Post by dalejrfan on May 3, 2006 8:47:34 GMT -5
CONCORD, N.C. – Lowe's Motor Speedway's $3.5 million repaving project got rave reviews from Nextel Cup drivers Tuesday, their first day on the new surface.
Goodyear's choice of a harder tire for this month's NASCAR races at the track didn't fare nearly as well.
"Rubber restrictor plates" is how one crew chief described the tires, which are of a harder compound and similar to those used at Daytona and Talladega.
In at least one respect the comparison to the carburetor restrictor plates, used to slow cars at NASCAR's biggest tracks, was accurate.
The top speed recorded in the afternoon test session at the track was 180.620 mph by Kevin Harvick. Only four other drivers eclipsed the 180 mph mark after the first session.
"The speeds are slower now because you have to let off (the accelerator) a lot sooner than before. I don't think the track has lost grip, but the tire just has less grip," said Bobby Labonte, one of the drivers who participated in Goodyear's first test after the resurfacing was completed.
"You can't be as aggressive as you could before. It's the same track, but it's just a different tire."
By Tuesday evening, there had been eight incidents on the track, with the most serious wrecks involving Kurt Busch and Martin Truex Jr., who both demolished their cars.
None of the incidents appeared to involve blown tires, which plagued Charlotte's two Nextel Cup races last season.
"In the beginning of the day it was real slick out there, there wasn't a whole lot of grip. The more rubber that has been able to be put down, the better the track surface has been getting," said rookie Kyle Busch.
"The track pavement job is excellent. The tires – they're just a little too hard."
Busch's Hendrick Motorsports teammate, Brian Vickers, was more emphatic.
"The tire is just way, way, way too hard. Obviously, if it's too soft, you can end up blowing a tire. But this one is definitely taking it to the extreme," he said.
"I don't think you're going to see any tire problems. You'll probably see fuel mileage come into play at the end of the race."
Following the second Goodyear tire test last month, NASCAR mandated a smaller fuel cell be used at the Charlotte races in May.
For the Coca-Cola 600, that translates into about a dozen pit stops if the race remains green the entire 400 laps. With the likelihood of wrecks and other cautions, teams could see upwards of 20 pit stops during the four-hour-plus race.
"It looks like there will be a lot of ‘gas-and-goes' from what we see," said Tommy Baldwin, crew chief for driver Elliott Sadler. "It's going to be interesting. They threw another wrench in the game.
"I think it will be good to get these two days of testing in, plus the Busch test (next week) and then the all-star weekend to get some more rubber on the track.
"By the middle of May this is looking like a pretty good race track."
Goodyear's choice of a harder tire for this month's NASCAR races at the track didn't fare nearly as well.
"Rubber restrictor plates" is how one crew chief described the tires, which are of a harder compound and similar to those used at Daytona and Talladega.
In at least one respect the comparison to the carburetor restrictor plates, used to slow cars at NASCAR's biggest tracks, was accurate.
The top speed recorded in the afternoon test session at the track was 180.620 mph by Kevin Harvick. Only four other drivers eclipsed the 180 mph mark after the first session.
"The speeds are slower now because you have to let off (the accelerator) a lot sooner than before. I don't think the track has lost grip, but the tire just has less grip," said Bobby Labonte, one of the drivers who participated in Goodyear's first test after the resurfacing was completed.
"You can't be as aggressive as you could before. It's the same track, but it's just a different tire."
By Tuesday evening, there had been eight incidents on the track, with the most serious wrecks involving Kurt Busch and Martin Truex Jr., who both demolished their cars.
None of the incidents appeared to involve blown tires, which plagued Charlotte's two Nextel Cup races last season.
"In the beginning of the day it was real slick out there, there wasn't a whole lot of grip. The more rubber that has been able to be put down, the better the track surface has been getting," said rookie Kyle Busch.
"The track pavement job is excellent. The tires – they're just a little too hard."
Busch's Hendrick Motorsports teammate, Brian Vickers, was more emphatic.
"The tire is just way, way, way too hard. Obviously, if it's too soft, you can end up blowing a tire. But this one is definitely taking it to the extreme," he said.
"I don't think you're going to see any tire problems. You'll probably see fuel mileage come into play at the end of the race."
Following the second Goodyear tire test last month, NASCAR mandated a smaller fuel cell be used at the Charlotte races in May.
For the Coca-Cola 600, that translates into about a dozen pit stops if the race remains green the entire 400 laps. With the likelihood of wrecks and other cautions, teams could see upwards of 20 pit stops during the four-hour-plus race.
"It looks like there will be a lot of ‘gas-and-goes' from what we see," said Tommy Baldwin, crew chief for driver Elliott Sadler. "It's going to be interesting. They threw another wrench in the game.
"I think it will be good to get these two days of testing in, plus the Busch test (next week) and then the all-star weekend to get some more rubber on the track.
"By the middle of May this is looking like a pretty good race track."