But Sidd Finch said it was so

Texas Motor Speedway on Tuesday announced "plans" to spend $900 million to put a 3.7 million square-foot roof over the 1.5-mile track, making it the first major domed speedway in motorsports history.

The fact that Tuesday was April 1 -- April Fool's Day -- was the most significant part of the press release.

The contractor for the "project", the release said, will be AFD Construction of Fort Worth (note the acronym). The project manager, it said, will be Sidd Finch. Those who know their April Fool's pranks recognize that name as the same as an outrageously talented New York Mets pitcher once featured in a Sports Illustrated issue dated April 1.

"The Houston Astrodome was known as the 'Eighth Wonder of the World,' so it is only fitting that Texas - and Texas Motor Speedway - will be the future home of the Ninth Wonder of the World,'" track president Eddie Gossage said. "This will be a massive undertaking."

The release said it would take crews of more than 1,000 workers more than 24 months to complete the work. The plans call for elaborate heating, air conditioning and exhaust systems to remove fumes and smoke generated by the cars.

A 1.3 million square-foot portion of the roof would be retractable. A new stadium being built -- no really, that actually is being built - for the Dallas Cowboys has a 745,800 square-foot retractable roof.

"It's only appropriate that we announce such an outlandish project like this on the first day of April," Gossage said. "We'd be foolish to think it would be possible."

Which, of course, it isn't.