The Triple Truck Challenge is a bonus program for race winners for designated races in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series each season that is designed to give attention to series regulars. The program debuted in 2019.
109-472: On February 4, 2019, NASCAR announced the formation of the Triple Truck Challenge. The Challenge consisted of three consecutive races, held at Texas Motor Speedway , Iowa Speedway and Gateway Motorsports Park . Only drivers eligible for Truck Series points could be on the entry lists for those races. If a driver won one of the three races, a $ 50,000 prize was awarded; if a driver won two of
218-708: A competitor to Championship Auto Racing Teams (CART). In 2008, the IndyCar Series merged with CART's successor, the Champ Car World Series and the history and statistics of both series, as well as those from its predecessors, were unified. The series' premier event is the Indianapolis 500 , which was first held in 1911. Historically, open-wheel racing was the most popular form of U.S. motorsport nationwide. However, an acrimonious schism (often referred to by many as "The Split") in 1994 between
327-414: A consortium of ethanol producers that advocate the increased use of ethanol . EPIC was anxious to address public concerns of that era that ethanol use led to engine damage and poor performance when used in road cars. As a marketing effort, it was believed that sponsoring an IndyCar could be used as a tool to promote education and awareness of ethanol use and to curb the spread of erroneous information. Dana
436-537: A crash on the track's pit road when Niclas Jönsson lost control of his car while trying to exit pit road, crashing into the parked car of Tyce Carlson while Carlson's crew was working with his car. The next year, during a NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race, the track oversaw its first fatality when driver Tony Roper crashed on the track's frontstretch, suffering a fatal basilar skull fracture that caused renewed controversy within NASCAR over driver safety. In 2001,
545-406: A first-ever Dallara DW12 facelift. The kits, while increasing speeds and offering a clear distinction between the two manufacturers, did lead to significant cost increases. Further, Chevrolet's aero kit was the more dominant with Honda only able to mount a competitive charge on ovals due to having slightly better engine power. While Honda was able to make gains in 2016, after two years of development
654-565: A foot protection bulkhead, and cockpit padding. From the 2020 season onwards, the IndyCar Series implemented a cockpit protection system. This consists of a combination of the Halo mandated in Formula One and a reinforced windscreen dubbed the "aeroscreen", provided by Red Bull Advanced Technologies, to lessen the probability of traumatic head injuries from flying debris. All IndyCar Series cars carry an Electronic Control Unit. Live telemetry
763-418: A lower bank of 8 degrees to accommodate open-wheel cars. In addition, for open-wheel races, a temporary wall was planned to be implemented each time an open-wheel series raced in order to reduce speeds. The plan met skepticism from open-wheel personalities such as Cary Agajanian and Jimmy Vasser over the feasibility of such a system. By June 1996, Agajanian reported that the speedway had ditched plans to make
872-648: A major racetrack west of the Mississippi River with the rise of popularity in stock car racing. Smith employed the help of then Vice President of Public Relations at the Charlotte Motor Speedway , Eddie Gossage , to find a suitable location for the track. Three primary markets were decided on by Bruton: Las Vegas , the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex , and St. Louis . In Las Vegas, the duo found out that local businessman Ralph Engelstad
981-475: 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
1090-424: A new bump, along with water leakage issues. Further criticism was placed against the speedway and Gossage after a t-shirt was printed that stated "Shut Up and Race"; Gossage claims that NASCAR came up with the idea. Gossage announced a complete repave of the track, this time completely removing the dual-banking system. In 1999, during the final practice session of the 1999 Mall.com 500 , 11 people were injured in
1199-643: A new date at the Circuit of the Americas , with the track instead running the NASCAR All-Star Race as an attempt by SMI CEO Marcus Smith to increase declining attendance. After two spring races that were met with relative scorn, the spring date was removed for 2023, with the All-Star Race moving to North Wilkesboro, the track TMS removed back in 1997. The spring date returned in 2024 as
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#17327936109891308-429: A pneumatic clutch with semi-automatic activation, supplied by Xtrac Limited since the 2008 season. All current IndyCar transmissions use pneumatic actuation for the shifting and clutch, so the clutch is therefore only needed for launching the car from a standstill, and the clutch isn't required for gear shifting. From 1996 to 2007, all IndyCar Series cars used a hand-shifted 6-speed sequential manual transmission with
1417-525: A poor racing product, leading calls from drivers to completely renovate the track. In August, Ramage was removed as general manager after only one year, having been promoted to becoming SMI's vice president of government relations and deputy counsel. SMI replaced Ramage with Mark Faber, who previously worked in Las Vegas as the T-Mobile Arena 's senior vice president of global partnerships. Under
1526-442: A poor racing product, particularly for its NASCAR races. Texas Motor Speedway (TMS) in its current form is measured at 1.500 mi (2.414 km), with 20 degrees of banking in the speedway's first two turns, 24 degrees of banking in the speedway's last two turns, five degrees of banking on the track's frontstretch and backstretch, and a racing surface width of 80 feet. From 1998 to 2017, the turns were all banked at 24 degrees and
1635-592: A practice crash. Riley & Scott produced IndyCar chassis from 1997 to 2000. Their initial effort, the Mark V, was introduced late in the 1997 season, severely limiting its potential market. It also proved to be uncompetitive. After Riley & Scott was purchased by Reynard, an all-new model, the Mark VII, was introduced for the 2000 season. It won in Phoenix, the second race of the season (driven by Buddy Lazier), but
1744-503: A press conference on May 13, 2021, with his retirement effective after the 2021 NASCAR All-Star Race that was set to take place on June 13. After Gossage's retirement, TMS leaders announced that they would reduce capacity down to 75,000 and renovate the suites at the track. On August 4, 2021, Marcus Smith announced that Rob Ramage, a Texas Motor Speedway executive and counselor, had been promoted to replace Gossage as general manager. In an interview with D Magazine , Ramage pledged that
1853-570: A result of the track's only Cup Series date, which was in the fall, shifting back to the spring. A second weekend to TMS was awarded in the aftermath of the Ferko lawsuit in 2005. The date remained on the schedule annually until 2023, when it was moved to the spring. Along with its Cup Series dates, the track also hosts lower-series NASCAR races, including second-tier NASCAR Xfinity Series and third-tier NASCAR Truck Series races. TMS used to hold IndyCar Series races from 1997 to 2023. In 2024,
1962-465: A segment for the show. In 2010, Gossage directed the "No Limits" campaign, which was self-described as a "hot cars and hot chicks" that intended to target a younger and edgy audience. By mid-2016, numerous complaints against the track's surface taking too long to dry were made. By November, during a rain delay at the 2016 AAA Texas 500 which took seven hours to restart, complaints rose again. Despite this, Gossage stated that he had no plans to repave
2071-501: A shift stick lever, supplied also by Xtrac since 2000 season until 2007. The clutches of all IndyCar Series cars are carbon with steel housing 3-plate clutch operated by foot-pedal in 1996–2011 later hand-paddle steering wheel clutch in 2012–present and provided by AP Racing . Mechanical limited-slip differentials are also allowed and constant velocity joint tripod driveshafts are also used. All IndyCar Series car drivetrains are currently rear mid-engine with rear-wheel-drive layout . Since
2180-538: A single set of specifications is used, based upon the configuration and speed of the track, as well as having the right rear tire diameter constructed to be slightly larger than the left rear, (also known as stagger) to aid in high speed cornering. The suspension of all IndyCar Series cars is double A-arm, pushrod, with third spring and anti-roll bar configuration multilink. All NTT IndyCar Series cars use carbon-fiber shell driver's seats with 6-point safety restraints. The cars' steering wheels are designed by Cosworth with
2289-618: A starting point for a cross-country route. In even-numbered years, the track is used as a showcase location. In 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic , the facility held 23 high school graduation ceremonies for schools within Denton County, Texas . In September 2022, the track became a shelter for victims of Hurricane Ida . As of November 2018, the fastest official race lap records at Texas Motor Speedway are listed as: IndyCar Series The IndyCar Series , currently known as
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#17327936109892398-556: A system of buttons that allow the drivers to make adjustments to their cars mid-race. All IndyCar Series cars were equipped with Pi Research Sigma Wheel to Display data display units from 2001–2017 until they were replaced by Cosworth's Configurable Display Unit 4.3 display from 2018 onwards (although in 2018 some smaller low-budget IndyCar Series teams still utilized old Pi Research Sigma Wheel instead of new Cosworth Configurable Display Unit 4.3 due to cost reasons). The cockpits of all IndyCar Series cars are still open but protected by zylon,
2507-644: A temporary wall, instead deciding to paint a line where the change in banking was. On August 3, the track officially opened to the public for the first time, holding a charity "open-house" event. Eventual NASCAR races were announced in July 1996, and IndyCar races were announced the next month on August 7, with the IndyCar race to be run at night; an IndyCar first. In August 1996, a quarter-mile dirt track based in Alvin, Texas , sued Smith's speedway over naming rights for
2616-572: A universal bodywork kit. Digital renderings for the common bodywork kit, referred to as the 'IR18' car, were released in early May 2017 as a second facelift of Dallara DW12 . The car was officially unveiled in late July, and the universal aero kit became known as the UAK18 bodywork. The bodywork is inspired by CART 's 1990s and 2000s designs, with a more streamlined appearance. The redesigned aero kit reduces both aerodynamic downforce and team and manufacturer design development costs. The universal Aero Kit
2725-463: A well-funded team, was brought on to develop the engine with team owner Eddie Cheever expanding the team to two cars and bringing on his brother Ross Cheever as a test driver. By 2000, the engine had improved markedly and Cheever captured the marque's first win at Pikes Peak International Raceway . However, despite the improved success, few teams made the switch to the Infiniti and the company left
2834-458: 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 0.200 mi (0.322 km) paved short track and a 0.400 mi (0.644 km) dirt track. TMS features numerous amenities, including
2943-745: Is made out of black gumbo soil , and held its first races in March 2000. The first track to hold major series such as NASCAR and United States Auto Club (USAC)-sanctioned races in the state of Texas was the Texas International Speedway (later named Texas World Speedway), which opened in 1969, holding its first NASCAR race in December. The track was built like the Michigan International Speedway , but with higher banking for faster speeds. However, in
3052-775: Is used only for television broadcasts, but the data can be recorded from the ECU to the computer if the car is in the garage tents and not on the track. Since 2007 McLaren supplied its Engine Control Unit (ECU) system for few IndyCar Series teams and later promoted to standard Engine Control Unit (ECU) systems from 2010 season onwards. Previously Motorola supplied IndyCar Series ECU in 2003–2009 for Honda -powered cars, also Denso supplied IndyCar Series ECU in 2003–2005 for Toyota -powered cars and also Zytek supplied IndyCar Series ECU in 2002–2005 for Chevrolet -powered cars. Rearview mirrors for all IndyCar Series cars are fully mandated to easily enable viewing opponents behind. At its inception,
3161-561: The American Le Mans Series expanded their schedule to include TMS to run the Grand Prix of Texas , deciding to run a "roval" version of the track that utilized parts of the newly-constructed infield road course and the oval. The series ran the event again in 2001. In 2015, TMS held the seventh round of the 2015 Red Bull Air Race World Championship through the weekend of September 26–27. The track once again hosted
3270-566: The CART chassis and turbocharged engines that had been the mainstay of the Indianapolis 500 since the late 1970s. Starting with the 2003 season, the series rules were changed to require chassis manufacturers to be approved by the league before they could build cars. Prior to that, any interested party could build a car, provided it met the rules and was made available to customers at the league-mandated price. In total, four manufacturers have built IndyCar chassis. Dallara began producing Indycars for
3379-428: The Charlotte Motor Speedway . Under Gossage's tenure, TMS sparked numerous campaigns to promote the track, including training monkeys to sell souvenir programs , starting a victory lane tradition of each victor firing blank six-shooters in post-race celebrations, hiring an all-female pit crew to service a car, and allowing British motoring television show Top Gear and one of its hosts, Richard Hammond , to film
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3488-497: The Firestone Indy Lights machines. After the withdrawal of factory support from Panoz Auto Development , they are the only supplier of new chassis. The G Force chassis was introduced in 1997 and won the 1997 and 2000 Indy 500 races. In 2002, Élan Motorsport Technologies bought G Force, and the chassis was renamed "Panoz G Force", and then shortened to "Panoz" in 2005. In 2003 a new model was introduced, and it won
3597-590: The NTT IndyCar Series under sponsorship , is the highest class of American open-wheel car racing in the United States, which has been conducted under the auspices of various sanctioning bodies since 1920 after two initial attempts in 1905 and 1916. The series is self-sanctioned by its parent company, IndyCar, LLC ., which began in 1996 as the Indy Racing League (IRL) and was created by then Indianapolis Motor Speedway owner Tony George as
3706-591: The Oldsmobile Aurora label) and Nissan (badged as Infiniti). Per IRL rules, the engines sold for no more than $ 80,000 (with an exception of full-works IndyCar Series teams that usually received free engines due to direct partnership with an each engine manufacturer), and were rev-limited to over 10,000 rpm and weighed up to 280 lb (127 kg ) (excl. headers, clutch, ECU, spark box or filters). They produced around 600–700 hp (450–520 kW). These engines utilized 90° crankshafts , and while
3815-514: The 1980s, although this was due to, according to track president R. C. Connole, USAC splitting with Championship Auto Racing Teams in 1979, leading to major turmoil within USAC. Although the track was swapped around numerous owners, the track never held a major series again, leaving Texas without a track that held a major series for over a decade. With the rising success of Speedway Motorsports , owned by businessman Bruton Smith , intended to build
3924-470: The 1997 season. The Dallara and G Force chassis were relatively evenly matched over their first few seasons, but eventually, the Dallara began to win more races. This caused more teams to switch to the Dallara, further increasing their success. As of 2017, a Dallara chassis has been used by 17 Indy 500 winners, although there have not been any competing manufacturers since 2008. Dallara was also tapped to build
4033-511: The 2008 Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach . In 2010, IndyCar announced that it would officially adopt a single-make chassis formula, beginning in 2012 among a selection of proposals from interested parties, and set up the ICONIC (Innovative, Competitive, Open-Wheel, New, Industry-Relevant, Cost-Effective) Advisory Committee to make a final recommendation. Proposals were submitted and announced by BAT Engineering, Dallara , Lola , Swift , as well as
4142-512: The IRL used methanol racing fuel, which had been the de facto standard in American open-wheel racing since the 1964 Indianapolis 500 Eddie Sachs – Dave MacDonald crash. Methanol had long provided a safer alternative to gasoline. It had a higher flash point, was easily extinguishable with water, and burned invisible. With the IRL's introduction of night races in 1997, the burning of methanol fuel
4251-560: The IRL, a major point of contention for CART management, to whom Ford-Cosworth was an official engine supplier. The Ilmor Mercedes V-8 engine, also a mainstay CART powerplant, was permitted, but the only time it was used as a one-off at the 1996 Indy 500 by Galles Racing . Starting in 1997, IRL cars were powered by 4.0-litre V8 , four-stroke piston, Otto cycle methanol -burning, production prototype-based, naturally-aspirated internal combustion engines and electronic indirect multi-point port fuel injection, produced by General Motors (under
4360-838: The Indianapolis 500 and the series title. However, Toyota had just one podium in the last seven races of 2004, and only Penske Racing fielded competitive Toyota-powered cars in 2005, while Honda became the dominant engine manufacturer within the series. In November 2005, Toyota company officials announced the company's withdrawal from American open-wheel racing and the immediate discontinuation of its IRL program, coinciding with its entrance into NASCAR's Craftsman Truck Series in 2004, and its discontinuation of its IMSA program. After Chevrolet and Toyota elected to shut down their IRL involvement after 2005 season ( Chevrolet temporarily hiatus from IndyCar Series for six years while Toyota USA elected to focus on NASCAR involvement), Honda became
4469-556: The Indy 500 in 2003–2004 and finished second in 2005. It fell out of favor starting in 2006, and by then, only one had finished in the top ten at Indy. Little factory support was given to IndyCar teams by Panoz after that point, as they had concentrated on their DP01 chassis for the rival Champ Car World Series. By 2008, only one Panoz saw track time, an aborted second-weekend effort at Indy, that resulted in Phil Giebler being injured in
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4578-425: The IndyCar Series did not return to TMS due to an NBC conflict with the 2024 Summer Olympics . In 2000, a CART race was planned for 2001 but was canceled after it was found that drivers could suffer extreme vertical g-loads that could have led to death. The speedway later sued CART for breach of contract and settled for approximately $ 5–7 million, and races scheduled for 2002 and 2003 were canceled. In 2000,
4687-465: The Lone Star Tower overlooks the second turn and is used for condominiums and office space. The Lone Star Tower broke ground in 1996 and completed in early 1998, with the building costing Texas Motor Speedway around $ 25 million in taxes. The first four floors are dedicated for office space, with the rest of the floors being dedicated for condos. Initially, 58 condos were planned to be sold;
4796-489: The U.S. government's demand that the alcohol is unfit for human consumption and add visible color in case of fire. However, 2010 São Paulo Indy 300 , held in Brazil –outside of the U.S. regulations– utilized a full E100 mixture, the first instance in the sport. To compensate for the loss of power due to the use of ethanol, the displacement was increased back to 3.5 liters. Since ethanol gets better fuel mileage than methanol,
4905-499: The capacity quickly grew in the initial planning stages; when Bruton requested that 5,000 seats be added, Gossage obliged. According to Gossage, "the next day he’d put in a change order for 5,000 more seats. And then a few days or a week later, he’d say, ‘Do you think you could sell 80 (thousand)?’ I’d say, ‘Oh, piece of cake.' And then one day I looked and we were at 155,000 seats and I told Bruton we’ve got to stop doing this." Groundbreaking on TMS took place on April 11, 1995. Gossage
5014-498: The cars were unique, being designed specifically for oval racing; for example, the oil and cooling systems were asymmetrical to account for the pull of liquids to the right side of the cars. Later cars were designed to accommodate the added requirements of road racing. Because of a schedule conflict, the Champ Car World Series spec Panoz DP01 , with a Cosworth engine, was run in an IndyCar Series points event in
5123-411: The coming years, the track faced a slew of issues; the 1973 oil crisis halted any major racing for nearly three years. Although NASCAR eventually returned in 1979, heading into the 1980s, the track faced a lack of stable and modern infrastructure along with attendance issues. NASCAR left in 1981, with its president Bill France Jr. citing a poor track surface and amenities. USAC also left the track in
5232-409: The construction of Big Hoss TV , which when constructed, was set to become the biggest HD screen in the world. As a result of its construction, backstretch grandstands that numbered to around 10,000 seats were demolished. The video screen was completed in March 2014 and was officially certified by Guinness World Records as the largest HD television LED screen in the world. In 2023, TMS announced that
5341-580: The development work associated with them. However, after a series of safety concerns during practice for the 2015 Indianapolis 500 with the Chevrolet aero kit package, this did not come about. The 2017 season was the third and final year contested with the Chevrolet and Honda aero kits outfitted to the Dallara DW12 chassis. Beginning in 2018, all DW12 Safety Cell chassis have been fitted with
5450-528: The duo met businessman Ross Perot Jr. and flew in Perot's helicopter to scout a piece of land that was owned by Perot. The land impressed the duo, and by November 30, the Star-Telegram reported that the two were planning to build a 150,000-capacity speedway at a cost of around $ 75,000,000 (adjusted for inflation, $ 154,176,022). Originally, the speedway was set to have a capacity of 70,000 seats. However,
5559-496: The engine blocks were to be production-based, they were not "stock blocks" like the Buick or Menard engines of the 1980s and 1990s. They were purpose-built racing engines. The engine formula was changed with the 2000–2004 formula. The displacement was dropped down from 4.0 to 3.5 litres (244 to 214 cubic inches ), and the requirement for the block to be production-based was dropped. The engines also switched to 180° crankshafts , and
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#17327936109895668-443: The engines were moderately de-tuned. The engines proved themselves to be quite durable — there had been no engine failures at Indy from 2006 to 2010, which also lowered the number of crashes. Most of the engines, including those used for the Indy 500, are used for multiple races and were intended to last 1,200 miles (1,931 kilometres ) between rebuilds. The Honda engines were only available via lease arrangement from Honda, which, for
5777-472: The existing engine blocks to curb top speeds (started from the 2004 Indianapolis 500 ). Infiniti's engines, though reliable, were significantly down on power compared to the Auroras in 1997, leading many of the teams that had initially opted for the Infiniti to switch. By the end of the 1998 season, only a handful of low-budget teams were using the Infiniti. However, early in the 1999 season, Cheever Racing ,
5886-451: The first time since 2011. The fuel cell for all current IndyCar Series cars are made of rubber and are covered with a Kevlar-fitted blanket for extra protection in side impacts. Since 2012 the capacity has been 18.5 US gallons (70 litres ). Previous capacities were 22 US gallons (83 litres ) in 2007–2011, 30 US gallons (114 litres ) in 2004–2006, and 35 US gallons (132 litres ) in 1997–2003. The initial 1996 IRL season, as well as
5995-451: The first two races of the 1996–97 season, featured engines with specifications leftover from the rival CART series competition. Those chassis/engine combinations were essentially under the same rules utilized by teams that participated in the 1995 Indianapolis 500 , which was sanctioned by USAC. V-8 powerplants were allowed the typical 45 inHg (1.5 bar; 22.1 psi) of pressure boost. The Menard-Buick V6 engine used in 1996, however,
6104-425: The formation of IndyCar Series in 1996, the brake package for the IndyCar Series was slimmer carbon brake rotors with 4-pot brake calipers and carbon pads on all-oval races until 2011. The thicker steel brake rotors with 6-pot brake calipers and carbon pads were introduced in 2005 for road and street course races for stronger braking while approaching sharper turns even hairpins. From 2012 onwards, IndyCar Series ditched
6213-636: The front and 14 in × 15 in (356 mm × 381 mm) on the rear since 1996; this size will be used until at least the 2022 season. 18-inch wheel rims will be adopted if the Dallara DW12 's successor comes out for the 2023 season onward. Firestone has been a tire supplier for the series since the 1996 season and sole tire supplier since 2000 season. Previously, Goodyear also supplied tires from 1996 to 1999 for several teams before withdrawing their support. The IndyCar Series has run bespoke compounds since 1996 which were re-profiled in 2003. The front tire sizes are 305/45-R15 (10.0/25.8-R15) and
6322-453: The fuel tanks in the car were decreased. Compared to methanol, human contact with the current ICS fuel is much less harsh, and the fumes much less irritating. The fumes are often compared with the sweet smell of apple cider or apple cobbler. Unlike methanol, ethanol is not caustic and does not cause chemical burns when it comes in contact with the skin. It also is less polluting when spilled compared to methanol. In May 2010, Sunoco became
6431-480: The kits were frozen for 2017, and starting in 2018 all cars ran the same aero package again. To further help reduce costs, IndyCar allowed teams to shop for competitively priced non-safety-related parts such as brakes instead of mandating parts from specific suppliers. IndyCar had hoped to set a new speed record at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway by 2016 with the introduction of aero kits and
6540-502: The leadership of Faber, Faber promised for better relations with the city of Fort Worth, with Faber claiming that a "pain point" was Gossage putting "No Limits, Texas" on the outside wall instead of the actual city's name. Faber also announced the creation of the "No Limits Next" project, aimed at renovating the track and expanding Big Hoss TV. The speedway also ended the tradition of victors firing six-shooters in victory lane under Faber's leadership. By July 2023, Faber also confirmed that
6649-437: The name "Texas Motor Speedway". Gossage and Bruton countersued on September 9, claiming that majority owner Jack Holland was trying to "squeeze and extort money" from them. As a result, the speedway changed its name to "Texas International Raceway" on September 11. Although litigation was expected to take years, on December 2, the dispute was settled out of court. With the settlement, the dirt track agreed to change its name, with
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#17327936109896758-467: The number later increased to 76. By the next year, the speedway made efforts to fill up the tower's office space of a combined 100,000 square feet. TMS also announced in 1997 that they were building a members-only Speedway Club overlooking the first turn that was inspired by the club at the Charlotte Motor Speedway . The nine-story club was completed in March 1999 at a cost of $ 35 million, featuring 26,000 square feet of space. In 2013, Gossage announced
6867-521: The official fuel of the series starting in mid-2010 with an immediate effect, running through 2018. For the 2012 season, the ethanol fuel blend rate was reduced to 85% blend in a reference of road car relevance. Speedway LLC took over as series official fuel supplier beginning from 2019 season onwards, but the E85 formula still retained until at 2022. From 2023 onwards Shell USA (North American division of Shell plc ) will supply 100% Ethanol-sourced fuel for
6976-477: The only standard spec-engine manufacturer in the IndyCar Series starting in 2006 and continued in that capacity through 2011 as it was announced by Indy Racing League president & chief operating officer Brian Barnhart and Honda Performance Development president Robert Clarke on December 15, 2005. The IndyCar Series carried on with only one engine manufacturer in spite of the television agreement required at least two or three engine manufacturers to participate in
7085-463: The oval and the infield road course. The infield road course was completed in August 2000, and has four variations that are mainly used for sports car racing . TMS is served by numerous major roads. It is located at the intersection of Interstate 35W and Texas State Highway 114 to the track's southeast, and Farm to Market Road 156 to the track's west. The intersection has seen criticism since
7194-467: The partial enclosure around the rear wheels, which acts to prevent cars ramping up over another vehicle's back end. This chassis was intended to support multiple aerodynamic kits, but introduction of these was delayed until 2015, with teams citing costs. After the events of the 2011 IZOD IndyCar World Championships the chassis was nicknamed DW12 in honor of Dan Wheldon . In 2015, teams began running aero kits developed by their engine manufacturers as
7303-478: The primary series, CART, and Tony George led to the formation of the Indy Racing League, which launched the rival IndyCar Series in 1996. From that point on, the popularity of open wheel racing in the U.S. declined dramatically. The feud was settled in 2008 with an agreement to merge the two series under the IndyCar banner, but enormous damage had already been done to the sport. Post-merger, IndyCar continues to run with slight viewership gains per year. For 1996–1997,
7412-479: The public its "Gen IV" motor, a rebadged Cosworth motor for competition. At the time, Cosworth was owned by Ford. On November 4, 2004, Chevrolet stated that it would be ending its IRL engine program effective with the end of the 2005 season, citing costs that exceeded value, according to then GM Racing Director Doug Duchardt, "The investment did not meet our objectives." Toyota won its first race in Miami, as well as
7521-645: The racing surface width was 58 feet. When the track was initially constructed, it had a dual-banking system, with a high bank of 24 degrees and a low bank of eight degrees in the turns. Disputes over the track's length exist; the IndyCar Series have at times utilized two lengths: one at 1.455 mi (2.342 km) and one at 1.44 mi (2.32 km). However, these measurements have been disputed as an "error" by former longtime track general manager Eddie Gossage . In 1999, track developers announced plans to build an infield road course that would utilize both
7630-486: The radical DeltaWing design that was penned by Ben Bowlby and financed by Chip Ganassi . In July 2010, IndyCar announced that Dallara had won the contract to remain as the series' single chassis supplier. In 2012 the series adopted the Dallara IR-12 chassis as a cost control method, and IndyCar negotiated a price of $ 349,000 per chassis. The new specification also improved safety, the most obvious feature being
7739-549: The rear tire sizes are 415/40-R15 (14.5/28.0-R15). The compounds and construction of IndyCar Series tires unique to each mounting position on the race car. For road/street events, there are unique primary and alternative specifications for dry conditions, along with specially designed full-rain tires for all rain conditions but, unlike in Formula One which has intermediate rain tires for light rain conditions only, no intermediate rain tires due to additional costs. For oval racing,
7848-471: The repave was viewed neutrally by IndyCar drivers, and NASCAR drivers were recorded to be more optimistic about the repave. Throughout the late 2010s, TMS oversaw continuous decline. In November 2019, Gossage made calls to "modernize" the speedway, including decreasing capacity from 135,000 to a range from 80,000 to 90,000, along with better internet services, a wider concession variety, and more suites. In 2020, as an attempt by Marcus to increase attendance at
7957-422: The rev limits were adjusted from time to time. These engines made 675 hp (503 kW), ran on 109- octane methanol racing fuel, and revved to 10,300 rpm, all while weighing only 280 lb (130 kg). This formula was used through 2003. In 2004, in the wake of several crashes including the fatal crash of Tony Renna and the severe crash of Kenny Bräck , the displacement was reduced to 3.0-liters using
8066-444: The same chassis. Currently, Dallara provides a specification chassis to all teams, with Honda and Chevrolet providing teams different engines. In the series' first season ( 1996 ), 1992 to 1995 model year CART chassis built by Lola and Reynard were used. The first new Indycar came into being in 1997. Tony George specified new technical rules for less expensive cars and production-based engines. The move effectively outlawed
8175-491: The same year. Texas Motor Speedway Texas Motor Speedway (formerly known as Texas International Raceway from September to December 1996) is a 1.500 mi (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
8284-522: The schedule. The requirement for a driver to be on the preliminary entry list to be eligible for the prize money was also dropped. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic , the 2020 races were changed to the Daytona International Speedway road course , a rescheduled Dover date and World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway . Darlington Raceway and Circuit of the Americas were introduced for the 2021 Challenge, while Charlotte returned as
8393-466: The screen was to be expanded by 10%. TMS' complex has two adjacent tracks. In May 1998, the speedway opened Lil' Texas Motor Speedway, a 1 ⁄ 5 mile (0.32 km) paved short track that hosts various divisions of local short track racing, primarily legends cars and bandoleros . In August 1999, Gossage announced plans of a new 2 ⁄ 5 mile (0.64 km) dirt track to the main track's east that could seat 13,007. The $ 8 million track
8502-550: The series after the 2002 season to focus on powering the league's new Infiniti Pro Series (now Firestone Indy Lights). As part of General Motors' discontinuance of the Oldsmobile name, the Olds engine was rebadged as the Chevrolet starting with the 2002 season. However, the effort would lack in competitiveness against Toyota and Honda, which came to the IRL in 2003 from the rival CART series. In August 2003, Chevrolet announced to
8611-501: The series in 2018, this time as the season finale of that year. In 2017, TMS hosted a Stadium Super Trucks event as a support event for the June weekend's NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and IndyCar Series doubleheader. The series raced at the speedway annually until 2019. The speedway has held numerous festivals throughout its history, with some festivals having a recorded attendance of 250,000 people or more. In 1997, days after
8720-512: The series to ensure future continuity. The Honda Indy V8 engine was partnered and co-developed by Ilmor , which is part owned by Roger Penske for tune-up, engine maintenance, arrangement and trackside support. The engine displacement was reverted from 3.0 to 3.5 litres (183 to 214 cubic inches ) beginning from 2007 season. During that time, since the IndyCar Series had only one engine manufacturer, Honda focused on minimizing engine failure and minimizing costs instead of defeating rivals. As such,
8829-422: The series was now legally entitled to use it due to the expiration of a 1996 legal settlement with Championship Auto Racing Teams (CART). The series began to progressively downplay the former IRL name, changing its name to simply IndyCar for the 2008 season. The company was similarly renamed in 2011. Izod signed a six-year deal to become the series title sponsor beginning on November 5, 2009, through 2014, but
8938-645: The series was simply referred to as the Indy Racing League. For 1998–1999, the series garnered its first title sponsor, and was advertised as the Pep Boys Indy Racing League . In 2000, the series sold its naming rights to Internet search engine Northern Light , and the series was named the Indy Racing Northern Light Series . The name IndyCar Series was officially adopted beginning in 2003, as
9047-489: The speedway able to retain the "Texas Motor Speedway" name. TMS oversaw a turbulent period in its early years; particularly 1997, the track's first year of racing. In its first major race, the 1997 Interstate Batteries 500 , heavy rain plagued the race's weekend, causing qualifying to be cancelled and the grass parking lots of the speedway to be heavily soaked. While the parking issue was resolved by using busses, further issues were raised when drivers started to complain about
9156-487: The speedway and Marcus Smith were looking at repaving the track by using iRacing simulations. As of 2024, TMS holds one annual NASCAR Cup Series event: the Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 400 . From 2005 to 2022, TMS held two Cup Series races: one in the fall and one in the spring. Until 2023, the spring race had run annually in at least some form; in 2021, its points race was transferred to
9265-494: The speedway would place a bigger emphasis on technology, including releasing NFTs and experimenting with augmented reality . He also expressed a desire to increase fan diversity, specifically with Hispanics. In September, NASCAR announced that the NASCAR All-Star Race was set to return to the speedway in 2022. In 2022, the track oversaw controversies in both of its NASCAR races along with general criticism for
9374-542: The speedway, he moved the NASCAR All-Star Race from its traditional home at the Charlotte Motor Speedway to Texas, a move that saw criticism in the coming years. By 2020, Gossage was in talks with Marcus on retiring from his position, stating that he had grown upset at the IndyCar racing product on the newly-reconfigured track and consequences from the COVID-19 pandemic. By December, he confirmed his decision to retire to Marcus, officially announcing his retirement in
9483-515: The sponsorship was terminated at the end of the 2013 season. In 2014, Verizon Communications became title sponsor of the series through 2018. In January 2019, it was announced that Japanese communications company NTT would become title sponsor and official technology partner of the IndyCar Series. In 2023, IndyCar announced that NTT had extended their title sponsorship, for an unreported length. The IndyCar Series allows manufacturers to develop different types of engines, while every team uses
9592-737: The steel brake discs in favor of carbon brake rotors on all types of tracks but the caliper configuration remained the same as 1996–2011. PFC currently supplying brake packages for all IndyCar Series cars since 2017 season (disc only) and later increased their involvement from the 2018 season (supplying the calipers and rest of other brake packages). Previously Brembo supplied the brake packages in 2012–2016 (full brake package), 2017 (caliper only), and Alcon in 2003–2011. BBS and O.Z. Racing have been supplying forged wheels since 1996. The wheel rims for all IndyCar Series cars are made of aluminum alloy. The size of IndyCar Series wheel rims have been 10 in × 15 in (254 mm × 381 mm) on
9701-422: The surface of the race track, leading to a major first lap pileup. Two months later, the speedway held its first IndyCar Series race; a scoring dispute between Billy Boat and Arie Luyendyk occurred when Luyendyk disputed the victory that was initially given to Boat. As Boat and his team owner, A. J. Foyt were celebrating, Luyendyk went to victory lane to dispute the victory, demanding officials explain why he
9810-402: The third race. In 2022, the races were: World Wide Technology Raceway , Nashville and Mid-Ohio . In 2023, the races were: Charlotte, World Wide Technology Raceway and Nashville. 2024 will have the same schedule as 2023, with the tracks remaining as Charlotte, World Wide Technology Raceway and Nashville. Sheldon Creed (Daytona road, Gateway)- 2020 No driver has won all three races in
9919-575: The three races, a $ 200,000 prize was awarded; and if a driver won all three races, a $ 500,000 prize was awarded. Greg Biffle won the first race of the challenge, driving for Kyle Busch Motorsports in a one-off entry, and was not eligible to win the bonus money for the next race at Iowa due to not being listed on the preliminary entry form. For 2020, the Challenge races were planned to be to Richmond Raceway , Dover International Speedway and Charlotte Motor Speedway , again holding consecutive slots in
10028-478: The track and expenses from repairs. The "aeroscreen" cockpit protection was added in time for the 2020 season, and some minor modifications were eventually conducted to reduce the intense heat caused by stagnant air on the drivers. For the transmission gearboxes, all IndyCar Series cars currently use an electronically actuated AGS ( Assisted Gearchange System ) 6-speed semi-automatic sequential gearbox with an electro-pneumatically operated paddle-shift system and
10137-464: The track featured a capacity of 155,061 with a frontstretch grandstand capacity of 120,000, an infield capacity of 53,000, the world record for the amount of toilets at a facility with 2,450 toilets, 67,000 parking spaces for cars and RVs, 194 suites, and a 23-acre lake, with the entire complex of approximately 1,000 acres itself having more than 60 buildings. Numerous buildings on the site's property serve for business purposes. A 10-story building named
10246-539: The track hosted FortyFest , a Christian rock music festival. In 2023, the track hosted a second location of the HWY30 Music Fest , a country music festival that originated from Filer, Idaho . The track is scheduled to host the event again in 2024. Since 1998, TMS has held the Solar Car Challenge , a solar-powered car race for high school students. In odd-numbered years, the track is used as
10355-428: The track in the short-term, sharing the opinions of drivers Jimmie Johnson and Carl Edwards . However, under the direction of SMI CEO Marcus Smith , the track announced the commencement of a repave in response to the drying issues. With the repave, the banking in the first two turns were decreased from 24 to 20 degrees, and the racing surface was expanded from 60 to 80 feet. In a 2017 Dallas Morning News article,
10464-422: The track sought to hold its first CART race; however, after a culmination of events that occurred over the course of several months, the race was cancelled after it was found that drivers could suffer extreme vertical g -loads in the track's turns that could have led to death. The track was later repaved that same year to remove any bumps from the racing surface, with Gossage stating in an interview that to maintain
10573-433: The track's IRL race, the speedway held a two-day country music festival titled Country Fest , attracting 260,000 people. A week later, the speedway held RockFest '97, a rock music festival that attracted around 400,000 people. The latter was described by then-general manager Eddie Gossage as "the worst day of my life", who stated that the festival was extremely chaotic. After 1997, TMS has held fewer festivals. In 2010,
10682-477: The track's construction; in 2010, Denton County officials announced the widening of Highway 114 in response to traffic within the area. As of 2021, TMS has a reported capacity of 75,000 according to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram . TMS' track complex covers 1,500 acres according to the Star-Telegram . At the time of TMS' opening, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported in March 1997 that
10791-664: The track, they needed to repave it every couple of years. By the early 2000s, problems with the track declined. TMS oversaw some of the biggest attended NASCAR races in history; races in 1999 and 2000 saw major success, with attendances of 221,861 and 223,000 people, respectively. In 2002, Francis Ferko, a minority shareholder in SMI, filed a lawsuit against NASCAR and the International Speedway Corporation for violating antitrust laws, feeling as if SMI did not do enough to protect his investment. A settlement
10900-519: 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
11009-611: Was an updated powerplant from the 1995 version. In addition, the V-6 stock block engines (Buick-Menard) were allowed 55 inHg (1.9 bar; 27.0 psi) of boost at all races, instead of just at Indianapolis. During the CART era, V-6 stock blocks were only allowed 45 inHg (1.5 bar; 22.1 psi) at all races outside of Indy, which was a decided disadvantage and left the engine out of favor. Ford-Cosworth reluctantly provided support to teams wishing to run their older-spec engines in
11118-470: Was designed without the wheel guards of the DW12 chassis, which were deemed ineffective and proved prone to breaking. The IR-18 also lacks an air inlet above the cockpit, a first for an IndyCar Series chassis (most Champ Car chassis had been designed that way). The new Aero Kit also has fewer small aerodynamic pieces that can become broken or dislodged, with the intent to reduce the amount of debris that ends up on
11227-453: Was eventually reached in 2004, which guaranteed a second NASCAR race weekend for Texas at the cost of one of Rockingham Speedway 's weekends. The settlement was enforced in 2005. TMS became known for its promotions and stunts directed by Gossage. Gossage, who self-remarked himself as the last "old-school" promoters, conducted numerous promotions that were inspired by promoters such as Humpy Wheeler , who Gossage had formerly worked under at
11336-431: Was killed in a crash in 2006, but the IRL had already begun a transition to ethanol fuel . For the 2006 season the fuel was a 90%/10% mixture of methanol and ethanol . Starting in 2007, the league advertised " 100% Fuel Grade Ethanol ," the first competitive series to utilize renewable fuel. The mixture was actually 98% ethanol and 2% gasoline, provided by Lifeline Foods of Saint Joseph, Missouri . The additives satisfy
11445-434: Was later asked to run the facility in late May, which he accepted. According to the duo, the track was inspired by previous tracks Smith owned, with Smith wanting to incorporate the best ideas from those tracks and combine them into the construction of TMS. The speedway initially implemented a dual-banked surface to accompany both NASCAR and open-wheel racing ; a higher bank of 24 degrees meant to accommodate stock cars, and
11554-495: Was off the pace at Indy and was quickly dropped by its teams. Falcon Cars were founded by Michael Kranefuss and Ken Anderson in 2002 as the third approved chassis supplier for the 2003 season. One rolling chassis was completed and shown, but it was never fitted with a working engine and never ran. No orders were ever filled. Superficially, IndyCar machines closely resemble those of other open-wheeled formula racing cars, with front and rear wings and prominent airboxes . Originally,
11663-436: Was scored as one lap short and demanding that he be given the victory. Foyt proceeded to slap Luyendyk on the back of the head and pushed him to the ground before being separated by security. Luyendyk was given the victory the next day after a scoring recheck. After both races in 1997, Gossage announced that the speedway would reprofile the fourth turn. Complaints about the turn lasted into 1998, with drivers complaining about
11772-535: Was scouting the same land as the duo; under the orders of Smith, the two stopped scouting Las Vegas to let Engelstad scout the land that later became the Las Vegas Motor Speedway . By November 18, 1994, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported that Smith and Gossage had made their final choices in either of the two remaining places. In St. Louis, the duo saw numerous pieces of land that were flooded, and scratched off St. Louis. In Dallas–Fort Worth,
11881-468: Was visible for the first time, seen with a light blue haze. With this in mind, in an effort to make it more visible in case of fire during daylight hours, additional mixtures were placed in the fuel. As a safety feature, the methanol would burn with color. In 2005, the driver Paul Dana brought the sponsorship of the Ethanol Promotion and Information Council (EPIC) to his IndyCar team. EPIC is
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