CUP: Kansas Repave Pushes Speeds Much Higher

Sprint Cup

CUP: Kansas Repave Pushes Speeds Much Higher

30 drivers broke the Kansas qualifying record in test runs Wednesday afternoon...

Mike Hembree | Posted October 17, 2012 Kansas City, KS

Crew members set up a 2013 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet, driven by Josh Wise, during NASCAR testing at Kansas Speedway on October 17, 2012. (Photo: Jamie Squire/Getty Images for NASCAR)

The repaving that greeted Sprint Cup drivers at Kansas Speedway Wednesday produced some blistering laps as many teams tested the track for the first time.

Thirty of the 47 drivers who ran in the rain-shortened two-hour session broke the track qualifying record of 180.856 miles per hour set by Matt Kenseth.

The session’s fastest speed – 184.900 – was recorded by Greg Biffle, and 14 other drivers were over the 183 mark.

The faster times were expected with the full-course repave and increased banking in the turns.

Speeds are expected to increase even more during a four-hour testing session Thursday. Nationwide teams will test for four hours in the afternoon.

“We’re seeing what we’ve seen with most repaves,” said John Darby, Sprint Cup Series director. “It’s very green today, probably as green as since any race cars have been on it. Everybody started really fresh out of the box. Most of the comments you hear from a repave are consistent with what we’re hearing.”

Rain delayed the start of the session by two and one-half hours and shortened it from four to two hours.

As has been the case with most recent repaves, drivers spent much of the Wednesday session in the inside groove. Officials hope the racing space will be widened by Sunday with hours of practice, qualifying and racing scheduled over the next three days.

“The track went from being pretty abrasive and wearing the tires out to now it’s smooth and super-fast and the times don’t fall off,” Jeff Gordon said. “It’s like going to a whole new race track.

“It’s one of those necessary evils of our sport. You have to understand that tracks have to be repaved eventually. Pavement doesn’t last forever.

“Right now we’re all running the same groove. There’s maybe a groove and a foot. Turn three seems to have some flexibility there on entry. I think it will get wider. Three and four might get wider. Right now in one and two I think we’re right around the bottom. By Sunday it should get wider and wider and better and better.”

The new nature of the track will make track position and pit decisions much more important, Gordon said.

“You’re going to see track position be very, very important, and whether you pit or not will be extremely important,” he said. “The groove is probably not going to be real, real wide. There will be the potential for more accidents. But it’s going to be an exciting, interesting race no matter whether it’s a repave or not.”

Dale Earnhardt Jr. suffered a concussion while running tire tests at the track in August. Regan Smith drove Earnhardt Jr.’s No. 88 Chevrolet Wednesday and was ninth fastest.

Goodyear reported no problems with the tire compound chosen for Wednesday’s testing. It’s the same tire that was used in the August race at Michigan.

The tests included runs by four 2013 models from Penske Racing, Roush Fenway Racing, Earnhardt Ganassi Racing and Michael Waltrip Racing. Speeds for the 2013 cars were considerably slower. Brian Vickers had the fastest 2013 speed – 179.557.

Sprint Cup practice and qualifying and Nationwide practice are scheduled at the track Friday.

Mike Hembree is NASCAR Editor for SPEED.com and has been covering motorsports for 30 years. He is a six-time winner of the National Motorsports Press Association Writer of the Year Award.

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Mike Hembree

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