IRL: Indy Racing, Texas agree to two races a year

FORT WORTH, Texas, Friday, June 9, 2000 - Two Indy Racing Northern Light Series races per year will take place at Texas Motor Speedway through 2004, the centerpiece of a contract extension signed today between the Indy Racing League and Texas' showcase motorsports facility.

In the agreement, Texas Motor Speedway will play host to the first event after the Indianapolis 500 through 2004. The Casino Magic 500 will always take place two weeks after the Indianapolis 500. This year's Casino Magic 500 is Saturday.

The second Northern Light Series race at Texas each year will be the season-ending Indy Racing event, according to the agreement. In 2000, it is the Mall.com 500 on Oct. 15.

"Texas Motor Speedway is a five-star motorsports facility, and we are proud to know that the Indy Racing Northern Light Series will have a home here for the next four years," said Tony George, Indy Racing League founder. "Consistently, Eddie (Gossage) and his staff produce events in which officials and teams are proud to participate."

The Casino Magic 500 this weekend is the sixth Indy Racing event at Texas Motor Speedway since the series debut at the track on June 7, 1997. There was one Indy Racing event at TMS in 1997, with two annual races since 1998.

"The Indy Racing Northern Light Series has been incredibly successful for Texas Motor Speedway, so we're pleased to enter into this agreement bringing the series to Texas twice a year," said Eddie Gossage, Texas Motor Speedway general manager. "The fact that the Texas races will be the first one after Indy and the season finale each year, combined with our state's rich Indy car heritage, has made these events two of the biggest sporting events in Texas. Bringing the stars and cars of the 'The Greatest Spectacle in Racing' straight to your venue means you're giving fans the best in auto racing." With Friday's announcement, the two Texas Motor Speedway events join the Indianapolis 500 (May 27) and new events at Kansas Speedway (July 8) and Chicagoland Speedway (Sept. 2) on the 2001 Northern Light Series schedule. The balance of the 2001 Indy Racing Northern Light Series schedule will be released on a future date.

-IRNLS/IMS-