The Great American Speedway | |
---|---|
Location | 3545 Lone Star Circle, Fort Worth, Texas |
Time zone | UTC−6 / UTC−5 (DST) |
Coordinates | 33°02′15″N 97°17′05″W / 33.0375°N 97.2847°W |
Capacity | 75,000 |
Owner | Fort Worth Sports Authority |
Operator | Speedway Motorsports (1996–present) |
Broke ground | 11 April 1995 |
Opened | 3 August 1996 |
Construction cost | $110 million USD |
Former names | Texas International Raceway (1996) |
Major events | Current: NASCAR Cup Series Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 400 (2005–present) O'Reilly Auto Parts 500 (1997–2020) NASCAR All-Star Race (2021–2022) Former: IndyCar Series PPG 375 (1997–2023) American Le Mans Series Grand Prix of Texas (2000–2001) SpeedVision World Challenge (2000–2001) |
Website | texasmotorspeedway |
Oval (1996–present) | |
Surface | Asphalt |
Length | 1.500 miles (2.414 km) |
Turns | 4 |
Banking | Turns 1 and 2: 20° Turns 3 and 4: 24° Frontstretch and backstretch: 5° |
Race lap record | 0:22.972 ( Tony Stewart, Dallara IR-7, 1998, IRL) |
Road Course with Chicane (2000–present) | |
Surface | Asphalt |
Length | 2.324 miles (3.740 km) |
Turns | 10 |
Race lap record | 1:12.912 ( Allan McNish, Audi R8, 2000, LMP900) |
Texas Motor Speedway (formerly known as Texas International Raceway from September to December 1996) is a 1.500-mile (2.414 km) quad-oval intermediate speedway in Fort Worth, Texas. It has hosted various major races since its inaugural season of racing in 1997, including NASCAR and IndyCar races. The track is owned by the city of Fort Worth's sports authority and is leased out by Speedway Motorsports, LLC (SMI) for racing, with Mark Faber currently serving as the track's general manager.
As of 2021, the track has a capacity of 75,000. Alongside the main track, Texas Motor Speedway features an infield road course with four layouts alongside two adjacent tracks, including a 1⁄5 mile (0.32 km) paved short track and a 2⁄5 mile (0.64 km) dirt track. TMS features numerous amenities, including the world's largest HD video screen, a Speedway Club overlooking the first turn, and a 10-story building dedicated for office space and condominiums.
Following the decline of the Texas World Speedway that began in the 1980s, the state of Texas found itself without a major racetrack and races for more than a decade. In the early 1990s, the newly incorporated and rising Speedway Motorsports and its founder, Bruton Smith, sought to build a major racetrack west of the Mississippi River, deciding on the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex in 1994 with eventual longtime track general manager Eddie Gossage. Construction began in 1995 and was completed in 1996, with TMS holding its first races in 1997. Upon the track's christening, TMS became one of the biggest sports facilities in the United States. In recent years, TMS has come under criticism for a poor racing product, particularly for its NASCAR races.