One track will have a fresh coat of asphalt before the NASCAR circus returns to it in 2016.
Kentucky Speedway announced Tuesday that it will undergo its first-ever resurfacing in its 17-year history. In addition to repaving the entire 1.5-mile intermediate track, they will increase the banking in Turns 1 and 2 from 14 to 17 degrees, narrow the width of the turns from 74 to 56-feet, improve drainage and add over 3,000 feet of SAFER barrier.
The project will be completed before the tripleheader NASCAR race weekend July 7-9.
Kentucky Speedway General Manager Mark Simendinger explained their reasoning for the upcoming changes, saying, “Modifying Turns 1 and 2 will present an exciting challenge to the drivers while addressing issues of the track surface, SAFER barrier, and drainage will improve safety, which is always our paramount concern.”
Coordinating the repave will be Speedway Motorsports Inc. Vice President of Operations and Development, Steve Swift, who said, “We have assembled an excellent team, all of whom are familiar with the demands of speedway construction. I am excited about the finished product as we wanted to present a unique challenge to the drivers. This design, with Turns 1 and 2 completely different than 3 and 4, accomplishes that goal. The big winner will be the race fan.”
