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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (March 10, 1978)
Page 6 THE BATTALION FRIDAY. MARCH 10. 1978 Speedway overcomes adversity By KYLE CREWS What goes varooom and contrib utes over five million dollars annu ally to the Bryan-College Station economy? Texas World Speedway, Inc. Located approximately six miles south of College Station on Highway 6, the Speedway is one of seven facilities of its type in the world and the only one in the Southwest. “For every event held at this track, area businesses bring in about one million dollars over and above what they would make in a regular weekend,” Mike Connor, vice pres ident of Texas World Speedway, Inc., said. “This money filters down into the local economy by means of the added business that our fans give to the restaurants, service sta tions, motels and other businesses in the two towns.” Connor also said that the corpora tion that owns the speedway pays about $28,000 a year in school taxes. Five major events are held at the facility each year. This year’s season begins March 11 and lasts through November 12. Pat Mann, executive vice presi dent for the Bryan-College Station Chamber of Commerce, said that he agrees with Connor s estimate. “Various crews come in several days prior to the races and by the time you figure in their food, gas, lodging and all their partying, I would say that one million dollars a race is a reasonable round figure,” Mann said. “A race at the speedway has about the same economic impact on the communities as a home foot ball game at Texas A&M. He added that the local economy definitely suffered during the three years that the track was closed. Originally built in 1969, at a cost of approximately seven million dol lars, the race track was forced to close in the fall of 1973 due to finan cial problems. Dallas businessman Tom Tierney was one of the original investors in United Church of Christ College Station, Texas 10:00 Sunday Morning Community House 400 Holleman A people uniting in personal faith and social responsibility What kind of church is it that. . . Has its roots in the experience of the Pilgrim Fathers and is unafraid to grapple with the difficult problems of today? Practices complete equality of men and women? Sings “Amazing Grace” on Sunday and works for social change on Monday? Find out for yourself 846-4372, 693-0932, 693-8226 what was then known as Texas Speedway International. It was de veloped as a subsidiary of American Raceways, Inc. “American Raceways was de veloping several other speedways across the nation and they tried to go too far to fast,” Tierway said. “The result was robbing peter to pay Paul.’ We overspent, gcjt rained out on the first major race and were consequently forced into bank ruptcy.” He said the development was originally financed by selling shares of the project to various investors. This offering was made by means of a formal prospectus that was issued through the Texas Securities Board. Connor said that Texas Speedway International’s failure was due to a combination of factors. “For a facility such as this to be successful, the people promoting it should become a part of the com munity,” he said. “We have tried to do this — the present staff members own homes in Bryan and College Station and we try to become in volved in community affairs. The original developers did not do this. ” The 640-acre development was not used for racing from the fall of 73 to the fall 76. The Willie Nelson Fourth of July Picnic was held there in 1974. “We had to clear out a lot of weeds, rebuild some buildings in the infield and do some painting be fore we re-opened,” Connor said. “But the track was still in good con dition.” Richard C. Conole is the current president of the speedway. He is one of three part-owners of the facil ity, and is the only one that has other local business interests. Texas World Speedway is the last automobile race track built in the world that is termed a “superspeedway.” It is very similar to the race track in Indiana where the Indianapolis 500 is held. The tracks at these two speedways were designed with the emphasis on maximum speed for die race cars. This is accomplished by banking the track surface at various angles along the two miles of pavement. The speedway’s track is at a 22- degree angle around both curves and at two and 12 degrees along the GROUP DEPARTURE EUROPE May 24, 1978 • Return anytime within one year CHICAGO /LUXEMBOURG/ CHICAGO *36809 ROUND TRIP AIRFARE space is limited... so contact us today! ** Based on 25 passengers ^evenleq 'S'icilecf TRAVEL, INC. back and front straight, respec tively. “This is where the speed comes from,” Connor said. “Because of the banking, the cars don’t have to slow down as much around the curves. This also adds greatly to the safety of the drivers, in that it is much easier to stay on a banked track rather than a flat one.” Texas World Speedway is listed in the “Guinness Book of World Rec ords” as the world’s fastest speed way. It earned this distinction in October, 1973 when Mario Andretti was clocked at 181 mph during a 200-mile stock car race. Connor said that there was one fatality at the speedway several years ago. This occurred when a driver was killed in a collision dur ing a Sports Car Club of America race. “We have insurance coverage for all major events,” Connor said, “But we still require all drivers to sign a release which protects the Speed way in the event of an accident.” Auto racing is the largest non gambling spectator sport in the United States and it draws more than 50 million fans annually. All other professional sports draw less than 40 million. College football draws 32 million and professional tennis attracts two million spec tators a year. Connor said that most people do MANOR EAST 3 LOOKING FOR MR. GOODBAR 7:10-9:45 SKYWAY TWIN WEST Heroes plus The Sting double leature EAST TIGRESS PLUS TOO HOT TO HANDLE not realize that auto racing has been instrumental in bringing about de sirable changes in the automobile industry. These include: seat belts, disc brakes and durable tires. “The only reason Goodyear and Firestone are involved in racing is that it gives them a means for de veloping better tires, he said. Major events at Texas World Speedway consist of competition among either stock cars or Indy cars. A stock car is a modified street machine and generally averages 160 to 170 mph for one lap around the track. Indy cars average 205 to 215 mph per lap. Indy cars, who got their name from the Indianapolis 500, are small, open-wheeled cars, which do not use petroleum fuel. They run on nitro-methanol, a product made synthetically from various sub stances such as wood pulp or waste products. All major events at the Speedway are sanctioned by the United States Auto Club. The organization serves as a go-between for speedway own ers and race car drivers. The owners are assured that any driver belong ing to the club has adequate driving experience, is physically fit and that his car meets specific requirements. Similarly, drivers are assured that any speedway belonging to US AC meets rigid safety requirements, and that it is a credible event. Located in the MSC 846-3773 HAVE A DEGREE IN SCIENCE OR ENGINEERING? If so, put that degree to weak in the United States Air Force. The Air Force has job openings for science and engineering officers in many professional areas. Find out if one of them is yours. Then ask about that excellent Air Force salary . . . the executive experience . . . the worldwide assignments . . . liv ing quarters ... 30 days of paid vacation a year . . . medical and dental care . . . and many other Air Force benefits. It’s one of the finest opportunities in the nation. For information, contact MSgt Bobby D. Pegoda 707 University Dr. College Station, Tx 77840 713/846-5521 1 A great way of life. STUDENT ELECTIONS Filing Open, March 21-28 in Room 216, A & B M.S.C. 8 a.m.-3 p.m. Positions Open: Student Government Officers Student Government Senators Class Officers Yell Leaders OSCA RHA Officers GSC Officers CAMPUS THE CHOIRBOYS ADM. $1.50 obc) INTERSTATE Z/fcaSt* i \vn '846-6714 & 846-1151 UNIVERSITY SQUARE SHOPPING CENTER CINEMA HENRY WINKLER DAILY 7:35- 9:351 CINEMA TnOMINATED FOR 5 ACADEMY I AWARDS ■ I Including Best Picture JNEI L SIMON’S DAILY 7:15 9:20, I FG tarring ,RICHARD DREYFUi IMARSHA MASON JJ WINNER GOLDEN GLOBE AWARDS FOR: BEST PICTURE (Comedy). BEST ACTRESS, BEST ACTOR & BEST SCBEEHPVAX. Directed by Award Winning Herbert Ross ■ XIIXIIIIIIIIXXIIIIXIJL ENGINEERS CHEMICAL ■ ELECTRICAL ■ CIVIL INDUSTRIAL ■ MECHANICAL March 21,1978 a representative of CHAMPION INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION will be interviewing graduating students for positions which can develop into exciting careers in one of America’s most far sighted and rewarding industries, Forest Products. Champion International Corporation is a major forest products company, a pioneer in the building materials, paper and paper packaging businesses. With nearly 50,000 employees the company’s 1977 sales were approximately $3. I billion. There are more than 400 Champion International facilities in the United States and Canada and it is reasonably certain you have had an association with one or more of our products in the paper, paper packaging or building materials areas. Our building materials business, domestically represented by Champion Building Products, is in itself a large business: 1977 sales of $1.1 billion. This unit of our company is an important producer and marketer of plywood, lumber, hardboard and particle board. These products are used in both industrial and construction markets and for furniture and home improvement projects. Our building materials might well be used as sheathing, studs or siding in your home, as underlayment for your floors, shelving or panel ing in your family room. And it’s hard to get too far from our Champion Papers products, too. This division of Champion International had sales of over $1 billion in 1977. Champion Papers is a major producer of writ ing, printing and business papers, the second largest manufac turer of milk cartons, a producer last year of more than 5 1 /2 billion envelopes and the country's largest wholesaler of office products. Our paper packaging business is represented by Hoerner Waldorf, a large (over $500 million last year) producer of cor rugated containers, consumer packages, grocery, multi-wall and shopping bags. We package boats, refrigerators, toys, taco shells, detergents, cereals, groceries, dishes, pet food and thousands of other items. Behind all the products we make is the tree. We have 3.4 million acres of forestlands in the United States. Champion Timberlands is a separate division responsible for intensively managing these lands to assure a continuing supply of timber, and for supplying our current needs for paper, paper packaging and build ing materials. We at Champion International would like to tell you more about our company, and the opportunities that exist for exciting and rewarding careers. If you would like to know more about us, please sign the interview list at the placement office and meet with our representative on March 21, 1978 Champion International Corporation 1 Landmark Square, Stamford, Connecticut 06921 Champion International takes affirmative action towards equal employment opportunity All major events sponsored U.S. Auto Club are point rat® Drivers who compete in (lieu I gather various amounts of poij|( depending on how they place inilr ( race. Prize money for each rate allotted according to these pom The racer having the most poinbt the end of the season is also award#] an extra cash prize. Participating speedways pay (It 1 club a sanctioning fee for each even . that it sponsors. Dre The Aggieland 250, a natioml championship stock car race, will Oil £ held at the speedway on Mar 1 '® and 12. Expected entrants ii AJ. Foyt, Bobby Allison, Salt vella, Bay Darnell, Paul and Ramo Scott. Officials of the Adolph Coon Company have announced that lb will sponsor the April 15 Indy a race at the speedway. It will lr 200-mile race and will be teleoj es > ^ nationally by CBS Sports Speck lar. It will be blacked out in leu :oll asing ven 1 d, cor state On June 4 the speedway w a 500-mile USAC national dm.] pionship stock ear event. The Texas Grand Prix willbel August 6 and will be followedtyj 250-mile USAC national champ# ship on November 12. ones, mitb jrAgric ibeor TIP TOP RECORDS AND TAPES 1000 S. 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