SCCA at TIS

[Oldtimer]

Not sure the year, might be around 1971 or 1972.

 

SCCA at TIS

[NickHolt]

Pretty sure that's Texas World Speedway (TWS).

[Bobby]

https://texasarchive.org/2010_00681

[Oldtimer]

39 minutes ago, NickHolt said:

Pretty sure that's Texas World Speedway (TWS).

I'll defer to Neil Upchurch's history lesson.  I honestly can't remember when the name change from "International" to "World" occurred.

"There were a couple of noticible (sic) errors contained in Matt McLaughlin’s otherwise well written article. He wrote, “Texas World Speedway was also given the highly coveted season finale date for 1969.” The initial name of the 2 mile superspeedway in College Station was Texas International Speedway in order to match other ARI owned properties Michigan International Speedway and Riverside International Speedway. The trademark name of Texas World Speedway happened several years after the track had started operations as Texas International Speedway. The name change was suggested by the original NASCAR President, the late Bill France Sr."

I do know, as a freshman at Texas A&M in 1969 when the speedway was being built, I had direct contact with track management through my membership in the Texas A&M Sports Car Club.

Through that connection, I was put in contact with Bill Broderick with Union 76 and manned the gas pumps for every professional race held there up until I left A&M in 1974.

[Bobby]

Apparently the name change happened between late '70 and late '71. - http://racersreunion.com/community/forum/stock-car-racing-history/29426/december-12-1971-the-king-claims-texas

Edited July 7, 2021 by Bobby

[dubya]

TIS came and went in a hurry, as ARI did not last long.

The second owner was Dan(?) Holloway, Holloway Sand & Gravel, who had built & paved the track.

Dan Holloway, Jr helped manage, and, when he was killed in a construction accident,

DH Sr. sold to a third ownership group, who had it through the seventies.

[NickHolt]

On 10/22/2021 at 12:53 AM, dubya said:

TIS came and went in a hurry, as ARI did not last long.

The second owner was Dan(?) Holloway, Holloway Sand & Gravel, who had built & paved the track.

Dan Holloway, Jr helped manage, and, when he was killed in a construction accident,

DH Sr. sold to a third ownership group, who had it through the seventies.

 

First time I've ever seen this.  I must have been asleep or something. 

[Bobby]

Tale of the Holloway track ownership, late '71 through 73.  As you might guess they had a lien for unpaid work so they took it over to try to recoup - https://www.leagle.com/decision/1986975152michapp8231883

Edited October 30, 2021 by Bobby

[NickHolt]

Thanks for sharing this, Bobby.  I was clueless!

 

[Bobby]

Same here, Nick. 

My interest is from being in the A&M sports car club in the seventies, as was Oldtimer (the new Oldtimer). I don't remember the club knowing much about track ownership matters, all we knew was whether or not they were "in business", so to speak.   The club had put on at least one AggieCross in the early seventies (which I believe Oldtimer was involved with) but for  most of us that was folklore handed down from our elders.  

But about my third year we heard the track, which  had been inactive, would let us hold club days if we would contribute labor for facility cleanup and staffing their events again, so of course we jumped on that. 

I found it interesting in retrospect to see how the break in activity we saw was explained by and correlated directly with the behind the scenes factors (the death of Dan Jr., and the subsequent opening with new management). 

 

 

Edited November 7, 2021 by Bobby

[RodneyRodriguez]

The story of Larry Lopatin was documented nicely in Lost Speedways. This guy was ahead of his time using other people's money to build speed plants. Making them successful well was another story.