The first Samsung 500 race was held in 2002 and that inaugural race was won by Matt Kenseth. Before that the Samsung 500 race was known as the Harrah's 500, before that DirecTV 500. Samsung has been the longest major sponsor of the event, having seen 9 starts under their sponsorship, and this longevity has allowed the Samsung 500 race to grow in popularity and history.
The Samsung 500 race is run at the Texas Motor Speedway in Forth Worth, Texas. Because the Texas Motor Speedway track is 1.5 miles long, the Samsung 500 race actually covers 501 miles. The Texas Motor Speedway has the second fastest qualifying times in NASCAR, only recently being edged out by Atlanta. The fast qualifying times mean that holders of Samsung 500 tickets know they are going to see a great race. Because of the speeds drivers can reach on the track the corners had to be banked up to a huge 24 degrees to keep the cars on the speedway.
The winner of the 2009 Samsung 500 race was Jeff Gordon in his DuPont #24 Chevrolet, beating fellow driver Jimmie Johnson over the line by a mere 0.38 seconds. It is tight, exciting finishes like that which explain why Samsung 500 tickets sell out so fast. And it is the case of the early bird gets the worm because tickets for the next Samsung 500 race in April 2010 are already on sale. Keen racing fans will already have their Samsung 500 tickets and season pass holders will be keeping their Samsung 500 tickets for themselves.
If you consider yourself a NASCAR fan, or just a motor racing fan, you can not do better than heading down to Forth Worth next April for the Samsung 500 race. If you are planning on going, mark it in your calendar now and don't wait much long before buying your Samsung 500 tickets - they're going fast.