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Texas Motor Speedway announced Tuesday evening that it would host two NASCAR Sprint Cup races in 2011, including a night race in the spring, as well as the Firestone Twin 275s, an IndyCar doubleheader next June 11.The speedway's first Cup event next year, the Samsung 500, will be April 7-9, climaxing with the speedway's first Saturday night Sprint Cup race ever on the evening of the 9th, a Saturday night.
The speedway's second Cup date, on Sunday Nov. 6, will once again give Texas the eighth race in the 10-race Chase to the Sprint Cup. The fall weekend also will feature NASCAR Truck Series and Nationwide Series races.
"Texas is perfect for a Chase market -- big, strong and bold," NASCAR Chairman Brian France told an audience of hundreds at the House of Blues in Dallas in an extravagant announcement ceremony.
Indy Racing League CEO Randy Bernard also was there to promote the first twin-race event in the IndyCar series since Atlanta Motor Speedway in 1981.
Each race will be 275 kilometers, or 170.8 miles, which would be about 114 laps around the 1.5-mile oval at Texas. A winner will be declared for each race, but the championship points will be half for each race, so the entire event equals one points-paying IndyCar race.
"Texas Motor Speedway will be the only track to host this type of event in 2011," Bernard said. He said it will be a revival of an "IndyCar tradition." The Indy cars ran 17 twin races from 1967 to 1981.
Bernard also said the June 11 date means there will be a week off between the Indy 500 and the Texas races, "just like there was for years." (1997-2005)
The speedway's Sprint Cup race on Saturday night, April 9 will be the first Saturday night race of the still-early Sprint Cup season. The Texas race will be the seventh race of the 36-race schedule. Texas will also have its first night Nationwide race when that series runs on Friday night, April 8.
"I love racing under the lights," Speedway Motorsports Chairman Bruton Smith said. "That's what it's all about. The cars look better."
Added Tony Stewart, who was also part of the ceremony, "All the freaks come out at night."
In other schedule news Tuesday, the Balitmore Sun reported that the inaugural Baltimore Grand Prix next season will be on Labor Day weekend. Previously, an August date was expected.
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