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After 11 winters the mile-and-a-half Kansas Speedway has undergone a repave.
And four-time Sprint Cup champion, Jeff Gordon, thinks it makes the track a wildcard in the Chase.
Not only was the surface repaved but a 20-degree variable banking has been put in place.
After a two-hour open test, on Wednesday, Gordon said ““I look at it as a new race track,” Gordon said. “We don't think of it from any notes that we had from this track in the past. We pretty much just start from scratch. It's like going to a brand new race track somewhere else. It looks completely different than it ever did before.”
The 47-cars testing at the Speedway included four of the 2013 models. Thirty of them turned a faster lap than the current track qualifying record of 180.856 mph set by Matt Kenseth in 2005. Greg Biffle turned the fastest lap of the test session at 184.900 (29.205 seconds).
The teams testing the 2013 cars were Michael Waltrip Racing, Penske Racing, Earnhardt Ganassi Racing and Wood Brothers Racing.
“This track went to being pretty abrasive and wearing the tires out to now it's smooth and super fast,” Gordon said. “We're having fun out there, going really fast and having a lot of grip and testing and trying a lot of new things. That part of it is very interesting and fun.”
“It's really smooth and fast,” said Biffle. “It reminds me a lot of the other repaves; pretty good, not real bumpy and you can feel the grooves in the pavement going from one lane to another. The tire is super hard. It's hard to get going, it takes about 10 laps before the car has real good grip, but it's getting better. Hopefully by Friday the tire will fire off a little bit better with more rubber on the track. Turns 3 and 4 have a tremendous amount of grip with the repave, but 1 and 2 feel pretty much the same to me. I think it's going to be a good race Sunday, we need to get the track widened out with more rubber on it. Typically, the first repaves might be a little more single file as people kind of are exploring the track a little bit.”
“Eventually the groove will move up naturally, and I think the second or third groove very well could be one of the fastest ways around,” said Robin Pemberton, NASCAR vice president of competition.
“I think it will be a good race and I think as the weekend goes the groove will start widening out and moving up,” said Joey Logano. “You can see it now it's moving up little bit by little.”
Testing will continue on Thursdsay.
And four-time Sprint Cup champion, Jeff Gordon, thinks it makes the track a wildcard in the Chase.
Not only was the surface repaved but a 20-degree variable banking has been put in place.
After a two-hour open test, on Wednesday, Gordon said ““I look at it as a new race track,” Gordon said. “We don't think of it from any notes that we had from this track in the past. We pretty much just start from scratch. It's like going to a brand new race track somewhere else. It looks completely different than it ever did before.”
The 47-cars testing at the Speedway included four of the 2013 models. Thirty of them turned a faster lap than the current track qualifying record of 180.856 mph set by Matt Kenseth in 2005. Greg Biffle turned the fastest lap of the test session at 184.900 (29.205 seconds).
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| Photo: NASCAR |
The teams testing the 2013 cars were Michael Waltrip Racing, Penske Racing, Earnhardt Ganassi Racing and Wood Brothers Racing.
“This track went to being pretty abrasive and wearing the tires out to now it's smooth and super fast,” Gordon said. “We're having fun out there, going really fast and having a lot of grip and testing and trying a lot of new things. That part of it is very interesting and fun.”
“It's really smooth and fast,” said Biffle. “It reminds me a lot of the other repaves; pretty good, not real bumpy and you can feel the grooves in the pavement going from one lane to another. The tire is super hard. It's hard to get going, it takes about 10 laps before the car has real good grip, but it's getting better. Hopefully by Friday the tire will fire off a little bit better with more rubber on the track. Turns 3 and 4 have a tremendous amount of grip with the repave, but 1 and 2 feel pretty much the same to me. I think it's going to be a good race Sunday, we need to get the track widened out with more rubber on it. Typically, the first repaves might be a little more single file as people kind of are exploring the track a little bit.”
“Eventually the groove will move up naturally, and I think the second or third groove very well could be one of the fastest ways around,” said Robin Pemberton, NASCAR vice president of competition.
“I think it will be a good race and I think as the weekend goes the groove will start widening out and moving up,” said Joey Logano. “You can see it now it's moving up little bit by little.”
Testing will continue on Thursdsay.