Bizzare NASCAR History: Texas Motor Speedway’s Greatest PR Disaster

Texas Motor Speedway (TMS) is no stranger to criticism. In 2024, it’s among the most divisive tracks on NASCAR’s schedule, notorious for delivering races that leave fans frustrated and drivers underwhelmed. But while the discontent today revolves around dull racing, TMS was once the epicenter of controversy for a far graver reason: safety. This was a track whose early years were defined by high-profile incidents, PR blunders, and a desperate struggle to establish itself in the racing world.

How did a venue born out of ambition become a symbol of chaos before clawing its way back to relevance? To understand, we need to dig into Texas Motor Speedway’s tumultuous history—one of NASCAR’s strangest and most hectic stories.

A grand vision meets harsh reality

The roots of Texas Motor Speedway’s story trace back to the late 1960s when Texas World Speedway opened. At the time, the two-mile oval hosted all kinds of racing, from NASCAR to open-wheel to sports cars. But by the early ’80s, major series had abandoned it, leaving the massive Texas market without a prominent racing venue. Enter Bruton Smith, the visionary Speedway Motorsports owner, and Eddie Gossage, a PR mastermind and the vice president at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Together, they dreamed up a bold plan: to build a Texas-sized track that would rival NASCAR’s most iconic venues.

Ground broke on April 11th, 1995, with promises of a cutting-edge facility. Boasting 150,000 seats, 76 luxury condos, and a unique layout inspired by the best features of ovals across America, the $150 million project seemed destined for greatness. Smith and Gossage envisioned dual banking in the turns, accommodating both NASCAR and open-wheel cars. But as the track took shape, skepticism grew. Indy Racing League (IRL) drivers and officials were particularly vocal, calling the dual banking system dangerous and impractical. Even IRL founder Tony George admitted he struggled to grasp the concept of temporary walls separating banking levels.

Despite these concerns, the track forged ahead. In typical NASCAR fashion, its inaugural weekend in 1997 began with drama: torrential rains turned grass parking lots into mud pits, forcing the Texas Department of Transportation to close down 16 miles of State Highway 170 for spectator parking. As buses ferried fans to the sold-out event, excitement turned to chaos on the track. A 13-car pileup on the very first lap set the tone for a race plagued by 10 cautions and over 70 laps under yellow. Drivers blamed the unpredictable track surface, but that was just the beginning.

Texas Motor Speedway’s PR nightmares and safety scandals

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While the NASCAR Cup Series survived its rocky debut, other events exposed Texas Motor Speedway’s glaring flaws. In 1998, Gossage made headlines for selling $18 t-shirts that read, “Shut Up and Drive,” a jab at drivers criticizing the track’s surface. Ironically, those complaints gained validity when severe water seepage delayed qualifying. Two drivers, Derrike Cope and Lake Speed, spun out due to water leaking onto the track.

The 1999 season brought even more catastrophic headlines. During final practice for the IRL’s Lone Star 500, rookie driver Nicholas Johnson lost control after exiting the pits, hitting another car’s crew in a horrifying accident. Eight crew members were hospitalized alongside Johnson, who suffered a concussion. That same year, Jeff Gordon endured what he called the hardest crash of his career after a tire failure sent him slamming into the wall at over 190 mph. Gordon’s ribs were bruised, and he suspected he had a concussion. Years later, he admitted that had the tire failure occurred earlier, the crash could have killed him.

The PR disaster that cemented TMS’s troubled reputation came in 2001 when CART (Championship Auto Racing Teams) attempted its first race at the track. Speeds during practice exceeded 235 mph, with drivers experiencing up to five Gs in the turns—enough to cause blackouts and confusion. More than 20 drivers reported disorientation, and one even blacked out during a test run. Just two hours before the race, CART canceled the event, sending over 50,000 fans home. It was an unprecedented decision that marked a low point for TMS’s reputation. Combined with accidents like Davey Hamilton’s leg-threatening crash months earlier, the debacle solidified the track’s image as dangerously unfit for high-speed racing.

Redemption through resilience

By the early 2000s, Texas Motor Speedway seemed destined for failure. But if Bruton Smith and Eddie Gossage were anything, they were relentless. Recognizing the gravity of the situation, they invested $2.4 million in 2001 to repave the track, addressing the surface issues drivers had long complained about. Gossage’s stance shifted from defensive to proactive, emphasizing that safety and competitive racing were top priorities.

The efforts began to pay off. NASCAR’s 2001 and 2002 races at TMS were significantly less chaotic, with drivers acknowledging improvements to the surface. Attendance—a bright spot even during the track’s darkest days—remained robust, with crowds exceeding 200,000 for major events. By 2005, TMS had become a staple on the NASCAR schedule, hosting two Cup races annually alongside IndyCar and sports car events.

Over time, the track’s reputation evolved. Fans and drivers no longer saw TMS as the calamity it once was, though it never escaped criticism entirely. The dual banking system was scrapped, and subsequent configurations focused on balancing speed and safety. Under Gossage’s leadership, the facility earned praise for its fan-first approach, offering unique promotions and an unparalleled race-day experience.

Yet, in a twist of irony, Texas Motor Speedway is once again in the crosshairs of NASCAR’s fanbase. The complaints today, however, are less about safety and more about lackluster racing. A 2017 reconfiguration—meant to improve the action—backfired, creating a one-groove track that stifles passing and frustrates drivers. Despite these modern-day woes, the lessons of the past linger as a reminder of what’s possible with persistence and a willingness to adapt.

Texas Motor Speedway’s history is a cautionary tale. From a venue plagued by safety scandals to one that redeemed itself through relentless improvement, TMS has lived through NASCAR’s greatest PR disaster and emerged stronger.

Its current challenges might frustrate fans, but the track’s past proves that no obstacle is insurmountable with bold leadership and a commitment to change. Perhaps it’s time for TMS to revisit those lessons and find a way to win back the hearts of the NASCAR faithful.