The promoter of Thunderhill Raceway in Kyle said Oct. 25 she will no longer offer races at the NASCAR-sanctioned track in Kyle after negotiations to renew her lease failed.
The facility is being renamed the Kyle Music and Events Center, she said.
"It was such a tough decision to make, and I'm moving forward with a heavy heart," said Mary Ann Naumann, owner of MAN Racing Promotions, in a statement. "Thunderhill Raceway has been an important part of my life ever since it opened 14 years ago. I dearly love my racing family, and I know it will be very difficult for me to no longer be a part of stock car racing at Thunderhill Raceway."
In the statement, Naumann said the terms of the proposed lease were "just too demanding to even possibly consider." Phone calls to Naumann and the track's primary lease holder, Tim Self of Armadillo Promotions, were not immediately returned.
Ray Hernandez, the Kyle Area Chamber of Commerce executive director, said he had not spoken to either party.
"Thunderhill Raceway was very heavily invested in a variety of different aspects, not just in the business community but the community at large," he said. "They were good business citizens not just in Kyle but throughout the San Marcos and Central Texas area."
Thunderhill became a NASCAR-sanctioned track in 2011 and held stock car racing events from March to October. The venue, off I-35 at Yarrington Road, has also been a site for concerts and events such as the Kyle Fair and Music Festival held Oct. 18–21.