Texas Motor Speedway Brings Sights, Sounds of Indycar Racing to Downtown Fort Worth
May 13,2019
Reposted from TexasMotorSpeedway.com
The sights, sounds and high-speed excitement of the IndyCar Series will hit the streets of downtown Fort Worth on June 6 when the Cowtown Pit Stop Challenge presented by Speedy Cash will put two of the series' top teams in a head-to-head competition to kick off the DXC Technology 600 INDYCAR/NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series weekend.
The pit stop competition will take place from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. on W. 2nd Street between Taylor Street and Burnett Street, directly behind the Fort Worth Public Library. A press conference including the IndyCar Series drivers, city officials and track officials will take place just prior to the competition in the Speedway Children's Charities Fast Track to Reading section of the library.
"It's great to bring Texas Motor Speedway downtown. Eddie Gossage and his team are a big part of our visitor economy and the pit stop challenge underscores the impact," said Bob Jameson, president and CEO of Visit Fort Worth.
The pit crews of Team Penske drivers Josef Newgarden and Simon Pagenaud will go up against the Chip Ganassi Racing teams of reigning series champion and 2018 DXC Technology 600 winner Scott Dixon and teammate Felix Rosenqvist. The first round of competition will pit teammate versus teammate with the winner of each race moving into the second and final round.
The Cowtown Pit Stop Challenge presented by Speedy Cash will simulate an IndyCar Series pit stop similar to what will take place at Texas Motor Speedway during the DXC Technology 600. From a standing start, the drivers will mash the accelerator pedal to roll their cars into the designated pit stop area. The crews will then jump to work, inserting an air hose to activate the pneumatic air-jack system built into the racecar, changing four tires and simulating filling the car with fuel. The air hose will then be disengaged, the car will drop back to the ground and the driver will again hammer the throttle, with the first car reaching the designated finish line being declared the winner.
"We enjoyed working with Texas Motor Speedway and Visit Fort Worth on bringing the pit stop challenge to downtown," said Andy Taft, President, Downtown Fort Worth, Inc. "This event will allow downtown workers and visitors to get up close and personal with the excitement of INDYCAR."
The race cars used in the Cowtown Pit Stop Challenge presented by Speedy Cash will be seen later that evening reaching speeds in excess of 210 mph on Texas Motor Speedway's 1.5-mile high-banked tri-oval. As soon as the downtown competition is completed, the cars will immediately be loaded up and transported to Texas Motor Speedway. Once there, they will be prepared and inspected to participate in the IndyCar Series first practice from 7:00-9:00 p.m. CT.
"Texas Motor Speedway greatly appreciates the tremendous efforts of everyone involved in bringing the Cowtown Pit Stop Challenge presented by Speedy Cash to fruition," said Kenton Nelson, Vice President of Events and Assistant General Manager of Texas Motor Speedway. "From officials with the city of Fort Worth to the Fort Worth Convention and Visitors Bureau, Fort Worth police and fire departments, and the Fort Worth Public Library, we all worked diligently toward the goal of creating an exciting event that will benefit both the city and the speedway. We're honored to bring to the streets of downtown Fort Worth a small taste of what these highly skilled INDYCAR drivers and crews will be doing at Texas Motor Speedway during the DXC Technology 600."
Tickets for the June 8 DXC Technology 600 INDYCAR Series race and June 7 SpeedyCash.com 400 NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series race are available here or by calling the Texas Motor Speedway Ticket Office at 817.215.8500.