Updated at 4:32 p.m. with additional details, quotes throughout.
Starting Tuesday, Texas Motor Speedway will be home to the largest drive-thru vaccine clinic in Texas, and possibly in the country, Judge Andy Eads said Monday. The site aims to distribute vaccines to 10,000 people in a day.
The first clinic starts Tuesday at 7:30 a.m. for people who are already registered through Denton County and have an appointment. Two more clinics are planned to open at 7:30 a.m. Thursday and Friday, as well.
“We’ve got the space and they’ve got the supply so it’s the right place, right time. It’s always the right time to do the right thing,” said Texas Motor Speedway President and General Manager Eddie Gossage, of the partnership with Denton County.
Over the course of three days, the county aims to vaccinate an estimated 30,000 people who will receive appointments from the Denton County Vaccine Interest Portal.
There will be 16 drive-thru lanes and a target to vaccinate 1,000 people per hour, the news release said. Residents will stay in their vehicles as they receive the vaccines from Moderna and Pfizer.
“As important as this is we need to make sure this process runs as smoothly as possible,” said David Hart, VP of Public Relations for Texas Motor Speedway. “So make sure you’re registered and have confirmation that you’re in and then come out here and we will take care of you for sure.”
You do not have to be a resident of Denton County. But you do have to register through the Denton County site and have received an appointment verification.
No walk-ins will be allowed. Only people with appointments and proper identification will be allowed on site.
To sign up, go to DentonCounty.gov/vaccine and select the Vaccine Interest Portal.
And here’s another key piece of information, put this address into your phone navigation: 2401 Petty Place, Fort Worth.
It will direct you to the exact west entrance to Texas Motor Speedway where they want you to enter the drive-thru vaccination site.
As of Jan. 31, 2021, a total of 160,233 residents were on the waitlist.
The vaccines at Texas Motor Speedway will be given by medical personnel from Denton County Public Health, the Medical Reserve Corps and area fire departments, officials said.
The Texas Motor Speedway was a logical choice for the clinic with its 131-acre parking lots, officials said in a news release Monday.
"The goal for the incredible scale of these clinics is to get as many North Texans vaccinated as quickly as possible which, in turn, will eventually allow everyone to safely open back up as soon as possible," said Gossage.
“This is the largest drive-through clinic we know of in the state and, possibly, the U.S.,” said Denton County Judge Andy Eads.
