Texas Motorsports Hall of Fame for 2003 announced

[rebelracewriter]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE For information contact:

November 6, 2003 Greg Artkop, 972/679-9110

 

 

TEXAS MOTORSPORTS HALL OF FAME ANNOUNCES CLASS OF 2003

Call 1-866-HOF-TEXAS for Seats to the January 2004 Inaugural Gala

Fans Can Win Gala Tickets at www.txmhof.com

 

(FORT WORTH, November 6, 2003) - From NASCAR to the Indy Racing League, pit

crews to drag racers, the Texas Motorsports Hall of Fame (TMHOF) recognizes the

most outstanding individuals in Texas racing. The Class of 2003, along with

other outstanding individuals from the world of racing, will be honored at a

gala to be held at Texas Motor Speedway on January 27, 2004.

 

The first inductees into the Texas Motorsports Hall of Fame will be Texas racing

legends A.J. Foyt and Johnny Rutherford. Foyt, a four-time Indianapolis 500

winner, is from Houston. Three-time Indy 500 winner Rutherford resides in Fort

Worth. The Hall of Fame award is presented to an outstanding individual in

Texas motorsports, active or retired, with special emphasis given to Texans and

individuals with accomplishments in Texas.

 

Other award winners include Carroll Shelby, recipient of the Bruton Smith

Legends Award for lifetime achievement in motorsports. IRL IndyCar Series

driver Gil de Ferran will receive the 2003 Texas Motor Speedway Sportsmanship

Award presented to a driver who has shown great character and cooperation with

both media and fans throughout their career. The Texas Motor Speedway Racer of

the Year is Brendan Gaughan, winner of a record four straight NASCAR Craftsman

Truck Series races at Texas. The Racer of the Year award will be given each

year to a driver or team owner who has had success at Texas.

 

All nominees and inductees to the TMHOF were selected by a panel of motorsports

media from throughout Texas.

 

"The inaugural class of the Texas Motorsports Hall of Fame makes a powerful

statement about the role Texas plays in racing," said Eddie Gossage, Vice

President and General Manager, Texas Motor Speedway. "Individuals like

Rutherford and Foyt are not only the founding fathers of Texas racing, they are

the foundation of American motorsports today."

 

The Texas Motorsports Hall of Fame, which will be will be located adjacent to

The Speedway Club at Texas Motor Speedway, will be open year-round to visitors.

Hall officials anticipate breaking ground on the new structure in early 2004.

The Hall will feature statues of inductees, a walkway and courtyard with the

names of fans chiseled into bricks and interactive displays about Texas racing.

All proceeds from the TMHOF will benefit the children at Happy Hill Farm, a

residential school for at-risk kids based near Fort Worth, in association with

Speedway Children's Charities.

 

The Texas Motorsports Hall of Fame Inaugural Gala will be January 27, 2004, at

The Speedway Club. The evening will include dinner and a silent auction.

Individual tickets and table sponsorships are available for purchase, but

seating to this prestigious event is limited. For more information about table

sales for the Inaugural Gala, call 1-866-HOF-TEXAS.

 

Fans will also have a chance to win tickets to the event by logging on to

www.txmhof.com <http://www.txmhof.com> and choosing their own favorite Texas

Motor Speedway racer. All fans who make their opinion known will be eligible to

win a pair of tickets to the Inaugural Gala.

 

Texas Motor Speedway is owned by Speedway Motorsports, Inc. (SMI) a leading

promoter, marketer and sponsor of motorsports activities in the United States.

As the owner and operator of Atlanta Motor Speedway, Bristol Motor Speedway,

Infineon Raceway, Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Lowe's Motor Speedway, and Texas

Motor Speedway, SMI has one of the largest portfolios of major speedway

facilities in the motorsports industry. SMI also owns, operates, and sanctions

the Legends, Bandolero and Thunder Roadster racing circuits (entry-level stock

car racing series), for which it manufactures and sells smaller-scale modified

racing vehicles and parts through its 600 Racing subsidiary. SMI is traded on

the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol TRK.

 

Happy Hill Farm is a residential school for at-risk children near Fort Worth,

Texas. Opened in 1974 by the Shipman family, Happy Hill Farm is home to 110

children who, for whatever reason, are not able to live in traditional family

and school settings. More than 1,000 children have benefited from their years

at the Farm and gone on to lead happy, healthy lives.

 

 

FACT SHEET

2003 TEXAS MOTORSPORTS HALL OF FAME AWARD WINNERS

 

Texas Motorsports Hall of Fame Award -- Presented to an outstanding individual

in Texas

motorsports, active or retired, with special emphasis given to Texans and

individuals with accomplishments in Texas. A.J. Foyt of Houston and Johnny

Rutherford of Fort Worth will be the first two inductees of the Texas

Motorsports Hall of Fame. Considered two of Texas' most prominent racing

legends, Rutherford (three-time winner of Indianapolis 500 and CART national

champion in 1980), and Foyt (four-time Indianapolis 500 winner and seven-time

USAC national champion) continue to be two of the most recognizable names in

motorsports. Foyt continues to be active in both the Indy Racing League IndyCar

Series and NASCAR Winston (Nextel) Cup Series as a team owner. Rutherford is in

charge of special projects for the Indy Racing League, which includes driving

the pace car for IRL IndyCar events and working as a driver coach and

consultant.

 

Other Awards:

 

Bruton Smith Legends Award - Awarded for lifetime achievement in motorsports.

Few have made a bigger impact in the automotive industry and racing than

Leesburg, Texas native Carroll Shelby. A legend among legends, Shelby put the

muscle in muscle cars by spearheading development of both the Ford Cobra and

Mustang. Shelby was inducted into the Automotive Hall of Fame in 1992 and is

still making automotive history with the Shelby Series I sports car.

 

Texas Motor Speedway Sportsmanship Award - Awarded for display of character and

cooperation with both media and fans. 2003 Indianapolis 500 winner Gil de

Ferran captured his third victory of the season in the Chevy 500 IRL IndyCar

Series championship race at Texas. But it was a bittersweet victory for the

36-year-old Brazilian who started the race in the pole position. The drop of

the checkered flag also marked the completion of an outstanding career for de

Ferran, who retired at the end of the 2003 season. De Ferran was the CART

champion in both 2000 and 2001.

 

Texas Motor Speedway Racer of the Year - Awarded to driver or team owner who has

been successful at Texas Motor Speedway. NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series driver

Brendan Gaughan is the Texas Motor Speedway Racer of the Year. Gaughan has won

an unprecedented four-straight races at Texas. The feat is both a Speedway and

Truck Series record. Gaughan was the Truck Series Rookie of the Year in 2002.

 

More information about the Texas Motorsports Hall of Fame is available by

calling 1-866-HOF-TEXAS or at www.txmhof.com <http://www.txmhof.com>.

 

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