NASCAR trucks, IRL races postponed at Texas Motor Speedway

Stephen Hawkins

Thursday, Sept. 13, 2001 | 2:39 a.m.

FORT WORTH, Texas - The IRL's season-ending race and a NASCAR trucks race scheduled this weekend at Texas Motor Speedway were postponed Thursday.

The decision to delay the races for three weeks came only a day after plans were made to run the races as scheduled without qualifying sessions. The trucks were to run Saturday and the IRL race were scheduled Sunday.

The postponement came after the NFL decided to call off all 15 games scheduled for the weekend in wake of the terrorist attacks in New York and Washington. Major league baseball later announced that it wouldn't play again until Monday.

"This has been a difficult process from the beginning," speedway general manager Eddie Gossage said. "Opinions have been mixed."

Gossage said feedback he got from fans was that the races should go on as planned, but travel remained a problem for some fans and people involved with the races.

"With airport operations still in limbo, it is logistically impossible for all of the teams and fans to get there," Gossage said. "After more discussions today, we all agreed that this was the appropriate thing to do."

The IRL's season-ending Chevy 500 will be run Saturday, Oct. 6, a day after the NASCAR trucks race. Qualifying sessions for both series will be Oct. 4.

"It's just a respect thing," NASCAR trucks driver David Starr said. "I think everybody is still mourning. We are thinking about the victims and families. This isn't a bad decision."

Before the postponements were announced, IRL driver Greg Ray had expressed uncertainty about the plans to race.

"In light of what happened Tuesday, it is a question whether we should or shouldn't race," Ray said. "If they choose not to race, I'm OK with that because I understand.

"I'm still dumbfounded, in awe and having a very difficult time coming to grips."