Central Texas Speedway’s NAPA Know How 250 season opener event was the largest race season opener the track has seen yet. The outdoor entertainment and recreation venue had expected large fan and driver counts but the mass of attendees that rolled through the gates on Saturday exceeded their expectations. The track also hosted several special guests during the race weekend.
Among the special guests were NAPA Auto Parts representatives. The widely known auto parts company has long had it’s roots tapped into auto racing but, this season will mark the first that Kyle, TX NAPA Stores will support local stock car racing. The NAPA guests participated in the ribbon cutting ceremony of the NAPA Pit Deck located in the pits on turn one. The pit deck offers crew members and VIP ticket holders a view of the racing action up close going into the first turn.
Other VIP guests included members from the ‘Don’t Mess with Texas’ program’s marketing team and Lowe’s team members that gave demonstrations of the home improvement chain’s Raven Lawn Mower in the midway. Members from Quantum Difference also attended to support Pro Late Model Driver, Austin Wayne Self and to let drivers try out their new compression shirts.
Between the VIP guests, race fans and crews, the attendee count was just under 2,500 people,
“I think if we had hosted that many people at our first race last year we would have been a bit overwhelmed. With a full season of races and special events under our belts we were more than prepared for this weekend. Our ticketing and concessions staff did an amazing job getting people taken care of. Lines were short and quick and that’s not because people weren’t buying. Concession sales increased by more than 35%. Our staff was just very efficient at keeping the lines moving. The race action was intense and cheering was constantly coming from the stands too. We had a great season opener and we can’t wait for the next event in April.” – Meredith Murray, CTS General Manager.
Veteran attendance reached a new peak. In an effort to provide Veterans with a fun, once-a-month meeting spot where they can get together to watch some racing and catch up over a few beers, the track donated 250 tickets to VetTix.org. The track also included a happy hour dedicated to Veterans among the new specials and happy hours to make them feel welcome.
With just under 2,500 people the stands were packed and they stayed that way until the end of the very last race. It was hard for fans to leave their seats with the performances displayed by the drivers in each of the different race classes. The bumper-to-bumper action had fans on their feet and cheers continuously coming from the stands. Fans made quick trips to and from the Car Bar, Beer Wall and concessions in between races and during cautions for the new “Yellow Light Specials” so they wouldn’t miss any of the action. In fact, the track received raving reviews about how action packed and exciting the racing was from newcomers. The NAPA Know How 250 season opener was a success in the eyes of the drivers, staff and fans.
The next race event at CTS will take place on Saturday, April 25th. Tickets are on sale HERE and Season Passes are still available HERE. For more information about the event you can visit the CTS website or the Budweiser 250 race event page on Facebook.
If you are a food truck or vendor and would like to participate in the next racing event or in any other events during the spring and summer please contact CTS by calling 512-268-1114 or emailing info@centexspeedway.com.