SPEEDREADS
T E X A S M O T O R S P E E D WAY
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SPEEDREADS March 31, 2016
media day recap
2015 Track of The Year trophy, craft beer unveil and 20th anniversary kickoff highlight day PAGE 2
buescher returns to tms in the sprint cup series Prosper, Texas native returns to his “home” track for the first time as a full-time driver in NASCAR’s highest series PAGE 3
tough job
Erik Jones races against and for his boss - Kyle Busch PAGE 4
early success
Nemechek claims place in Chase with early-season win PAGE 4
TMS President Eddie Gossage accepts the 2015 SMI Track of the Year Trophy from SMI President and CEO Marcus Smith Te x a s M o t o r S p e e d w a y | M a r c h 3 1 , 2 0 1 6
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LEAD LAP
TOP NEWS FROM TEXAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY
Texas Motor Speedway’S MEDIA DAY INCLUDES BEER UNVEIL AND KICKS OFF 20TH ANNIVERSARY Texas Motor Speedway’s annual Media Day at Gilley’s Dallas proved once again the place to be as the speedway announced its new craft beer, kicked off its 20th anniversary season of racing and an outstanding line-up of talent from NASCAR and INDYCAR to go along with a few prominent special guests. Verizon IndyCar Series veteran superstar Helio Castroneves, the three-time Indy 500 champ and all-time winningest INDYCAR driver at Texas Motor Speedway, was joined by the future of NASCAR with three rising stars across the three series. The trio consisted of NASCAR Sprint Cup Series rookie Chris Buescher, the 23-year-old Prosper, Texas native who won the XFINITY Series title last year; XFINITY Series 19-year-old rookie Erik Jones, who won the Camping World Truck Series last year; and 18-year-old Camping World Truck Series rookie John Hunter Nemechek, the second-generation driver who already has two wins in the series. The driver contingent was complemented by special visits by Duck Commander CEO Willie Robertson and his wife Korie, stars of the A&E hit reality series Duck Dynasty; Speedway Motorsports Inc. President and CEO Marcus Smith; and a special performance by 2015 East Texas Singer/Songwriter of the Year Sarah Hobbs. Among the highlights of the event: • Smith presented TMS President Eddie Gossage with the SMI 2015 Track of the Year trophy as the speedway won this award for the first time. • Gossage announced and unveiled the
track’s venture in the craft beer business with No Limits Checkered Past ale. The speedway is the state’s first professional sports industry entity, and arguably the country’s first sporting venue, to own its own beer. Brewed by Denton’s Audacity Brew House, the beer will be sold Texas Motor Speedway’s Media Day guests included at all major events (from left to right) John Hunter Nemechek, Helio Castroat the world-reneves, Willie Robertson, Korie Robertson, Cassi Smith, nowned motorMarcus Smith, Sarah Hobbs, Erik Jones and Chris sports facility in Fort Worth as well event in addition to the top 20 in photos. as through retailers in the Dallas/Fort • The Robertsons shared a little-known, Worth Metroplex. No Limits Checkered heart-warming story about last year’s Past officially will debut during the next Duck Commander 500. In between week’s Duck Commander 500. their slew of race-day commitments, the couple stepped into a quiet room in The • As Texas Motor Speedway celebrates Speedway Club and met Rowdy, the its 20th anniversary this year as the 12-year-old boy from Graham, Texas country’s most successful major-market who would become their third adopted motorsports venue, Gossage also led child. Rowdy thought he was getting the the crowd in taking a look back at the special opportunity to meet some stars 20 most significant moments since it of Duck Dynasty and little did he realize opened in 1997. The moments focus a few weeks later he would spend a on the annual NASCAR and INDYCAR weekend at their home in West Monroe, events, but there also is a number of La. and soon become an official memspecial events that have their place in ber of the family. He returns to the Duck speedway history including the unveilCommander 500 this year as part of the ing of the world’s largest TV known family and sharing co-Grand Marshal as “Big Hoss”, the Rolling Stones and duties with Jase Robertson. The Robseveral other world-famous musical acts ertsons also discussed their sponsorperforming at the facility, the Red Bull ship of the Duck Commander 500, their Air Race World Championship and even love of racing and the Drive Adoption a future United States president waving program the family has created. the green flag during the track’s infancy. The speedway also created a video of the 20 moments that was shown at the
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buescher looking forward to returning to texas motor speedway as sprint cup driver in the right direction. This would be a great place to come and point that out.” The decision to make a career out of racing came at an early age. Faced with either continuing to race solely as a weekend hobby or making it a viable career option, Buescher did not hesitate with his decision that has ultimately proven to be the right one.
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series rookie Chris Buescher (L), the 2015 XFINITY Series champion, is interviewed on stage by Texas Motor Speedway emcee Rich Phillips during the Texas Motor Speedway Media Day.
Chris Buescher, the 2015 NASCAR XFINITY Series champion and current Sprint Cup Series, is looking forward to returning to his home state for next Saturday’s Duck Commander 500 at Texas Motor Speedway. The Prosper, Texas, native grew up racing Bandoleros and Legends cars as part of Texas Motor Speedway’s Lone Star Legends program and enjoys returning to the place where his racing career all began. Buescher, who has competed on every track Texas Motor Speedway has to offer, is returning to the Lone Star State as a full-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver with Front Row Motorsports after moving up the NASCAR ranks following a championship season in the XFINTIY Series last year with Roush-Fenway Racing. While still experiencing the typical
struggles of a rookie, Buescher is optimistic about his return to his home track and the opportunity to race in front of friends and family. “I always love coming home,” Buescher said of his return to Texas Motor Speedway. “I’ve got a lot of friends and family coming out to the races. “I feel like we learned a lot at Fontana (Calif.) that should translate really well to Texas with the surface being in similar condition. We have been improving each and every week so I feel really good coming back to this race track. It’s got a ton of character in the race track. It’s one of those places that puts on a great race. As a bonus, it’s my home track. We get to come out here and enjoy some time with family and get to run a really fun race. I feel like we are definitely making improvements and heading
“Right before school got out in early May and we sat down in the living room at the house in Prosper and my parents told me, ‘It’s time to decide, do you want this to be a hobby or do you want this to be a career choice?,’’ Buescher recalled. “You have to commit now. If you want it to be a hobby, great. We are going to race at Texas Motor Speedway on the weekends and we’ll continue running legends cars. “If you want this to be a career, realize that when you get out of school you are going to Charlotte for the next three months. You are not going to get a summer vacation to hang out with friends and you are going to start working toward making sure you have the right relationships and connections to move up to the next level. It was right then I decided I would love to do this as a career. From that point on we have pretty much been committed to it and haven’t had a free summer since.”
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ERIK JONES RACES AGAINST AND FOR HIS BOSS KYLE BUSCH ON NASCAR XFINITY SERIES Measuring a driver’s success against that of defending NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Kyle Busch could seem daunting, but that’s what XFINITY Series rookie driver Erik Jones is trying to accomplish. Busch has served as a mentor to Jones since entering the NASCAR ranks. It was Busch who tabbed Jones as a driver for his Kyle Busch Motorsports truck in 2013. The relationship ultimately helped Kyle Busch Motorsports win its first championship last year in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series with Jones. Jones’ success in the truck series has fast-tracked him to the XFINITY Series this season with Joe Gibbs Racing, where he competes against Busch on a regular basis, including next weekend’s O’Reilly Auto Parts 300 at Texas Motor Speedway. It’s that competition that has provided Jones with the challenge needed to continue his success. “He is the defending Cup champion and arguable the greatest XFINITY driver in the history of the sport,” Jones said of competing against Busch. “There is no other time where any other driver has had to race against somebody NASCAR XFINITY Series rookie Erik Jones, the who has been so dominant ever in XFINITY. It’s a great 2015 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series champion Erik Jones poses with the Dallas “BIG” measuring tool for me to stand up against him. To know you letters in front of the marquee. are competing against that kind of competition and talent is a pretty good measuring stick.”
GETTING A WIN EARLY ON A lack of sponsorship has not dampened the spirits of NASCAR Camping World Series driver John Hunter Nemechek. Nemechek, the 18-year-old son of former Sprint Cup Series veteran Joe Nemechek, already has earned a victory on the young season with a win at Atlanta Motor Speedway despite having limited resources at NEMCO Motorsports. “We got our win at Atlanta with nothing on the truck,” Nemechek said with a smile. “It stinks from a financial standpoint and not having the budget that some of these other guys use, but at the same time we can utilize our resources to the max. We can figure out what is important in the trucks. I have a great group of guys around me.” Te x a s M o t o r S p e e d w a y | M a r c h 3 1 , 2 0 1 6
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series rookie John Hunter Nemechek (R) is interviewed by radio personality Malone on 95.9 FM The Ranch during the Texas Motor Speedway Media Day.
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CASTRONEVES THINKS OLYMPIANS WILL HAVE A GREAT TIME IN BRAZIL
Verizon IndyCar Series star Helio Castroneves will be thinking of his home country of Brazil this summer as it hosts the Summer Olympics in August. It is usually common for wellknown personalities from the host country to participate in the Torch Run or be involved in the Olympics in some fashion. However, Castroneves’ schedule is going to preclude him from taking part in the festivities leading up to the Games. “They invited me to run with the torch in my hometown (Sao Paulo), but unfortunately it is a day we are racing so I won’t be able to do that,” Castroneves said. “The Olympic Games mean a lot to my country. People are going to have a great time and Brazil knows how to throw a party and I think people will remember that for a long time after the Games are completed.”
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CASTRONEVES AND HIS ACHIEVEMENTS AT TEXAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY MAKE THE TOP 20 MOMENTS Helio Castroneves has no shortage of memorable moments at Texas Motor Speedway as a four-time winner at the 1.5-mile track. And to no one’s surprise, Castroneves’ name was sprinkled throughout the list of top 20 moments Texas Motor Speedway released at Media Day on Wednesday. His fourth career victory coming in the 2013 Firestone 550 moved him past former Team Penske teammate Sam Hornish Jr. as the winningest INDYCAR driver at the speedway, along with his memorable runner-up finish by 0.0096 of a second to Hornish Jr. in the 2002 Chevy 500 made the list. While those memories are ones he cherishes, the one that stands out the most came in his first visit to Victory Lane at Texas Motor Speedway. “My first win obviously, was fantastic,” Castroneves said of his victory in the 2004 Chevy 500k. “I finished second many times and those are the ones that you are like, ‘Ugh! It shouldn’t go that way.’ But that’s racing and you got to keep going. But my first win here definitely stands out.”
DID YOU KNOW? The Duck Commander 500 at Texas Motor Speedway is the third-highest paying race of the NASCAR Sprint Cup season.
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SPLASH ’N GO
NOTES FROM TEXAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY
TEXAS RANGERS TO SPONSOR THE NO. 33 IN O’REILLY AUTO PARTS 300 The Texas Rangers have definitely added some major speed to their line-up for the opening week of the season. The Rangers will be sponsoring the No. 33 Chevrolet Camaro of Brandon Jones for next Friday’s O’Reilly Auto Parts 300 NASCAR XFINITY Series race at Texas Motor Speedway. The car will be wrapped in Texas Rangers blue and red with baseballs on the doors and the team’s logo on the hood. In addition, Jones’ driver suit will feature Rangers marks and be modeled after the team’s blue jersey top with gray pants and blue and red piping. Jones is scheduled to throw out the ceremonial first pitch prior to the Rangers game with the Seattle Mariners at Globe Life Park in Arlington next Wednesday for a 1:05 p.m. start. Jones, a 19-year-old driver for Richard Childress Racing, currently is fourth in the XFINITY Series championship standings through the first five races. The series makes its next stop next Friday at Texas Motor Speedway for the O’Reilly Auto Parts 300, with qualifying beginning at 3:45 p.m. CT and the race at 7:30 p.m.
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INTERVIEW OPPORTUNITIES There are a number of interview opportunities for media next week during race week. On Thursday (April 7), 2014 Sprint Cup Series champion Kevin Harvick will be taking part in the Fort Worth Sports Huddle that will host a business luncheon to honor the 20th anniversary season of Texas Motor Speedway. Harvick will be available at The Fort Worth Club (306 W 7th St, Fort Worth, TX 76102) at approximately 11:45 am for media interviews. Later that day, three-time Sprint Cup Series champion Tony Stewart, Danica Patrick and Brian Vickers will be available in Victory Lane at Texas Motor Speedway at 1:30 p.m. following a paint scheme unveiling that the No. 14 entry will run in the Duck Commander 500. On Friday (April 8th), defending Sprint Cup champion Kyle Busch will be available for the DFW media in the Victory Lane Broadcast Center at Noon CT to discuss the upcoming race weekend as well as Dallas-based Interstate Batteries 25th anniversary in NASCAR.
GOSSAGE TO TAKE PART IN CEREMONIAL “SCARFING” AT FC DALLAS GAME SATURDAY
Texas Motor Speedway President Eddie Gossage will take part in the ceremonial “scarfing” of the Lamar Hunt statue at 7:30 p.m. Saturday prior to FC Dallas hosting the Columbus Crew at Toyota Stadium in Frisco. Akin to throwing out the first pitch in baseball, Gossage will wrap a scarf around the neck of Hunt as good luck as well as to signify the impending start of FC Dallas’ match. Previous celebrity “scarfers” include Dirk Nowitzki of the Dallas Mavericks; Dez Bryant and Dan Bailey of the Dallas Cowboys; Jamie Benn of the Dallas Stars; SMU men’s basketball coach Larry Brown; actor Jesse Metcalfe; and U.S. national men’s soccer coach Jurgen Klinsmann, among others.
GOSSAGE TO APPEAR ON “DFW OUTDOORSMAN” THIS WEEKEND
Texas Motor Speedway President Eddie Gossage will be featured on the local “DFW Outdoorsman” television show this weekend as they take him fishing for striped bass on Lake Texoma, which is situated on the Texas-Oklahoma border. The show will air Saturday on KTVT-CBS 11 (5:30 a.m. CT) and TXA-21 (10 p.m.) as well as a replay Sunday on TXA-21 (10 a.m.).
FINAL PIT STOP
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VIDEO SOUND BITES, SOCIAL MEDIA SNAPSHOT
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LIL’ HOSS TV
Sights and sounds from Texas Motor Speedway’s Media Day at Gilley’s Dallas. Click video to play.
FROM THE TWITTERVERSE
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PUBLIC SCHEDULE
DUCK COMMANDER 500 WEEKEND EVENTS
SATURDAY, APRIL 2 8a
VIP & Outside Campgrounds open
TUESDAY, APRIL 5 9a-5p
Texas Motor Speedway Credential Office Hours
WednesDAY, APRIL 6 9a-5p 10a 10a
Texas Motor Speedway Credential Office Hours Reserved Infield Camping Opens (South Tunnel) Burnout Alley Load In (closes midnight Friday)
ThursDAY, APRIL 7
9a-6p Texas Motor Speedway Credentials Office Hours 9:30a NXS Haulers Enter 11a NSCS Haulers Enter 11:30a-6p NXS Registration Open 12p-8p NXS Garage Open 2p-6p NSCS Registration Open 2:30p-7p NSCS Garage Open 2:30 pm Gate 4 Open 2:30 pm Gate 2 Open for Victory Lane Club Access Only 3p-4:25p NXS Practice 4:30p-5:55p NSCS Practice 6p-6:55p NXS Final Practice
FRIDAY, APRIL 8
9a-7:30p Texas Motor Speedway Credentials Office Hours 9a-7p NSCS Registration Open 9a-8:30p NSCS Garage Open 10a-7p NXS Registration Open 10a NXS Garage Open 1p Gates 3, 4 & 5 Open 1p Gates 2 & 6 Open for Luxury Suites and Victory Lane Club Only 1:15p3:30p NSCS “HOT PASS” IN EFFECT 1:45p-2:45p NSCS Qualifying 3:45p-4:45p NXS Qualifying 5p-7:30p NSCS “HOT PASS” IN EFFECT 5:30p-6:50p NSCS Final Practice 7:30p NXS O’Reilly Auto Parts 300 (200 Laps, 300 Miles) 12 am Burnout Alley Closes
SATURDAY, APRIL 9
12p-6:30p Texas Motor Speedway Credential Office Hours 12:30p-7p NSCS Registration Open 12:30p NSCS Garage Open 2 p Gates 2-8 Luxury Suites and Victory Lane Club Open 4:40p Loud & Proud Pre-Race Show powered by the Texas Lottery Concert featuring Lynyrd Skynyrd 5:30p-11p NSCS “HOT PASS” IN EFFECT 6:30p NSCS Duck Commander 500 (334 Laps, 501 Miles) 30 min Portacool Post-Race Show featuring post race Charlie Robison
TEXAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY ticket info www.texasmotorspeedway.com 817.215.8500 Facebook: Texas Motor Speedway Twitter: @txmotorspeedway Instagram: txmotorspeedway
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