NASCAR Sprint-Cup Series
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CUP: Is Kansas The New Michigan?
Matt Kenseth participated in the August tire test at Kansas Speedway…
Tom Jensen  |  Posted October 18, 2012   Kansas City, KS
Matt Kenseth drives the No. 17 Ford at repaved and reconfigured Kansas Speedway. (Photo: LAT Photographic)
When Michigan International Speedway was repaved earlier this year, the results were staggering: Marcos Ambrose put his No. 9 Richard Petty Motorsports on the pole for the June race with a lap of 203.241 miles per hour.

The Aussie was one of 19 drivers who qualified at over 200 mph at a track where the prior record was 194.232 mph, set by Ryan Newman in 2005.

The high speeds caused blistering, and NASCAR changed left-side tire compounds for the race, which came off without incident.

This week, the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series is at Kansas Speedway for the first time since it was repaved and reconfigured with progressive banking that runs from 17 to 20 degrees in the corners, vs. the old consistent 15 degree banking.

The Cup teams got on track at Kansas Wednesday and were to continue testing again Thursday.

So far, veteran Matt Kenseth said testing at the new Kansas is pretty much like testing at MIS, after it was repaved.

“It’s the same tire as (raced at) Michigan,” said Kenseth, the 2003 NASCAR Sprint Cup champion. “I thought when we tested here the first time it felt like it had a lot less grip than Michigan, I think, just because we didn’t have the track wore in – kind of like the first time we went to Phoenix or actually the first time at Michigan as well. So I think it feels good. It feels like the same tire as Michigan.”

Kenseth said the track surface seemed familiar as well.

“I think it’s the same asphalt – all the same people are making the mix for it and putting it down basically, so, to me, the track is still shaped like it was, although the banking changes a little bit, but everything looks familiar,” said Kenseth. “It looks like Kansas and the race track, and the tire feels just like the last couple times at Michigan, to me, or at least the last time there.”

Kenseth, a lame duck at Roush Fenway Racing, is testing the existing 2012 Ford Fusion for his team.

Fellow Ford racer Trevor Bayne, who drives part-time for Wood Brothers Racing, on Wednesday piloted the totally re-designed 2013 Ford Fusion, which looks completely different.

“I’m not sure how the 2012 cars are, but the track is just really slick outside the groove, so, hopefully, that moves up pretty quick,” said Bayne. “I notice the transitions going off of pit road and onto the race track are pretty steep here, so that will definitely force us to blend later on the straightaway in the race, but, other than that, the track is pretty awesome. I think it’s gonna be fun to race on and, hopefully, it gets widened out and really smooth.”

Tom Jensen is the Editor in Chief of SPEED.com, Senior NASCAR Editor at RACER and a contributing Editor for TruckSeries.com. You can follow him online at twitter.com/tomjensen100.
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