As many of you know, the Texas Motor Speedway (TMS) races have been postponed until later this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, we all waited with bated breath as many wondered if the legendary oval track would close its doors for the last time.
Thankfully, TMS revealed that the racing season will go on as scheduled with a full schedule of events, including the Texas Motor Speedway 500 on Sept. 17.
This will be the first time the legendary track will hold an official event since the cancellation of the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series (MENCS) playoff race on April 9, 2020.
We were able to catch up with Paul Wolfe, the founder, president, and CEO of Texas Motor Speedway, to ask him a few questions about how the racing season is going so far and what to look forward to in the coming months.
How Has the Race Season Been Since The Reschedule?
Since the announcement that the TMS races would be rescheduled to a later date, Wolfe stated that things have been “business as usual” at the track. In fact, he said that the only difference he has noticed since the rescheduling is that the grandstands are now partially empty.
“I think what you’re going to see is the same,” he said. “We’ve got the same events that we had before the pandemic, and I think people are going to continue to come out and support their favorite race team.”
Wolfe went on to explain that the postponement of the TMS races was a massive blow to the track’s business, but that the team worked hard to make sure that the racing season would go on as scheduled. Despite the pandemic, they were able to secure sponsorships and put on an amazing show.
Has The COVID-19 Pandemic Had Any Effect On The Track’s Business?
As we’ve been able to observe since the beginning of the pandemic, it’s been pretty much business as usual at the track, with fans still showing up in large numbers to support their favorite racing teams.
The only difference since the postponement is that the grandstands are now partially empty. The team worked hard to secure sponsorships and put on an amazing show, despite the pandemic.
While the pandemic was definitely a setback for the Texas Motor Speedway, it certainly wasn’t their end. In fact, they are embracing the opportunity to grow their business during these unprecedented times.
What To Look Forward To In The Coming Months?
With the rescheduled dates for the TMS races, the team will have four months to get ready for some amazing racing. Furthermore, while we have been unable to attend any of the races thus far, the team has been consistently amazing at keeping us up to date with news and photos via social media.
The postponement of the TMS races was definitely a major blow to the business in the short term, but in the long term they are looking forward to getting back out on the track and having some fun.
We will have to wait and see if these four months will be enough to get the track ready for NASCAR competition, but until then, we can still get excited about the upcoming season.