A decade worth of exciting racing at old Texas track

Of the seven speedways in the United States that measure two miles or longer, six are currently on the Sprint Cup schedule. The seventh -- Texas World Speedway in College Station -- had a storied NASCAR history from its opening in 1969 until an exciting curtain-closer in 1981.

With eight degrees of banking on the straightaways and 22 degrees in the corners, two-mile high-banked Texas World Speedway was a close cousin to Michigan International Speedway.

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Texas World Speedway was literally a track for champions. Richard Petty won races in three consecutive seasons there, including his championship seasons of 1971 and 1972. Former champions Bobby Isaac, Darrell Waltrip, Cale Yarborough and Benny Parsons also visited Victory Lane, along with Buddy Baker.

When it came to Indy cars, the track was partial to its native sons. Foyt -- a native of Houston -- won four times, while Fort Worth's Johnny Rutherford added two more victories. Mario Andretti set a world closed-course speed record of 214.158 mph on Oct. 6, 1973, while qualifying for an IndyCar race.

It was also known for fast and caution-free races. There were never more than five cautions in any of the eight races at Texas World Speedway. Yarborough's 1980 win was accomplished without the benefit of a caution flag. And there was only one yellow flag in Waltrip's victory in 1979.

That combination sometimes resulted in runaway winners. Isaac lapped the field twice in the inaugural race, and Petty did the same in 1973. At the same time, Baker had to hold off native Texan A.J. Foyt by a half car-length to take home the victory in 1972.

But Texas World Speedway may have saved its best for last in the 1981 Budweiser NASCAR 400. Terry Labonte, a Corpus Christi native, won the pole with a lap of 167.543 mph. Bobby Allison started alongside and immediately went to the front, setting off a very competitive first half of the race, as no fewer than nine different drivers swapped the lead before the halfway point.

Waltrip retired early with engine issues and Labonte soon followed, the result of a crash. That left Parsons and Dale Earnhardt to fight over the lead, with Allison gamely trying to hang on.

And fight they did, as Parsons' No. 15 Ford was equally matched with Earnhardt's No. 2 Pontiac. Every handful of laps, the lead would change -- and then back again. Every time Earnhardt seemed to grab the advantage, Parsons would rally.

RacingOne

Benny Parsons after his 1981 victory.

Earnhardt went in front on Lap 148, only to have Parsons snatch it back on Lap 165. Three laps later, the Intimidator put his car back in the lead, but Parsons stalked him for the next 20 circuits and grabbed the advantage with 10 laps to go.

But that only heightened the drama. The lead then changed hands three more times in the next six laps, with Earnhardt taking over for the final time on Lap 196. Parsons made his final charge the next time around -- and beat Earnhardt to the line by .51 seconds. Allison was the only other car on the lead lap at the finish, with Petty and Dave Marcis rounding out the top five.

A combination of small crowds -- just 18,000 were in attendance for the final race -- and deteriorating infrastructure caused the speedway to lose its race dates in both NASCAR and IndyCar racing.

Ironically, the only active driver in that race -- Kyle Petty -- will not be racing at Texas Motor Speedway this weekend. Petty wound up 29th in the 1981 race after being sidelined by a blown engine.

Built at a cost of $17 million in 1969, Texas World Speedway underwent major renovations in 1991, including a complete repaving. The track can be configured in several different ways. In addition to the 2-mile superspeedway oval, there are multiple road-course layouts and a shorter oval.

TWS currently hosts a driving school and regional sports car events, and is the site for many commercials. According to one Web site, the speedway has been listed for sale at $10.5 million.

The opinions expressed are solely those of the writer