Shift in Start Time to Affect Weekend Traffic Flow

The shift of the race days and start times for this weekend’s O’Reilly Auto Parts 500 NASCAR doubleheader will have a direct impact on traffic flow and patterns in the vicinity of Texas Motor Speedway.

 

The O’Reilly Auto Parts 500 NASCAR doubleheader has featured evening races on Friday and Saturday since 2011, but beginning this weekend the event will return to its traditional schedule of day races. The My Bariatric Solutions 300 XFINITY Series race will run at 12:30 p.m. CT Saturday while the O’Reilly Auto Parts 500 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race will run at 12:30 p.m. as well on Sunday.

 

 

Increased traffic flow is expected to begin between 8-9 a.m. and continue to build until the start of the races on both days.

 

On Saturday, there is plenty of on-track action for those fans arriving throughout the morning with gates opening at 8 a.m. The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series will have practice sessions at 8:30 and 11 a.m. while the XFINITY Series also will have same-day qualifying at 9:35 a.m. Driver introductions for the My Bariatric Solutions 300 will begin at 12:10 p.m. with a scheduled 12:46 p.m. green flag (TV: FOX, Radio: PRN, SiriusXM Channel 90, locally on 95.9 FM The Ranch).

 

A contraflow pattern will be in place on Hwy. 114 and Hwy. 156 for outbound race traffic at the conclusion of the race, which is expected to begin at approximately 2:45 p.m.

 

Sunday’s marquee O’Reilly Auto Parts 500 will have a substantial increase in attendance over Saturday’s event and race fans are urged to arrive early at the speedway. The FanZone, which includes the entertaining Monster Energy motorsports athletes in action and the Cars 3 display, opens to the public at 7:30 a.m. and the gates open at 8:30 a.m. for the general public, Victory Lane Club and luxury suites. Fans also want to get there early to be one of the first 30,000 to receive a free Danica Patrick bobblehead courtesy of State Water Heaters.

 

Driver intros will begin at 11:50 a.m. with a scheduled 12:46 p.m. green flag for the O’Reilly Auto Parts 500 (TV: FOX, Radio: PRN, SiriusXM Channel 90, locally on 95.9 FM The Ranch).

 

A full contraflow pattern will be in place on Hwy. 114 and Hwy. 156 for outbound race traffic at the conclusion of the race, which is expected to begin at approximately 4 p.m.

 

Friday rush hour traffic may also be affected slightly by Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series qualifying for the O’Reilly Auto Parts 500 beginning at 5:15 p.m. and concluding at approximately 6:30 p.m.

 

Tickets for the O’Reilly Auto Parts 500, My Bariatric Solutions 300 and SportsDay Day Qualifying Day Powered by The Dallas Morning News are available by visiting www.texasmotorspeedway.com or by calling the speedway ticket office at 817.215.8500. 

 

TMS PR