How Texas Transformed into the Ultimate Destination for Motorsport Fans. Texas has truly become a state recognized for motorsports. Eddie Hill broke into four seconds at Texas MotorPlex on April 9th, 1988. His time was 4.99 at 288.55 miles per hour. Texas MotorPlex is on US 287 near Ennis.
Texas Test Track near Pecos is a nine mile oval and some additional paved and unpaved courses. It started in the 60’s as proving grounds for BF Goodrich, in 2005 Pecos Research and Test Center for A&M’s Texas Transportation Institute. Then in 2016 – Texas Test Track; a driver training facility for stunt professionals. Also training for police and military. I talked to a guy that had done endurance testing on GM’s Quad Four at this facility.
Texas World Speedway in College Station; it opened in 1969, has a 2.0 mile oval and several road course configurations. It’s had AMA Super-Bike, NASCAR, IMSA GT, Trans – Am and other series.-
Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth.; 1.5 mile oval, open since 1997. NASCAR, Indy Car, Karts, swap meets, Good Guys Car Show – go to their website. Seats 75,000. Costs $110 million. The TV screen at Texas Motor Speedway is 22,692 square feet – the largest video board in the world. I was going to say I could see it on my way home from work but that would make me a liar. I worked in Roanoke and lived in Justin so what I was seeing going down 114 was the old screen – 10% less. The new screen is 8,236,800 pixels.
Jim Hall – Chaparral Cars – an accomplished racer, an accomplished car builder and a pioneer of down-force. Racing was encountering a significant problem of cars becoming airborne. Down-force which included the large raised and movable rear wing on some Chaparral Cars. Hall’s cars won in every series they competed in; United States Road Racing Championship, Can -Am, Trans -Am, Formula 5000, World Sports car Championship, Auto Week Championship, Canadian Sports Car Championship and Indy 500.
Jim Hall was also a successful driver – some say the greatest of his generation; 1964 & 1965 United States Road Racing Championships, two Road America 500’s 1962 & 1964, two Watkins Glen Grand Prix for Sports Cars 1964 & 1965. The 1965 Canadian Grand Prix for Sports Cars and the 1965 Pacific Northwest Grand Prix.
Jim Hall was also winner at the 1965 12 Hours of Sebring over factory backed Ford GT’s, Shelby Daytona Coupes and Ferrari. Hall was driving his Chaparral 2A – a car he had built – with Hap Sharp alternating.
Leave a Reply