Big time sprint car racing has been a part of the Texas racing scene for nearly 50 years, which included the fledgling World of Outlaws holding their first race at Devil’s Bowl Speedway in March of 1978.
 
Over the course of those nearly five decades, the Outlaws, USAC, the old California Racing Association, the American Sprint Car Series and even the All Star Circuit of Champions raced at tracks in different corners of the state. Yes, the Outlaws even ran a race in Lubbock, Texas of all places in the early 1990s.
 
But as the 2024 season dawns and the top level of sprint car racing is experiencing a battle between the World of Outlaws and the High Limit Sprint Car series, Texas has found itself with as much or more big-time sprint car events than maybe in the state’s colorful racing history.
 
Starting in early March way down in South Texas, sprint car fans in Texas will have the chance to see some form of the sport’s top level over the course of a six-week period. And that doesn’t even count events in Oklahoma around the same time.
 
I wasn’t born in Texas but moved here in 1985 and save for an 18-month stint in North Carolina in the mid-1990s chasing NASCAR money, I’ve never seen a schedule with this much big-time sprint car racing in the Lone Star state. It’s a sprint car fan’s dream. Even during the USA vs. WoO battle in 1989, the Outlaws and USA were not frequent visitors, and in the early 2000s as the Outlaws and ASCS expanded to new tracks in Texas there were not this many races at one time.
 
In the spring of 2024, though, the Outlaws will race at three different tracks in Texas, along with Lawton. High Limit, meanwhile, will also race at a trio of tracks over three days in mid-April. Meanwhile, the ASCS National Series, a frequent Texas visitor over its 30-plus year history, will see races as far south as Corpus Christi, along with a return to the Texas Motor Speedway Dirt track in April prior to the High Limit shows.
 
What does this mean for Texas racing?
 
First, it means that those series believe Texas is a viable market for their product. There are some great facilities, but there also seems to be a belief that Texas fans will come out to see big-time sprint car racing even though few tracks run sprints on a regular basis. That’s been proven over the years, whether it was at Devil’s Bowl, TMS or even in places such as Cotton Bowl outside of Austin in Central Texas. Fans have filled the seats.
 
Longtime Heart of Texas Speedway promoter the late Gene Adamcik told me, “if it’s got a wing on it, fans will come see it,” and that’s held true.
 
My big concern will be car count. There are some sprint car teams in Texas, and some talented drivers call the state home, including stars such as Aaron Reutzel, Sam Hafertepe Jr., and rising stars Chase Randall and Brenham Crouch. But Texas isn’t Central Pennsylvania where 410 racing is a staple of local tracks.
 
Along with the travelers, the fields will likely be filled with drivers from Oklahoma, Arkansas and other states as they’ve always been, and maybe even some Northern travelers since it is spring. But as I saw one Oklahoma-based team mention on its Facebook page the other day, it is a good time to be a 410 sprint car racer with all the well-paying events in this part of the country.
 
And it’s coming on the heels of the region’s most notable sprint car facility, Devil’s Bowl Speedway, finally succumbing to urban sprawl and shutting its gates. The void left by the closure of the Mesquite half-mile seems to be filled by all the racing in the state next spring, and that’s good for the fans and the teams.
 
Let’s hope the Texas weather holds because the spring of 2024 in Texas could be a wild ride for sprint car fans, and it’s one I’m ready to hop on board to see how it goes.
 
Just so you won’t forget here is this spring’s schedule, with some Oklahoma events added in.
 
March 1-2 – ASCS South TX Race Ranch, Corpus Christi
March 8-9 – World of Outlaws, Kennedale Speedway Park, Kennedale
March 15-16 – World of Outlaws, Cotton Bowl, Paige
March 15-16 – ASCS RPM Speedway, Crandall
March 22 – World of Outlaws, Big O Speedway, Ennis
March 23 – World of Outlaws, Lawton, Oklahoma
April 5-6 – ASCS TMS Dirt Track, Fort Worth
April 12 – High Limit, Texarkana 67, Texarkana (Yes, it’s in Arkansas but close enough)
April 13 – High Limit, TMS Dirt Track, Fort Worth
April 14 – High Limit, RPM Speedway, Crandall
 
Len Hayward is the press room manager and historian at the Chili Bowl Midget Nationals, and a Regional Sports Editor for Gannett.