Texas World Speedway - TWS
 

In the last decade TWS was frequented mostly by NASA, HPDE, private driving schools, car companies, and even NASCAR for testing. Back in early 2014 it was depressing to hear of its pending closure. If you want to visit this historic place, and the "easiest to access" Superspeedway in Texas you should work to book some track time ASAP!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texas_World_Speedway

It was announced early in 2014 that TWS will be re-developed into a neighborhood. Do yourself a favor and search the Internet for historical TWS information. You will soon realize why it is tragic that we are losing this historic track.

Although personally I have always had horrible luck during my visits (mechanical or weather) I still continue to make the 4hr drive down to College Station, TX from Dallas to give it a go.

My video starts with my best lap from the last HPDE I attended, then continues with various highlights, antics, and pictures from the event.
(FYI, more videos are in this thread -> Exciting ride in my Lotus Exige - Teamspeed.com)

Exactly a year after the video I started this thread with, on May 16-18, 2015 I made it down to TWS for the final time. Hosted by The Drivers Edge, my friends and I had an absolute blast bidding it farewell. It was a great moment spent with them and we are all very sad that it has closed.

R.I.P. - Texas Motor Speedway - 1969 to June 2015

Some facts from their website before it goes down for good, additional info can be found at: Texas World Speedway - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia



Texas World Speedway was completed in 1968 and its first sanctioned race was in 1969.

The historic Texas World Speedway is one of only seven Super Speedways in the USA and is the only Super Speedway in the Southwest. The other US Super Speedways are Indianapolis, Daytona, Pocono, Talladega, California, and Michigan (TWS’s “sister track”).

TWS’s two mile high bank oval became known as "The World's Fastest Speedway" when Mario Andretti set a world closed course speed record of 214.158 mph on October 6, 1973 while qualifying for an Indy car race. That record stood in the Guinness Book of World Records for twelve years.

TWS has been the site of numerous Indy car, stock car, motorcycle, truck, and sports car races including:

TEXAS 500, LONE STAR 500
BUDWEISER/NASCAR 400
TEXAS GRAND PRIX
TEXAS RACE OF CHAMPIONS
TEXAS 200, ARCA/WINSTON WEST 500
TEXAS WORLD GRAND PRIX
EXXON SUPERFLO 500

Sanctioned by United States Auto Club, NASCAR, ARCA, Sports Car Club of America, the American Motorcycle Association, WERA, IMSA, and other racing organizations.


Historic Events @ TWS:

Mario Andretti set a world closed course speed record of 214.158 mph on October 6, 1973 while qualifying for an Indy car race. That record stood in the Guinness Book of World Records for twelve years.

The World Record for a Diesel Bob Tail Truck was set at TWS in April, 1981 by Charlie Baker at a speed of 132.6 mph.

A. J. Foyt has won more races at TWS than any other driver. Additionally, he is the only race car driver to have won races in both an Indy Car and a Stock Car, and the only driver to have won races in both types of cars on the same day.

Johnny Rutherford won his first national championship at Texas World Speedway, October 31, 1976 at the Texas Grand Prix.

rutherford

At the 1993 ARCA race held at Texas World Speedway in 1993, Darrell Waltrip won in a Chevrolet and Page Jones, at 20, became the youngest driver in ARCA history to have sat on a superspeedway pole. Additionally, Mickey Gibbs won at TWS in '92 and two-time series champion Bill Venturini was victorious in '91 at TWS.

TWS has always been known as one of the safest race tracks in the country. In 1979, a NASCAR Grand National (now Sprint Cup) Stock Car race went 396 out of 400 miles before a yellow "caution" flag came out for two laps. The following year the race went all 400 miles without a yellow "caution" flag. Thus, in 800 miles of NASCAR racing there was only one two lap "caution" period.

TWS originated the rule of not finishing a race under the yellow "caution" flag in the 1977 TEXAS RACE OF CHAMPIONS. The rule provides for two finishing green flag laps to be run following a yellow "caution" period so as to not deprive race fans of an exciting finish to a race. This rule was later adopted by the USAC Stock Car Division and later by several other racing sanctioning organizations.

Ferrari introduced its new F-50 model at TWS, which was featured in the January '96 issue of Autoweek, the June '96 issue of Motor Trend, and was featured on the Motor Trend TV.

The '97 Pontiac was at TWS for a feature article in Popular Mechanics magazine.

The Chevrolet Monte Carlo Nascar car was tested at TWS as were Firestone tires in preparation for their return to the Indy 500.

Many race fans recognize TWS in TV commercials for Budweiser, Texaco, Mobil, among others. Jaguar, Honda, Pontiac, and Saturn are among those who have hosted their dealers for "Ride and Drives".

From the archives... this is Texas (what is rain?) but it did seem to like to rain when I made trips to TWS!

sad to know this would be their last year. Thanks for sharing the videos and photos.