Start over from scratch: Race weekend at TMS stirs up track reconfiguration rumors – The Dallas Morning News

FORT WORTH Reigning NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Larson has a not-so-subtle suggestion for improving the quality of racing on Texas Motor Speedways uniquely banked 1.5-mile oval.

Fire up the bulldozers, Speedway Motorsports hierarchy, and have at it.

I would like them to demolish this place first and then start over from scratch, Larson said Saturday in the infield media center. The quality of racing here in NASCARs three national touring series and the NTT IndyCar Series has come under increasing driver, fan and media scrutiny since completion of a major improvement project in March 2017.

Rumors about an offseason reconfiguration and repaving emerged as a hot topic heading into Sundays 18th annual AutoTrader EchoPark Automotive 500.

Announced on Jan. 6, 2017, by Speedway Motorsports president and CEO Marcus Smith and former TMS president and general manager Eddie Gossage, the key element was reduction of the banking in turns one and two from 24 to 20 degrees. The turn one apron also was flattened and widened. The banking in turns three and four remained at 24 degrees, and the entire layout was repaved. The intent was to break TMS out of the cookie-cutter mold associated with intermediate tracks and create added passing opportunities.

Complicating the issue, however, is the fact NASCAR continues to apply a traction compound that if not properly heat-activated reduces the racing surface to a single bottom lane. That compound has proved especially problematic for passing in the IndyCar Series.

Well, for one, they did a very poor job with the reconfiguration, initial reconfiguration, said Larson, the Hendrick Motorsports ace who won this playoff event last October. I think I would like to see them go change it from your mile-and-a-half to something shorter. If I could build a track, itd probably be a three-quarter-mile Bristol basically pavement and progressive banking, all that. I dont know if thats even possible here but anything would be better than what they did.

Reconfiguration rumors ramped up on social media over the summer, led by a possible change to the recent revamping of the 1.54-mile Atlanta Motor Speedway. AMS banking was increased from 24 to 28 degrees and its tarmac narrowed from 55 to 45 feet weed the latter element resembling the width of the 2.5-mile Daytona International Speedway.

Smith declined to address the rumor earlier this month in a series of emailed questions pertaining to the August hiring of Mark Faber as TMS third chief executive.

John Sturbin is a senior writer atRacinToday.com, based in Fort Worth. He can be contacted atjsturbin@racintoday.com.

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Start over from scratch: Race weekend at TMS stirs up track reconfiguration rumors - The Dallas Morning News