Texas gets second race

The suit, with NASCAR as defendant, contended that the sanction had promised the Texas track a race date prior to the speedway's opening in 1997. SMI instead had to buy one of the dates of now-defunct North Wilkesboro Speedway and transfer it to the new location.

Texas now will have its "promised" date. The track will keep its spring event, scheduled next year for April 17. It also will receive the weekend of November 6, a Sunday, giving the major-market speedway two stops in 2005, and likely far beyond.

The new Texas event comes at the expense of North Carolina Speedway in Rockingham, NC The Rockingham track, shorn of one of its two annual events this year (that date transferred to the California Speedway), now loses its remaining one, leaving it with no races. Under the settlement, the track was sold to SMI by prior owner International Speedway Corporation, the track operations arm of NASCAR.

Also important was the realignment of the two dates at California. The Fontana track will keep its Labor Day race, inaugurated this year in the place on the calendar historically held by the Southern 500 at Darlington. The second race, formerly held in April, will be moved to February 27, the week after the Daytona 500 and the second event on the 2005 schedule.

ISC's Phoenix International Raceway also will receive a second date in 2005. Phoenix has had a late-year date since 1988, and that one will be held next year on November 13. Phoenix now will have a second event, this one early in the year, April 23.

Bruton Smith, chairman of SMI, said: "We are very pleased to have reached the settlement agreement and to have obtained a second NASCAR Nextel Cup Series date for Texas Motor Speedway. The second Texas date falls in line with NASCAR's overlying strategy of expanding into under-served markets and will help strengthen the sport's national appeal."


Feb. 12 -- Budweiser Shootout
Feb. 20 -- Daytona 500
Feb. 27 -- California
March 13 -- Las Vegas
March 20 -- Atlanta
April 3 -- Bristol
April 10 -- Martinsville
April 17 -- Texas
April 23 -- Phoenix
May 1 -- Talladega
May 7 -- Darlington
May 14 -- Richmond
May 21 -- Nextel All-Star Challenge (Charlotte)
May 29 -- Charlotte
June 5 -- Dover
June 12 -- Pocono
June 19 -- Michigan
June 26 -- Sears Point
July 2 -- Daytona
July 10 -- Joliet
July 17 -- New Hampshire
July 24 -- Pocono
Aug. 7 -- Indianapolis
Aug. 14 -- Watkins Glen
Aug. 21 -- Michigan
Aug. 27 -- Bristol
Sept. 4 -- California
Sept. 10 -- Richmond
Sept. 18 -- New Hampshire
Sept. 25 -- Dover
Oct. 2 -- Talladega
Oct. 9 -- Kansas
Oct. 15 -- Charlotte
Oct. 23 -- Martinsville
Oct. 30 -- Atlanta
Nov. 6 -- Texas
Nov. 13 -- Phoenix
Nov. 20 -- Homestead