut at Texas Motor Speedway,” Texas Motor Speedway President Eddie Gossage said. “We’re even more pleased that they had such a positive experience that they want to return to Texas Motor Speedway and visit with the NASCAR Nation again.” Ų SIGNING UP ON THE BACKSTRETCH To further accommodate sponsor signage requests and incorporate an additional revenue stream, Texas Motor Speedway will add billboard sections on each end of the backstretch seating. The vinyl billboards, which will be approximately 30’x90’, will be situated on the upper level of the backstretch stands with four on the Turn 2 side of the seating and another four on the Turn 3 side. Five of the eight billboards already have been secured by sponsors. “We have a greater demand for signage than we have signage available,” Texas Motor Speedway President Eddie Gossage said. “This new revenue stream will decrease the supply of tickets at races by approximately 10,000 seats. It is a basic law of economics that when you decrease supply you increase the value of your inventory. We have new signage revenue and our crowds remain among the largest in NASCAR and the Indy Racing League.” The signage will reduce the backstretch seating to approximately 21,000. Sponsors interested in the remaining three billboards on the backstretch can contact TMS Director of Sales & Marketing Kevin Camper at (817) 215-8510. Ų NEW PAINT SCHEME FOR HORNISH FAMILY Speedway Children’s Charities presented Indy 500 champion Sam Hornish Jr., along with his wife Crystal and parents Sam and JoEllen, with an original oil on canvas painting created by Bill Neale prior to the recent Indy Racing League event at Kentucky Speedway. The painting, which features Hornish driving his Indy 500-winning No. 6 Team Penske Honda, was presented in appreciation of the Hornish family’s support of the Sam Hornish Jr. Celebrity Bowling Tournament that benefits Speedway Children’s Charities Texas Chapter. The bowling event has raised nearly $200,000 for the charity in just two years. Neale is an award-winning artist and founding member of the prestigious Automotive Fine Arts Society. Ų TICKETS ARE HOT FOR 2007 Season tickets for the 2007 season of racing at Texas Motor Speedway have been on sale for just a week and fans are eager to purchase preferred seat locations for next year. Three marquee weekends of racing highlight the 2007 schedule at “The Great American Speedway!,” beginning with the RadioShack 500 weekend on April 12-15 that features the NASCAR 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 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. The season wraps up Nov. 1-4 with the Dickies 500 NASCAR triple-header weekend featuring the Cup, Busch, and Craftsman Truck series. Season tickets for the 2007 season are available by calling 817-215-8500 or logging on to 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. Ų LAST LAP Media requesting credentials for the November 2-5 Dickies 500 race weekend should apply online at www.texasmotorspeedway.com. Link to Press Room and Media Credentials. Enter the site with your user name and password. If you have not previously set up a credential account, apply for credential request access on the site. … Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company, the exclusive insurance of Texas Motor Speedway, is gearing up to assist race fans at the November 2-5 Dickies 500 weekend. Nationwide On Your Side information stations will be located at Gates 2 and 6 during race week, providing a rest area for fans to take a break and get information about the speedway. In addition, Nationwide will provide free fan assistance transportation on golf carts to anywhere on speedway property. For transportation assistance, fans can just wave a golf cart down or stand under the Nationwide flag located at each gate entrance. Golf cart transportation hours will be Friday, Nov. 3, 9 a.m. until two hours after race concludes; Saturday, Nov 4, 11 a.m. until two hours after race concludes; and Sunday, Nov. 5, Noon until two hours after race ends. … The top 10 moments in Texas Motor Speedway history are being ranked by fans via online voting through the “103.3 ESPN Radio Presents Top 10 Moments at Texas Motor Speedway” promotion. Monthly prizes are given to winners who are selected from the voting. The July winners are Randy and Karen Harmon of Denison, Texas. They have won a $100 gift certificate to Speedway World, the Official Store of Texas Motor Speedway. Fans can go to www.texasmotorspeedway.com and www.espn1033.com to vote for their favorite top 10 moments in Texas Motor Speedway history. The top moment based on the fan voting results will be announced during the Dickies 500 weekend in November. For additional information, please contact the Texas Motor Speedway Media Relations Department at (817) 215-8520 or pr@texasmotorspeedway.com.