READING, S.T.E.M., AND ART CHALLENGES LIE AHEAD FOR 3,750 DFW ELEMENTARY STUDENTS IN SPEEDING TO READ PROGRAM

MISSION STATEMENT: WHY WE DO WHAT WE DO

Texas Motor Speedway’s Speeding To Read program utilizes motorsports, NASCAR and INDYCAR drivers, and its races to incentivize elementary school children to read more frequently and enrich their educational experience and future.

PROGRAM OVERVIEW

Speeding To Read, named the “Best Youth Marketing Initiative” for 2014 by the NASCAR industry, is an incentive-based, NASCAR and INDYCAR–themed reading program created by Texas Motor Speedway in 2011 to encourage elementary school students to read more frequently during the school year. The reading guidelines have been established by elementary school principals and administrators to coincide with their reading programs.

Student bodies are split into two divisions – kindergarten through second grade and third through fifth grade – with individuals, classrooms and schools competing against each other to read the most books and earn the title of Speeding To Read champions.

At each of the four turns (or quarters during a school year), Texas Motor Speedway provides trophies to the top individuals and a year-round plaque for each school to recognize their top K-2 and 3-5 classrooms through each turn. At year’s end, the top individuals, classrooms and school champions are recognized and earn an array of prizes ranging from trophies to race tickets.

Speeding To Read kicks off in September with “Start Your Reading Engines” assemblies at all the schools competing in the program. Texas Motor Speedway plays host to the Speeding To Read Championship Assembly in May to crown the individual, classroom and school champions with NASCAR and INDYCAR drivers serving as special guests at the events. For 2017-18, Texas Motor Speedway will play host to two championship assemblies on consecutive days in May to accommodate the number of schools and students.

PROGRAM HISTORY

Texas Motor Speedway partnered with Northwest ISD’s Clara Love Elementary in Justin for the pilot program with its 625 students and faculty in the 2011-12 school year. It was deemed a success by school administrators as 96 percent of the student body met their reading goals and read more than 80,000 books. As a result, the program was expanded in the Northwest ISD and the district has become a foundation for schools participating annually.

With Northwest ISD serving as the anchor district annually, Texas Motor Speedway began an outreach to add pilot programs in other Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex districts beginning in the 2013-14 school year.

Since the program’s inception, Speeding To Read has enriched a total of 64 schools and 35,735 students and the group collectively has read more than 5.2 million books.

Speeding To Read enjoyed a record-setting season in 2017-18 with 12,061 students from 21 schools taking part in the competition. The number of students and schools nearly doubled the previous high marks for the program. That group also represented seven of the 25 largest ISDs in Dallas/Fort Worth and they combined to read a program-record 1,568,670 books.

2011-19 PROGRAM STATS

SCHOOLS

CHILDREN

BOOKS READ

Speeding To Read Historical Thumbnail

2018-19

Schools: 14 – B.B. Owen (Lewisville ISD), Brent (Little Elm ISD), Carl E. Schluter (Northwest ISD), Carter Park (Fort Worth ISD), Diamond Hill (Fort Worth ISD), Dolores Huerta (Fort Worth ISD), Homestead (Lewisville ISD), Jay R. Thompson (Mesquite ISD), Price (Mesquite ISD), Ruby Shaw (Mesquite ISD), Sidney H. Poynter (Crowley ISD), S.M. Seabourn (Mesquite ISD), Stewart’s Creek (Lewisville ISD), Tom C. Gooch (Dallas ISD).

Books Read: 242,877

Division Champions: Homestead (Burnout Division); B.B. Owen (Horsepower Division); Carl E. Schluter (Lug Nut Division); Diamond Hill (Pit Stop Division)

Conference Champions: B.B. Owen (Frontstretch Conference); Homestead (Backstretch Conference)

Overall Champion: B.B. Owen (100% of the student body met its goal)

2017-18

Schools: 21 – B.B. Owen, Black, Brent, Cannaday, Carter Park, Diamond Hill, E.P. Rayzor, Hargrave, Henrie, Homestead, Hughes, Lakeview, Manuel Jara, Marsalis, McAuliffe, Peters Colony, Shands, Seven Hills, Stewart’s Creek, Tom C. Gooch, Vickery.

Students: 12,061

Books Read: 1,568,670 (program record)

Division Champions: Diamond Hill (Lug Nut), Rayzor (Horsepower), Lakeview (Burnout), B.B. Owen (Pit Stop)

Conference Champions: Rayzor (Frontstretch), B.B. Owen (Backstretch)

Overall Champion: (tie) B.B. Owen, Rayzor (100% of the student bodies met their goals)

2016-17

Schools: 10 – B.B. Owen, Brent, Cox, Carroll Peak, E.P. Rayzor, Hatfield, J.A. Hargrave, Justin, Nathan Adams, Tom C. Gooch

Students: 5,049

Books Read: 678,887

Division Champions: Justin (Frontstretch); (tie) B.B. Owen, E.P. Rayzor (Backstretch)

Overall Champion: (tie) E.P. Rayzor, B.B. Owen (100% of the student bodies met their goals)

2015-16

Schools: 11 – Carroll Peak, E.P. Rayzor, J.A. Hargrave, Nathan Adams, Northbrook, O.A. Peterson, Old Settlers, Riverside Applied Learning Center, Rockbrook, Samuel Beck, Sendera Ranch

Students: 6,500

Books Read: 1,098,074

Division champions: Samuel Beck (Frontstretch), E.P. Rayzor (Backstretch)

Overall champion: E.P. Rayzor (100% of student body met their reading goals)

2014-15

Schools: 7 – Roanoke, E.P. Rayzor, Nance, J.C. Thompson, Eagle Mountain, Carroll Peak, Riverside Applied Learning Center

Students: 3,500

Books Read: 533,707

Division champions: E.P. Rayzor (Frontstretch), Nance (Backstretch)

Overall champion: E.P. Rayzor (99% of student body met their reading goals)

2013-14
Schools: 11 – Clara Love, E.P. Rayzor, Roanoke, Kay Granger, Samuel Beck, Chisholm Ridge, J.C. Thompson, Prairie View, Carl E. Schluter, Haslet, Sendera Ranch

Students: 6,500

Books Read: 1,020,027

Division champions: E.P. Rayzor (Frontstretch), Clara Love (Backstretch), Roanoke (Pit Road).

Overall champion: Roanoke (97% of student body met their reading goals)

2012-13
Schools: 3 – Clara Love, Justin, Hatfield

Students: 1,500

Books Read: 283,208

Champion: (tie) Clara Love, Justin (97% of student body met their reading goals)

2011-12
Schools: 1 – Clara Love

Students: 625

Books Read: 80,083

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