Texas Motor Speedway: History

Texas Motor Speedway:

History

·        Construction on Texas Motor Speedway began in 1995.

·        The first NASCAR national series race at TMS was a NASCAR Nationwide Series event on April 5, 1997 – won by Mark Martin.

·        The first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race was on April 6, 1997 – won by Jeff Burton.

·        The track underwent a repave between the 2001 and 2002 seasons.

·        In 2011, the spring NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race was moved from Sunday to Saturday night under the lights at Texas Motor Speedway.

·        Texas Motor Speedway hosted its first Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race on November 6, 2005 – won by Carl Edwards.

 

Notebook

·        There have been 25 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Texas Motor Speedway, one NSCS event from 1997 - 2004 and two races per year since 2005.

·        132 drivers have competed in at least one NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Texas; 106 in more than one.

·        Four drivers have made all 25 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series starts at Texas Motor Speedway – Jeff Gordon, Bobby Labonte, Jeff Burton and Mark Martin.

·        Jeremy Mayfield was the first Coors Light pole winner, in 1998 with a speed of 185.906 mph. The inaugural Coors Light pole at Texas Motor Speedway in 1997 was cancelled due to weather conditions.

·        18 drivers have Coors Light poles at Texas, led by Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jeff Gordon, Bobby Labonte, Ryan Newman and Martin Truex Jr. with two each.

·        Two drivers have won consecutive Coors Light poles at Texas Motor Speedway: Bobby Labonte (2003 and 2004) and Ryan Newman (2005 sweep).

·        Youngest Texas pole winner: Brian Vickers (11/5/2006 – 23 years, 0 months, 12 days).

·        Oldest Texas pole winner: Bill Elliott (4/8/2002 – 46 years, 6 months, 0 days).

·        17 different drivers have won at Texas Motor Speedway, led by Carl Edwards with three.

·        Seven drivers have multiple wins at Texas Motor Speedway:  Carl Edwards (three); Greg Biffle, Jeff Burton, Denny Hamlin, Jimmie Johnson, Matt Kenseth and Tony Stewart each have two.

·        Roush Fenway Racing leads the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in the most wins at Texas Motor Speedway (nine); followed by Hendrick Motorsports and Joe Gibbs Racing with four each. 

·        Three of the 25 (12%) NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Texas Motor Speedway have been won from the Coors Light pole; Kasey Kahne (2006), Jimmie Johnson (2012) and Kyle Busch (2013). 

·        The third-place starting position is the most proficient starting spot in the field at Texas Motor Speedway producing more wins than any other starting position in the field (four).

·        Six of the 25 (24%) NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Texas Motor Speedway have been won from the front row: three from the pole and three from second place.

·        19 of the 25 (76%) NASCAR Sprint Cup races at Texas Motor Speedway have been won from a top-10 starting position.

·        Four of the 25 (16%) NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Texas Motor Speedway have been won from a starting position outside the top 20.

·        The deepest in the field that a race winner has started at Texas Motor Speedway is 31st, by Matt Kenseth in 2002.

·        Youngest Texas winner: Ryan Newman (3/30/2003 – 25 years, 3 months, 22 days).

·        Oldest Texas winner: Dale Jarrett (4/1/2001 – 44 years, 4 months, 6 days).

·        Jimmie Johnson leads the series in runner-up finishes at Texas Motor Speedway with five; followed by Matt Kenseth with four.

·        Matt Kenseth leads the series in top-five finishes at Texas Motor Speedway with 12; followed by Jimmie Johnson with nine.

·        Matt Kenseth and Jimmie Johnson are tied for the series lead in top-10 finishes at Texas Motor Speedway with 15 each; followed by Mark Martin with 13.

·        Jimmie Johnson leads active drivers in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in average starting position at Texas Motor Speedway with an 8.750. Jimmie Johnson is the only active driver with an average starting position at Texas in the top 10.

·        Two active drivers have a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series average finish in the top 10 at Texas: Matt Kenseth (8.500) and Jimmie Johnson (9.100).

·        There have been three NSCS green-white-checkered finishes at Texas Motor Speedway: fall 2006 (334/339), spring 2008 (334/339), and fall 2012 (334/335).

·        Qualifying has been cancelled due to weather conditions twice in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at Texas Motor Speedway; the inaugural event in 1997 and spring 2007. The race has never been rain shortened.

·        Kevin Harvick has participated in the most NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Texas Motor Speedway without posting a DNF (21).

·        Jeff Burton (4/6/1997) and Dale Earnhardt Jr. (4/2/2000) won their first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series career race at Texas Motor Speedway.

·        David Ragan (4/09/2011) and Martin Truex Jr. (11/4/2007) posted their first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Coors Light poles at Texas Motor Speedway.

·        2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Brad Keselowski (11/2/2008) and Trevor Bayne (11/7/2010) made their first NASCAR Sprint Cup career starts at Texas Motor Speedway.

·        Two NASCAR Sprint Cup drivers have posted consecutive wins at Texas Motor Speedway: Carl Edwards (2008 sweep) and Denny Hamlin (2010 sweep).

·        10 of the 15 active NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers who have won at Texas Motor Speedway participated in at least two or more races before visiting Victory Lane. Jeff Burton and Dale Earnhardt Jr. won at Texas in their first appearance; Carl Edwards, Mark Martin and Ryan Newman all won in their second appearance at TMS.

·        Jeff Gordon competed at Texas Motor Speedway 16 times before winning in the spring of 2009; the longest span of any the 15 active NASCAR Sprint Cup Series winners.

·        Only three of the 15 winning drivers have made 10 or more attempts before their first win at Texas Motor Speedway: Jeff Gordon (16) Kyle Busch (15) and Kurt Busch (13).

·        Bobby Labonte leads the series with the most NASCAR Sprint Cup starts at Texas Motor Speedway without visiting Victory Lane at 25.

·        Since the advent of electronic scoring the closest margin of victory in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at Texas Motor Speedway was the April 4, 2004 race won by Elliott Sadler with a MOV of 0.028 second.

·        Two female drivers have made NSCS starts at Texas Motor Speedway: Shawna Robinson and Danica Patrick.