As soon as your paycheck hits the account, the funds are immediately put to work. This money goes toward the mortgage, groceries, gas, savings, retirement and other necessities, but does your budget have a section dedicated to spending it on something fun? It’s difficult to find an inexpensive outing for a family, but luckily for North Texas residents, Texas Motor Speedway (TMS) is right in your backyard in Northlake and they pride themselves on affordable event pricing. NASCAR is returning to the speedway with a tripleheader weekend, May 1–3, and it is a weekend the family will not want to miss.
“A family can come out here for a very affordable day. You don’t find that pricing here in the DFW area,” TMS general manager, Mark Faber, explained. “We are very cognizant of our owner and founder, Bruton Smith, who has passed away. One of his mottos was, 'We work for the fans.’ Families are critically important, and so we price it the right way.”
Children 12 and under with a ticketed adult will be able to get into the Friday and Saturday races for free and for only $10 on Sunday. Two adults can purchase tickets for $99 and college students with a valid ID can attend for $25. General parking is always free at the speedway, and they offer a free tram service around the campus.
TMS has been serving its fans for decades and at the upcoming race weekend in May, they will be celebrating their 30th anniversary as well as Cinco de Mayo. Attendees can enjoy live music, free entertainment acts including sea lions, stilt walkers, roaming magicians, dance groups, Fort Hood helicopter flyovers, NASCAR driver appearances in the Fan Zone (located between Gates 2 and 7), and of course, some really fast cars.
“The racing is always going to be core for what we do, and that’s going to be three hours on the track, but the Fan Zone is going to be open four hours before the race,” Faber said. “Fans can get oriented, go out and have a good time. They can kind of get away from everything and come out to celebrate NASCAR and family fun.”
Faber strongly recommends that rookies arrive at the track early. This allows them to not only enjoy the amenities but also to get familiar with the 1,500-acre campus. Ambassadors are located along the 1.5-mile loop to help redirect and assist attendees who lose their way.
Other important tidbits fans should know before they attend is that they are allowed to tailgate, bring in coolers with sealed food and drink items, seat cushions and they can even camp on the grounds for the entire weekend. These are just a few ways families can save on costs and remain comfortable on race day.
While the speedway may have looked different 30 years ago at its inception, the one thing that hasn’t shifted is its values.
“I think it is important for people to understand our company and our background. We’re based on faith, family, friends and fun, the four F’s, and that aligns very closely with me, personally, as well as professionally, and many of the staff as well,” Faber expresses. “Our staff here knows that at race weekend we’re going to promote family values.”
The CRAFTSMAN Truck Series SpeedyCash.com 250 opens the weekend at 7 p.m., followed by O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Andy’s Frozen Custard 340 on Saturday, May 2 at 2:30 p.m. The weekend culminates with the marquee WÜRTH 400 presented by LIQUI MOLI on Sunday, May 3, at 2:30 p.m. Prior to Sunday’s race, fans can enjoy a concert and a swearing-in ceremony for personnel stationed with the U.S. Army Fort Hood. To purchase tickets, visit https://www.texasmotorspeedway.com/ or call 817-215-8500.