Odessa track?

[Lucky161]

Anyone know what the situation is with the track John Foster used to have in Odessa. From what I've been able to look up, it's not in operation now. Is it still there? Is it run down? Is it for sale or lease?

[Truck99]

There was Twin Cities Speedway and Basin Raceway Park, two different tracks, both of which I think are no longer operating.

[txtom]

Foster owned the Twin Cities speedway that was built in 1987 to replace the older Odessa Speedbowl.

The last race on Twin Cities was in early April, 1999, when we ran the ARTS trucks along with Legends.

While we had a fair number of racers, they had a dismal fan turn out. We had a couple races for the trucks scheduled out there, but Foster closed the track.

Since it's closure, it has been the basis for a truck driving school.

This is a map from Google of the track, located bewteen Hwy 80 and Interstate 20 off County road 1300:

Twin Cities

 

Basin Raceway is a dirt track almost due North of Twin Cities, has also been called Permian Basin and

Petro-Plex Raceways. It has suffered from several closures. There was some talk on this forum earlier this year about a new promoter, but there has not been any new information in a few months.

Jay Hallas may have some more info on this.

 

I think the only activity they have out there right now is the dragstrip in Penwell, SW of Odessa.

Years ago, there was a dirt track out there, also, before the Permian Basin track was built.

[NeilTPS]

John Foster of Odessa, Texas, the former Co-Owner of Twin Cities Speedway, died on November 21, 2002 while undegoing surgery.

 

The fine race facility had been sold a few years prior to Johns passing to Big Tex Trailers. Big Tex is located just south of the track. Big Tex Trailers needed the space for parking new trailers and storing steel supplies used in the Fabrication of trailers. Most of the Twin Cities Speedway facility has been torn down.

 

 

Neil Upchurch

Edited October 6, 2019 by NeilTPS
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[Crazyhorse]

twin cities was sweet. i went there with my step dad one weekend when he ran there prolly 87-88.

all except the dust storms.

[Rookie49]

There was a track called Twi-Cities out by the airport there that I used to go to in the early 80's, 81-83. A guy I went to school with raced a late model there, name of Bobby Hillin.

[txtom]

There was a track called Twi-Cities out by the airport there that I used to go to in the early 80's, 81-83. A guy I went to school with raced a late model there, name of Bobby Hillin.

Johnny,

I seem to remember all this came up a while back, Didn't you mention then that the Odessa Speedbowl was also called Twin Cities during it's life?

The Speedbowl was just North of Hwy 80, about 5 or so miles from the newer track, but closer to Odessa. It was at the NW corner of Hwy 80, and Hwy 588. There is a trailer park in front of where the track is/was.

Bobby Hillin runs a company around the Houston. The father of Tuffy Hudson who drives the yellow #7 Modified worked for Hillin last time I asked him about it.

 

The fine race facility had been sold a few years prior to Johns passing to Big Tex Trailers. Big Tex is located just south of the track. Big Tex Trailers needed the space for parking new trailers and storing steel supplies used in the Fabrication of trailers. Most of the Twin Cities Speedway facility has been torn down.

 

Thanks for the update, Neil. Hadn't heard anything about the facility in a few years. Foster was a great guy to know and race with.

[txtom]

After a little looking around, I have found that the dirt track formerly known as Permian Basin, Petroplex, and also Midessa is now called "Champion Motor Speedway".

They have a website:

Link

[racetrackfan]

is this track still dirt

Edited June 16, 2007 by racetrackfan

[txtom]

is this track still dirt

 

Yes, it has always been dirt, as Twin Cities was always asphalt.

 

If you scroll back up a couple postings, you will see a google map link to where the Last Twin cities track was. Go almost due north on that map, and you will see Champion.

 

Additionally, if you look at the Twin Cities map from a little way out, a little bit East of T.C. you will see the remains of a clay oval in the same business complex. This track belonged to some local guys for their own fun, was never a formal racing venue.

 

Sometimes those google links leave you with a very small image, if you have to start from sctatch, everything is just a little bit Southwest of the regional airport that is between Odessa and Midland.

[rebelracewriter]

You beat me to the answer Tom. There's a member on here...John Barton I think, that was giving us news on Champion Speedway for a while. Haven't seen anything from him lately. I know he's on either elbowsup.com, whowon.com or both, too. You might look him up there.

[NickHolt]

[NOTE: I received this via the "Report this" tool from Mr. Lee who is not a registered LSSZ member;  but I will be contacting him to see If he would like to be a member.....Nick]

I'm James Lee I raced at the Odessa Speedbowl in the sixties thru seventies. Me and John Foster were race buddies and good friends. Sorry to here of his passing he helped me with my racecar setups. He and a guy named Danny Bennet built many race cars together. I dominated the sport at speedbowl most of the sixties and seventies if anybody knows of any of the old racers I would like to here from them. Thanks and I really enjoyed this article about the Odessa Speedbowl. I now live in Ellabell Georgia, 30 minutes west of Savannah. My phone number is 912-439-4473 

[slidejob]

Mike Trigg grew up in Odessa and began his racing career there in the early 80's, at a fairly young age (15 or 16). He continued to reside and race in west Texas for many years.  Mike now lives in the San Antonio area and races Street Stock occasionally at I-37, and Texana.  You may have also seen him at Goliad (when they were running) and South Texas Speedway...as well as 281 Speedway.

Anyway, Mike raced at all the Odessa/Midland tracks during his early racing years. Starting with Asphalt street stock, moving to Asphalt Late Model. Then he ran a TIDA late model when they toured all over Texas and some of Oklahoma. Later he moved to dirt racing and raced pretty much anything that had wheels (more of a "driver", than an owner in those years). He popped up all over west Texas, and up into the pan handle (Lubbock, Amarillo) and south east New Mexico. Hell, I guess in the last 40 years he has raced at dozens of tracks.

I also remember John Foster and Bobby Hillin (mentioned above) as well as several other Odessa Midland drivers: Jay Watson, "Moody" Roberts, "Lefty" Smith, John David Jr., Frank Crawford, etc. I am sure I would recognize dozens of racer names from that area and time period. I remember that there was a girl that ran fairly well too (before there were many female racers) I think her name was Stacey...but I could be wrong.

The one thing I remember from the old Odessa Speedbowl was individual time trails/qualifying, and fastest cars started in the back!! At least I think that's how it worked. It may have been "high point" car in the back. I just know the fast guys were in the back! Made for awesome racing.  Back then people actually had patience and would race side-by-side for many laps to pass. In my opinion there was a lot more respect, so they could do that without tearing up a bunch of racecars every week. It wasn't this "bump and run, get out of my way" racing you see today!  I guess both are entertaining...one just takes a lot more talent

Edited October 10, 2019 by slidejob

[Nathan]

mike is bad Fast and dominates any time he shows up.  i watched him almost win a race with a broken left upper control arm at i37.

[scotty9]

Not to often I hear Odessa / Midland. Born and raised in Colorado city.  My father ( Ronnie  Barber) raced with and against the Hillin family on the circle tracks. He also drag raced on asphalt and water. He has many stories from his era of racing and running from the law.(oops). 

Edited October 12, 2019 by scotty9