11/02/2008

Jimmie Johnson battles through tough day at TMS
With Jimmie Johnson and the No. 48 team, nothing is ever quite as bad as it seems. Despite a car that was mediocre at best, Johnson finished 15th. Johnson lost 77 points of his lead after Carl Edwards' dramatic fuel-mileage victory but remains 106 points ahead.

11/06/2008

TMS weekend nets $480K for charity
The Speedway Children's Charities-Texas Chapter earned $480,000 as part of several events last weekend at Texas Motor Speedway.

11/02/2008

Jeff Gordon nearer first win of the season
Four-time Cup champion Jeff Gordon still hasn't won at Texas Motor Speedway. But he's getting closer. Gordon started from the pole position in Sunday's Dickies 500 before falling all the way to 18th with 100 laps to go. But he made a late charge in a race dominated by Carl Edwards to finish second in his No. 24 Chevrolet.

Edwards closer in Chase with win at TMS

JOHN F. RHODES / DMN

Driver Carl Edwards backflips off his car to celebrate his win Sunday at Texas Motor Speedway.

We have seen the trouble created by Carl Edwards' aggressive, gambling nature in the Chase, writes Tim Cowlishaw. On Sunday, he tried a gamble of a different sort. He backed off and coasted past the field to win the Dickies 500.
Photos: Dickies 500

Fuel shortage doesn't stall McMurray's momentum
Owner Jack Roush sat at the winner's press conference Sunday night at Texas Motor Speedway – but not next to the driver he expected. "I thought we'd be sitting here with Jamie [McMurray] tonight," Roush said. Instead, Roush was discussing Carl Edwards' victory in the Dickies 500.

Fewer fans make trek to TMS
FORT WORTH – The attendance at Sunday's Dickies 500 was estimated at 171,000, the fewest number of fans for a Sprint Cup race in the history of Texas Motor Speedway. It's a decrease of 6.8 percent (12,500 people) from last year's November race.

TMS notebook
Juan Pablo Montoya's top-10 run ended early when he was sideswiped by David Gilliland. Montoya started the feud by tapping Gilliland's car after Gilliland cut in front of him.

TMS Sprint Cup winners
A list of the winners of the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series race at Texas Motor Speedway.

TMS notebook
An estimated crowd of 84,000 watched Saturday's Nationwide Series race, the O'Reilly Challenge 300, at Texas Motor Speedway. That's 10,000 fewer fans than attended last year's race.

11/01/2008

Kyle Busch ties record with 10th win

TIM GRUBER / DMN

Kyle Busch celebrates in front of the crowd after winning the O'Reilly Challenge at Texas Motor Speedway.

Kyle Busch could do no wrong Saturday at Texas Motor Speedway in dominating the 43-car field in the NASCAR Nationwide Series O'Reilly Challenge 300. Busch's victory in the second-tier series was a record-tying 10th this season for the 23-year-old.

TMS Nationwide Series winners
A list of the winners of the NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Texas Motor Speedway.

Jimmie Johnson could buck Sprint Cup history

Getty Images

Jimmie Johnson (above) hopes to join Cale Yarborough as the only drivers to win three straight NASCAR season championships.

Richard Petty, the greatest living authority on Sprint Cup championships, never won three consecutive titles. He'll watch with the rest of NASCAR nation as Jimmie Johnson attempts to become the first driver in 30 years to win three straight. Johnson starts today's Dickies 500 at Texas Motor Speedway with a comfortable 183-point lead over Carl Edwards.

Johnson's Chase pursuers not ready to surrender
There is power in positive thinking, writes columnist Richard Durrett. At least that's what Greg Biffle, Carl Edwards and Jeff Burton believe as they prepare to race in today's Dickies 500 at Texas Motor Speedway.

10/31/2008

Hornaday wins Trucks race at TMS

JOHN F. RHODES / DMN

Ron Hornaday Jr. crosses the finish line to win the Chevy Silverado 350.

Veteran drivers Ron Hornaday Jr. and Johnny Benson showed why they're on top of the Craftsman Truck Series season points standings Friday. Both were relentless late in the 147-lap race, but it was Hornaday who held on in his No. 33 Chevrolet to win the Chevy Silverado 350 at Texas Motor Speedway.

Craftsman Truck Series history at TMS
A list of the winners of Craftsman Truck Series races at Texas Motor Speedway.

Jeff Gordon wins pole for Dickies 500

AP

NASCAR's Jeff Gordon smiles as he holds the Dickies 500 pole sitter award at Texas Motor Speedway.

Jeff Gordon took the first step toward getting a couple of big monkey wrenches off his back by winning the pole for Sunday's Dickies 500. The four-time Cup champion has never won at Texas Motor Speedway, one of only two tracks where he's yet to visit Victory Lane in his Cup career.

11/01/2008

Bowyer battles in Nationwide race at TMS
Clint Bowyer will wage wars on two fronts during today's O'Reilly Challenge, the 33rd of 35 races on the Nationwide Series. Bowyer wants to win both the drivers championship and the owners title, and the two battles are different. Everybody is chasing Bowyer in the first, while he's the hunter in the second.

10/31/2008

TMS notebook
Eight drivers required to qualify on time for Sunday's Sprint Cup Dickies 500 did so Friday at Texas Motor Speedway.

10/30/2008

Kyle Busch qualifies for Trucks race despite transporter fire

JOHN F. RHODES / DMN

Kyle Busch looks over the charred remains of his team's transporter.

Kyle Busch's No. 51 Toyota wasn't supposed to be on the track Thursday night during qualifying for the Chevy Silverado 350. The transporter carrying the truck, owned by Billy Ballew, caught fire at about 4 a.m. Wednesday in Shreveport, La., en route to Texas Motor Speedway. Crew members worked through the night to get it ready, and the long hours paid off.

Jeff Gordon seeks better results at Texas Motor Speeday

Getty Images

Jeff Gordon is in the Chase or the Cup, but he hasn't finished higher than third in any Sprint Cup race this season.

Jeff Gordon comes into Sunday's Dickies 500 at Texas Motor Speedway still looking for his first victory this season. This time last year, he arrived in Fort Worth with six wins and a nine-point lead over teammate Jimmie Johnson in the Chase standings, writes Richard Durrett.

Craftsman Truck Series a close competition

Getty Images

Roy Hornaday Jr. (in blue car) and Johnny Benson (in red car) led the field at one point in Atlanta.last weekend.

Johnny Benson and Ron Hornaday Jr. are staging an exciting duel as they head into Friday's Chevy Silverado 350 at Texas Motor Speedway. Qualifying is at 7 tonight. The race tightened up last weekend in Atlanta as Hornaday finished second, losing the lead to Ryan Newman on the final lap.

10/29/2008

Faces of the Chase for the Cup

10/28/2008

Ex-teacher Carl Edwards takes learning curve at high speed

AP

Carl Edwards celebrates his victory in Atlanta last weekend. He enters Sunday's race at Texas Motor Speedway in second place in the Chase for the Cup.

Despite a win last weekend at Atlanta, Carl Edwards is a distant second behind Jimmie Johnson in the Chase for the Cup. But Edwards, a former substitute teacher, hasn't given up. And he knows Sunday's Dickies 500 at Texas Motor Speedway is a good place for him to apply pressure on Johnson.
TMS schedule

10/27/2008

Keselowski continuing on a steady path to Cup racing

AP

Brad Keselowski (center) could have Dale Earnhardt Jr. (left) and Jeff Gordon on his side if he qualifies for Sunday's race at TMS.

As long as Mother Nature cooperates Friday, Brad Keselowski will get his first chance to qualify for a Sprint Cup race when he tries to make the field for the Dickies 500 at Texas Motor Speedway.

Kevin Harvick chat: NASCAR playoff format fine despite lack of drama
With Jimmie Johnson on cruise control, the Chase for the Cup has basically come down to a chase for second place. But Kevin Harvick, who is fifth heading into Sunday's race at Texas Motor Speedway, said in Monday's chat that there's nothing wrong with the playoff format.

Jimmie Johnson stays poised in Chase for the Cup

MIKE STONE / Special to DMN

Carl Edwards enjoys his win on Sunday, but he trails Jimmie Johnson by 183 points.

There was a brief point in Sunday's Pep Boys Auto 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway that NASCAR's Superman appeared to find a bit of kryptonite, writes motor sports columnist Richard Durrett. But the steely Jimmie Johnson and crew chief Chad Knaus didn't panic. They never do.

Edwards the favorite at TMS
Carl Edwards' victory in Sunday's Pep Boys Auto 500 makes him the prohibitive favorite for this weekend's Dickies 500 at Texas Motor Speedway.

TMS events and appearances schedule

10/26/2008

TMS raceweek schedule

10/12/2008

Local sports executives tackle new business climate
The credit crisis and sagging economy shaking up Wall Street and Main Street also loom large over big-time professional sports.

09/25/2008

Kahne not hurt after crashing at TMS
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Kasey Kahne was uninjured Thursday at Texas Motor Speedway after a car he was driving for a private corporate event hit the frontstretch wall coming out of Turn 4.

09/21/2008

Biffle makes case in Chase with second straight win

AP

Greg Biffle is now second in the Chase for the Cup after Sunday's win.

Greg Biffle made it 2-for-2 in the Chase for the championship, making another late pass – this time with nine laps to go – and holding off Matt Kenseth and Carl Edwards on Sunday.

09/13/2008

Funny Car legend Force raced back after escaping death

MILTON HINNANT / DMN

John Force rehabilitated at Baylor University Medical Center following his near-fatal crash last September at Texas Motorplex in Ennis.

Last year, John Force's Funny Car broke apart after hitting the wall on an elimination run on the final day of the O'Reilly NHRA Fall Nationals, where he'll return to compete this week. Force admits he isn't 100 percent, but he's close.

09/08/2008

Richard Durrett's look at the Chase for the Cup

Getty Images

Kyle Busch is the favorite to win the Chase but will find it hard to hold off the competition.

Does Jimmie Johnson have enough momentum and experience to win his third straight season title? With eight wins this season, is it Kyle Busch's turn to win it all? Will crowd-favorite Dale Earnhardt Jr. take the crown? Columnist Richard Durrett looks at the contenders in this season's NASCAR Chase for the Sprint Cup.

08/26/2008

Charitable causes always get Tony Stewart revved up

AP

Tony Stewart has yet to win a Sprint Cup race this season, but he's a leader when it comes to raising money for charity.

If Tony Stewart isn't the most charity-friendly driver in NASCAR's top series, he's in the lead pack, writes Tim Cowlishaw. Stewart raised in excess of $217,000 by watching fans drive race cars Tuesday at Texas Motor Speedway, then providing "ride-alongs" in which the paying customer becomes Stewart's passenger for three laps.
Blog: Tim Cowlishaw

08/19/2008

TMS announces 2009 schedule
Texas Motor Speedway's 2009 slate of races is nearly identical to 2008. The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series comes to the track twice, April 5 and Nov. 8, and the IndyCar Series competes in a night race June 6. The Samsung 500 is April 2-5 and features the Nationwide and Cup Series.

06/07/2008

Crash puts a damper on Dixon's win at TMS

TOM FOX / DMN

Scott Dixon (9) passes Marco Andretti for the lead.

Saturday night's Bombardier Learjet 550 ended with the cars coasting around Texas Motor Speedway at less than 90 mph. That's a crawl for cars that reach speeds of 220 mph. What a downer, writes DMN motor sports columnist Richard Durrett. Scott Dixon, the sport's dominant driver, won his third race of the season. He was the fifth polesitter to win in 19 Indy car races at TMS. But he won it as the yellow and checkered flags waved together.
 Saturday's photos

07/30/2008

IndyCar at TMS on June 6, 2009
The IndyCar Series schedule was released Wednesday and the circuit comes to Texas Motor Speedway on Saturday, June 6, 2009 for the Bombardier Learjet 550, a night race.

06/07/2008

Penske teammates endure 'crazy' night
Penske Racing teammates Helio Castroneves and Ryan Briscoe ended the Bombardier Learjet 550 exactly as they started it – second and third behind Scott Dixon.

Robbie Knievel clears 21 Hummers
Daredevil Robbie Knievel, son of the late Evel Knievel, got the crowd going before the race, by clearing 21 Hummers on a motorcycle against a stiff wind that stood the track's flags straight out.

Sizing up the race for the series crown
It's that time of the IndyCar Series season when championship contenders emerge. The Indianapolis 500 is over, and after Saturday's scheduled race under the lights at Texas Motor Speedway, the series is getting closer to the halfway point of the 2008 season.

Bombardier Learjet 550k notebook
An estimated crowd of 83,000 for Saturday's Bombardier Learjet 550 continued a trend of declining attendance for the IndyCar Series at Texas Motor Speedway.

Indy Racing League history at TMS
A list of the winners of Indy Racing League races at Texas Motor Speedway.

Never a dull moment for Wheldon at TMS

TOM FOX / DMN

Scott Weldon eases into his car after injuring his leg in a wreck earlier in the day at TMS on Friday.

Dan Wheldon's crash during practice Friday was just the latest memorable moment for the IndyCar driver at Texas Motor Speedway, writes motor sports columnist Richard Durrett.
 Photos: Day 1 at TMS

06/06/2008

Dixon wins pole for Bombardier Learjet 550k
Life since winning the Indianapolis 500 has been a blur for Scott Dixon. That's how he might look to rival drivers in tonight's Bombardier Learjet 550 IndyCar Series race at Texas Motor Speedway.

06/07/2008

Teen gets a driving lesson in backstretch
FORT WORTH – Colin Braun said he learned a valuable lesson Friday at Texas Motor Speedway. Braun, 19, had worked his way into the top five when his truck bounced off the backstretch wall on Lap 113 of the Craftsman Truck Series Sam's Town 400.

Hornaday takes the checkered flag at TMS
Ron Hornaday won the Sam's Town 400 at Texas Motor Speedway on Friday. Kyle Busch finished second.

06/05/2008

Fans fall in step with Castroneves

TOM FOX / DMN

Helio Castroneves is attracting the curious to IndyCar racing and charming them into staying.

Helio Castroneves' fan base has grown since his victory in the hit TV competition Dancing With the Stars, writes columnist Richard Durrett. In the process, he seems to be bringing new fans to IndyCar racing.

NASCAR rookie from Texas off to fast start
Maybe two decades ago, Colin Braun would be preparing for a future in open-wheel racing. Instead, the 19-year-old from Ovalo, south of Abilene, pursues a NASCAR career as the latest find of powerhouse Roush Fenway Racing.

Patrick criticizes lack of practice time at TMS
When it comes to her travel schedule following the Indianapolis 500, Danica Patrick will gladly take Wisconsin over Texas. She criticized the inactivity and lack of practice at TMS.

06/04/2008

Drivers return to site of CART's dizzying debacle

DMN file photo

Race fans show their frustration at the cancellation of the Firestone Firehawk 600 in 2001.

IndyCar Series driver Oriol Servia will drive at Texas Motor Speedway this weekend for the first time since April 2001 – the only time he has ever been scared driving a racecar. Servia wasn't the only driver who felt that way on CART's first trip to TMS.
Chat: Helio Castroneves

Kyle Busch shoots for historic round-and-round trip

TOM FOX / DMN

Kyle Busch has already won at Texas Motor Speedway this year, winning the Nationwide Series race in April.

If everything goes according to plan this weekend, NASCAR's hottest driver will make history – and create one large carbon footprint. Kyle Busch hopes to complete three races in three cities, including Fort Worth, on successive days while logging about 4,000 air miles.
Race week schedule

TMS race week schedule

05/31/2008

Spotter has realized his vision to be in racing

AMY CONN-GUTIERREZ / Special to DMN

David Rogers is the owner of Dallas Sight and Sound and a spotter for IndyCar Series driver Enrique Bernaldi.

David Rogers, 48, will be spotting for IndyCar Series driver Enrique Bernaldi in the Bombardier Learjet 550K next Saturday night at Texas Motor Speedway. Rogers will be perched on the roof above the frontstretch. He will be Bernaldi's eyes in the sky. It was Rogers' eye for a business opportunity that helped him realize his vision in racing.

05/13/2008

Robbie Knievel to make jump before race at TMS

FILE PHOTO 2006

Racing fans view a display of Robbie Knievel jumping the starting field of Indy cars at Texas Motor Speedway in 2001.

Motorcycle daredevil Robbie Knievel announced Tuesday he will attempt to jump 20 Hummer vehicles on the Texas Motor Speedway frontstretch before the start of the Bombardier Learjet 550k IndyCar Series race on June 7.

05/21/2008

Gossage not interested in going to Charlotte
Texas Motor Speedway president Eddie Gossage said Wednesday he has no interest in returning to Charlotte to operate one of TMS' sister tracks.

05/01/2008

IndyCar driver Wheldon gives props to Danica

AP

Dan Wheldon, pictured here in March, was in town Wednesday to promote the Bombardier Learjet 550k at TMS on June 7.

IndyCar Series driver Dan Wheldon said Wednesday that Danica Patrick's first series victory two weeks ago in Japan was great for her and builds momentum for the series heading to the Indianapolis 500. Said Wheldon: "For what she's achieved, everybody has to respect her."

05/02/2008

Gossage offers Dale Jr. $100,000 to compete in IndyCar race at TMS
Texas Motor Speedway president Eddie Gossage is offering Dale Earnhardt Jr. $100,000 to race in the Bombardier Learjet 550k at TMS on June 7.

04/10/2008

Samsung 500 leaves race fans less than revved up

G.J. MCCARTHY / DMN

Though Samsung 500 winner Carl Edwards was excited Sunday, many race fans at Texas Motor Speedway didn't share his enthusiasm.

Texas Motor Speedway president Eddie Gossage said Wednesday that many fans have sent him e-mails complaining about the lack of excitement in last Sunday's Samsung 500 Sprint Cup series race. Gossage said the new car, formerly the Car of Tomorrow, didn't meet expectations from a "competition standpoint."
• Edwards cruises in TMS snoozer

04/07/2008

Hendrick Motorsports still looking for '08 win
Jimmie Johnson showed he might be ready to contend for a third consecutive points championship with a second-place finish in the Samsung 500. As encouraging as Johnson's finish was, the day was far from what many had envisioned for Hendrick Motorsports.

04/08/2008

Violation at TMS costs Newman 25 points
NASCAR penalized driver Ryan Newman and the No. 12 Dodge Sprint Cup team 25 driver and owner points after the car failed inspection following the Samsung 500 at Texas Motor Speedway on Sunday.

04/07/2008

Dallas Mavericks-Phoenix Suns game tops local TV ratings
And the winner of Sunday's smorgasbord of afternoon sports events broadcast locally is ... the Dallas Mavericks.

04/06/2008

Kyle Busch muscles car to third
Kyle Busch didn't drive his No. 18 Toyota Camry as much as he arm wrestled it around Texas Motor Speedway on Sunday. "It was all over the place," Busch said.

Burton retains Sprint Cup points lead
Last year at the Samsung 500, Jeff Burton and Matt Kenseth dueled head-to-head to the checkered flag. This year, the two met in a battle for sixth place. With the sixth-place finish, Burton stayed in first place in the Sprint Cup standings.

Carl Edwards was flippin' good in TMS win

TOM FOX / DMN

Carl Edwards flips to celebrate his Sprint Cup victory at Texas Motor Speedway on Sunday.

Carl Edwards came to Texas Motor Speedway without his crew chief and with a 100-point penalty that had him on the outside of the top 12 looking in. Then he went out and did what he has done at intermediate tracks all year: He dominated the Samsung 500, writes columnist Tim Cowlishaw.
• Durrett
• More coverage
Photos: Samsung 500

Carl Edwards cruises in TMS snoozer

MICHAEL AINSWORTH / DMN

Sunday only six drivers had the lead, the fewest in the history of the Texas Motor Speedway.

Sunday's Samsung 500 at Texas Motor Speedway was an absolute snoozer, writes motor sports columnist Richard Durrett. Even a green-white-checkered finish won by Carl Edwards couldn't serve as an alarm clock.
Photos: Samsung 500
• Cowlishaw
• More coverage

Sunday's TMS notebook

04/05/2008

Kyle Busch dominant in Nationwide win at TMS

MICHAEL AINSWORTH / DMN

Kyle Busch celebrates his win in Saturday's O'Reilly 300.

No one doubted Kyle Busch's ability to move to the front, even starting far back in the field for Saturday's O'Reilly 300. The big question was what would happen once he gained first place. Answer? He won.
Photos: Sat. at TMS

Earnhardt's got more going for him than a name

TOM FOX / DMN

As important as it is to accumulate points, the Sprint Cup Series is still about winning. And Dale Earnhardt Jr. has gone 68 Cup races without a win, writes columnist Tim Cowlishaw. Texas Motor Speedway would be a fitting place to end the streak in Sunday's Samsung 500 (2 p.m. Ch. 4).
Photos: Sat. at TMS
• Lineup | Notebook

McDowell credits safety advances after crash
Michael McDowell took his practice laps gingerly Saturday in a backup car, counting his blessings after walking away from its wrecked predecessor. A day after barrel-rolling down Texas Motor Speedway, a sore McDowell was preparing for today's Samsung 500, in which he'll start 40th.

Saturday's TMS Race Week notebook
Kevin Harvick had perhaps the most dominant car in Saturday's O'Reilly 300 – when it was on the track.

04/06/2008

Five things to watch for at TMS

04/05/2008

NASCAR taking steps to keep its core fans happy
NASCAR took note of increasing numbers of empty seats and declining television ratings during the 2006 and '07 Cup seasons. The racing giant has addressed what it considers erosion to its foundation, the core fans who have followed the sport for years.

Harvick will go for fifth TMS win on the pole
If Kevin Harvick becomes the first person to win five races at Texas Motor Speedway on Saturday, it will only add to the thrill.

Ready or not, tomorrow is here at TMS
An important long lunch break took place at Texas Motor Speedway on Friday. This was a NASCAR working lunch. Friday was the first chance the teams had to evaluate the new car – the former Car of Tomorrow – on the Texas track.

04/04/2008

NASCAR Sprint Cup Samsung 500 lineup

NASCAR Nationwide O'Reilly 300 lineup

04/05/2008

Friday's TMS Race Week notebook
Plano's James Buescher has been taking notes at TMS this weekend, preparing for his Nationwide Series debut at Phoenix next Saturday.

04/04/2008

Earnhardt earns pole for Sunday's race at TMS

TOM FOX / DMN

A NASCAR Sprint Cup series official looks into the wrecked No. 00 Aarons's Dream Machine Toyota which driver Michael McDowell rolled during Samsung 500 qualifying.

Normally, Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s first pole with Hendrick Motorsports would have trumped any Samsung 500 qualifying news at Texas Motor Speedway. But Friday ceased to be normal the second Sprint Cup rookie Michael McDowell lost control.
 Photos: Friday at TMS
 Video: Kenny Wallace

Petty says driver change wasn't his call
For a driver not expected to get behind the wheel this weekend at Texas Motor Speedway, Kyle Petty created a big buzz Friday.

04/03/2008

McKinney's Richardson hoping to turn the corner

TOM FOX / DMN

NASCAR Nationwide Series driver Robert Richardson Jr. of McKinney waits for O'Reilly 300 qualifying to start at the Texas Motor Speedway on Thursday. Qualifying was rained out.

McKinney's Robert Richardson is hoping to turn his passion for racing into a full-time career. He will start 29th in Saturday's Nationwide Series O'reilly 300 at Texas Motor Speedway.
Video: TMS campgrounds
Sprint Cup's Clint Bowyer (4/3)
• More race week

04/04/2008

Kansas native driver Bowyer has Final Four on his mind
While Clint Bowyer's top concerns are his two weekend races at Texas Motor Speedway, part of his attention will be on the Alamodome. Bowyer, a native of Emporia, Kan., has steadfastly maintained a basketball allegiance to his homestate Jayhawks despite a change of address.

04/03/2008

Hornish finding Sprint Cup adjustment tough
Sam Hornish Jr.'s three Indy Racing League titles and 2006 Indianapolis 500 win mean little to fellow Sprint Cup drivers, who just see the yellow bumper stripe designating a rookie. Some have simply bumped his slower car out of the way.

Clint Bowyer chat: Revved up for Texas Motor Speedway