The story of Texas World Speedway is a complicated one. The track seemed to be doomed from the time the first spade of dirt was turned. Though NASCAR ran its final Cup race at the track 35 years ago, other forms of motorsports ran at the place from time to time. But now, it appears what remains of the track will soon vanish altogether.

http://www.theeagle.com/news/local/college-station-endorses-municipal-utility-district-to-replace-texas-world/article_f3d71416-b637-11e3-96a7-001a4bcf887a.html

College Station endorses municipal utility district to replace Texas World Speedway, foster growth

By BETH BROWN beth.brown@theeagle.com | Posted: Friday, March 28, 2014 12:15 am

The College Station City Council unanimously gave conditional consent to create a new municipal utility district that will replace the Texas World Speedway just outside of College Station.

The plan will now go to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality for its approval, during which time a series of agreements will come before city council to ready services and sync up the development plans with the citys building standards. The developer is asking for the city to provide water and sewer services to the community.

The municipal utility district will be the first in Brazos County. The cost for these districts, or MUDs, are all fronted by developers. Then the MUD can issue bonds to recoup costs.

The concept plan for the development will span about 550 acres in College Stations extra-territorial jurisdiction, and add about 1,400 single-family homes, 27 acres of commercial development, 14 acres for a future College Station school district school and 73 acres of detention and greenways .

The Brazos County Appraisal District values that land at $5.4 million, but the projected build out value is $514 million.

The proposed tax rate for the MUD is set right now at $1 per every $100 of assessed property value. Thats more than double College Stations property tax rate, which is currently 42 cents per $100 of assessed value. Legal counsel for the developer said those tax rates reduce as the MUD matures, typically by 40 percent.

Traffic and fire services were topics of conversation for the council. Bill Mathers, developer on the MUD and president and CEO of Texas World Speedway, said a traffic study will be coming to determine how best to plan for an increase in traffic around the development.

College Station Fire Chief Eric Hurt said the planned development is being served right now by the South Brazos County Fire Department. He said the development would be a big burden on its services, though it may be looking to move from a fire district to an emergency services district, which would allow it to collect more tax dollars in that area to get the equipment necessary. Hurt and Mathers said discussions are ongoing to address that need.

Discussion on the proposed master-planned development lasted longer than an hour. Five people spoke during a public comment period, including the developer and a representative of local homebuilders, Buck Prewitt, who said there is a need for this development in College Stations growing community.

Three of the public speakers spoke on behalf of the racing community that would miss the track.

Mayor Pro Tem Karl Mooney said the speedway just hasnt been able to keep up with the times.

I believe in owners rights and I believe the owner of any property is entitled to the best use of that property, Mooney said. Our local builders have said theres a need for single-family lots and quality neighborhoods. This is an opportunity for the city. We dont have to do this tonight ... but if we dont down the road when this property becomes annexed, we may regret a lack of action.

Mathers expressed his gratitude to the council for its support and said he will begin work right away on the agreements.

Were grateful for the ability to have a cooperative relationship with the municipality and work together thats a real blessing for a developer, Mathers said.

Larry LoPatin's and American Raceways' attempt to clone their beautiful Michigan track in Texas certainly never met with the success of the original.

In the first year of our Wrangler Jeans NASCAR sponsorship I picked the weekend of June 7, 1981 for the moving van to transport our worldly possessions from Wilson, NC to our corporate headquarters city of Greensboro - just up the road a piece from the Petty compound. That date, of course, would turn out to be the final Cup race ever scheduled at Texas World and I missed my chance to ever visit the facility.

You might know, that as I listened to the MRN Radio broadcast from Texas in our new Greensboro home, it was my Wrangler car owned by Rod Osterlund and driven by Dale Earnhardt that dominated the race, leading 96 of 200 laps, and appeared on its way to a win. Then on the final pit stop an air wrench failed and a a wheel was not properly secured. That loose wheel resulted in Benny Parsons in the Bud Moore Ford passing Earnhardt at race end for the win in the final Texas Cup event.

Little did I know that as I stood screaming in disappointment at the radio in my new den that before the year was over I'd have a contract with winning car owner Bud Moore for the next season with Earnhardt at the wheel of his Ford.

A final bit of irony for me and the last Texas race - the first caution was brought out by Kyle Petty who I'd later sponsor and do PR for.

At least Dale made the cover of the program. A moral victory? Ehh, yeah probably not. From Motor Racing Programme Covers .

First time I've seen that program cover. Thanks.

Two individuals who factored into Earnhardt's later success participated in the final Cup race at TWS in the 1981 Budweiser 400 - Richard Childress and Kirk Shelmerdine. Kirk made his first of 26 Cup starts in that race as a teammate to his employer Childress. For reasons I don't know yet, Kirk, Baxter Price and DK Ulrich all were start-and-park cars. Price made it one lap in a 2nd Jimmy Means car. Kirk made it 2 laps in RC's Pontiac. And DK went 4 laps in his own car as his 2 other cars driven by Tim Richmond and Rick Baldwin continued.

The prize money wasn't that great, and the haul to College Station was a long and expensive one. So I'm not sure why RC and Means in particular would field a 2nd entry other than as perhaps as backup cars to be used a week later at Riverside. (DK fielding 3 cars DIDN'T surprise me. He rolled out an astonishing 18 different drivers in his cars in 1981.)

Kirk's #8 McDonald's Pontiac

Here is Childress' car he raced at Riverside a week later. Same look and sponsor - including contingency decals - but back to number 3. And though tough to read, I THINK Kirk's car in the above pic has RC's name below the A post as can be seen in the below pic from Riverside.That's why I'm wondering if Kirk was asked to run a couple of laps and then park it. RC needed it intact for 7 days later. Or at least that's my guess.

By the way Chase, earlier this year Larry Woody did a really nice piece about final Texas Cup winner Benny P and your former Nashville promoter, Bill Donoho: http://www.racintoday.com/archives/44675