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
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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
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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
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If so, put that degree to weak in the United States Air Force.
The Air Force has job openings for science and engineering
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707 University Dr.
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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
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ADM. $1.50
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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
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7:15
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AWARDS FOR:
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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
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693-1110 1501 Hwy. 30 693-1011