Texas Motor Speedway Wants To Host X Games

Texas Motor Speedway has signed an official letter of intent to bid on becoming a host venue for ESPN's X Games beginning in 2014. 

TMS officials are interested in a three-year hosting period for the summer edition of the X Games, at the largest sports facility in the state of Texas. The speedway, which seats 138,122 and situated on 1,500 acres of property, has the ability to play host to all of the competition elements of the X Games. 

Texas Motor Speedway President Eddie Gossage and his executive team attended this summer's X Games in Los Angeles to get a feel for the enormity and energy surrounding the event and returned intrigued by the games. The X Games is the premier Action Sports Competition & Lifestyle Event that plays host to more than 200 of the world's best athletes in a variety of action sports.  

The summer event requires venues that can accommodate courses ranging from rally car and motocross to skateboarding and BMX competition. The four-day event traditionally attracts between 80,000 and 100,000 spectators and could provide major economic and tourism boosts for the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex. 

"I attended every event at this past summer's X Games in L.A. and it was one of the coolest events of my life," Gossage said. "I've been fortunate enough to attend several Super Bowls, World Series, NBA Finals, Stanley Cup Finals, major bowl games and more. But the X Games was the most action-packed and over-the-top sports event I've ever experienced and I know Texas Motor Speedway could be the perfect home for ESPN's X Games. Every athlete is a bright, colorful character and I love that." 

The X Games is in a new phase of global expansion as ESPN in May named Barcelona, Spain; Munich, Germany; and Foz do Iguaco, Brazil as host cities for a three-year period beginning this year. Those three international sites join Los Angeles; Aspen, Colo.; and Tignes, France, as the six locations that will play host to the X Games (summer or winter editions) this year. 

ESPN currently is soliciting host site proposals from North American venues for 2014 to 2016 and 2015 to 2017. The official list of interested cities/venues, listed below, was released earlier today by ESPN. 

Qualified Cities - Representing Entity/Facility

Aspen/Snowmass, Colorado (winter) - Aspen Skiing Company

Atlanta, Georgia (summer) - Atlanta Sports Council

Austin, Texas (summer) - Circuit of the Americas

Charlotte, North Carolina (summer) - Charlotte Motor Speedway

Chicago, Illinois (summer) - Chicago Sports Commission

Detroit, Michigan (summer) - Action Sports Detroit, LLC

Fort Worth, Texas (summer) - Texas Motor Speedway

Houston, Texas (summer) - Harris County - Houston Sports Authority

Lake Tahoe, California/Nevada (winter) - Lake Tahoe Sports Organizing Committee

Long Beach, California (summer) - Coast Competitions of Long Beach

Minneapolis, Minnesota (summer) - Meet Minneapolis, Convention & Visitors Assoc.

Montreal, Canada (summer) - Gestev, Inc.

New Orleans, Louisiana (summer) - Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation

Park City, Utah (winter) - Park City, Utah

Pasadena, California (summer) - The Rose Bowl Stadium

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (summer) - Philadelphia Sports Congress/Comcast-Spectacor

Quebec City/Le Massif de Charlevoix, Canada (winter) - Quebec Snow Sport Events, Inc./Gestev, Inc.