I've always loved racing. Since I was little I've wanted to become a race car driver. So of course when I found out, way back in 1997, that would be a race track built in Ft Worth, TX, I got excited. Now I never became a race car driver but the Texas Motor Speedway is still around & very active to this year.

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Even 25 years after its built, the Texas Motor Speedway is regarded as one of the most divisive race tracks ever to exist in America. Some people either love it, or just hate it. Even Bleacher Report ranked it as one of the most dangerous racetracks in NASCAR.

But why? Why do people hate it?

Well Reddit asked this question back in 2020. The main reasons:

  • With the introduction of the track in 1997, NASCAR decided to close some fan favorite tracks in North Wilkesboro & eventually Rockingham. So there's some animosity there.
  • The track has been resurfaced... A LOT. Enough that racers find it difficult to race cleanly or safely. Even the races earlier in 2022, people have called the track a disaster.

As a result many people on YouTube have expressed their feelings for the Texas Motor Speedway, even people who LIVE in Texas.

Perhaps one of the biggest reasons people don't like Texas (or LOVE it) are the crashes.

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Trust me... there have been a LOT of scary wrecks.

Probably the one that MOST people remember was Michael McDowell's 2008 wreck, where he amazingly walked away unhurt.

But like I mentioned at the beginning, people DO LOVE the track. It's given us some amazing moments in racing. One of the most popular race car drivers, Dale Earnhardt Jr (the son of the late Dale Earnhardt), got his first wins at the track:

Sam Hornish Jr won his 2nd IndyCar Championship in this amazing photo finish in 2002

7 time NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson won his 7th race in 2017, the most wins at Texas by any driver (so far).

It was the home of the 1997 Blockbuster Rockfest, which we found out was one of the BIGGEST concerts in the state of Texas.

A personal pick of mine is my favorite NASCAR driver, Jeff Gordon, finally scored a win in 2009 after having bad luck for over a decade.

Even Buzz got to his experience his very first NASCAR race in Texas in 2014; and he seemed to have a great time. He got to meet fellow El Paso race car driver Jaime Dick at the race too.

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So do I think the course is good or is it bad? I can't decide & it's impossible for me to answer that; especially when I haven't been to the track... yet. There are people who believe that the Texas Motor Speedway CAN improve for the better. Like Dale Jr

Hopefully we'll see more GOOD moments rather than bad in the future for the Texas Motor Speedway.

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