Post by TesT on Apr 19, 2006 6:49:50 GMT -5
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Martin thrilled with Lowe's repaving
By JENNA FRYER, AP Motorsports Writer
April 18, 2006
CONCORD, N.C. (AP) -- If there's anything wrong with the freshly paved surface at Lowe's Motor Speedway, Mark Martin would be the driver to find it.
It took him one lap in a street car Tuesday to learn his favorite race track was as good as ever.
``Most everybody in motorsports knows that this is the race track that sets the standard in my world -- it's the greatest race track to me -- and the new pavement looks beautiful,'' he raved. ``The race track still has every bit of the same personality as it did.
``Couldn't have asked for a more awesome job. I am very confident we are going to have a great surface to race on.''
Martin's assessment was the stamp of approval Lowe's officials had been hoping for. They spent $3 million this winter to repave the surface and have been crossing their fingers that the project was successful.
Track president Humpy Wheeler tried to stall the paving project last year by using a cheaper grinding process called ``levigating'' that he used in spots to smooth out the trademark bumps in the surface and create more side-by-side racing.
The project didn't really work and there were a NASCAR-record 22 cautions during the Coca-Cola 600 last May. So Wheeler went back over the summer and levigated the rest of the surface.
Only that was a disaster.
The surface was way too slick in October, creating a hazardous situation that caused tires to pop like balloons during any extended runs.
Martin was furious about the state of the track.
``It's just messed up now,'' he said during a test last September. ``Humpy has tried to make it better ... but he shouldn't have tried to manipulate this race track in the first place. I don't know why it had to be more exciting for the fans than it was, because it was a great racetrack.''
Now that the track has been repaved, Martin couldn't be more pleased.
He ran six laps in a Stage 2 Roush Mustang, hitting about 90 mph as he carefully examined the surface. He was thrilled the moment he got to Turn 1 of his first lap.
``That's silk smooth,'' Martin said. ``This is where the real character is -- this is a Charlotte character how that banking falls away. It's a non-issue.
``This corner is smooth, bumps are gone. Everything is really good here.''
Martin acknowledged that the smooth surface will be fast, a precaution Goodyear officials have prepared for by designing a new tire compound to use during the May races. NASCAR is also prepared for the increased speeds, mandating smaller fuel tanks be used there next month.
Cars will go to 14-gallon tanks at Lowe's rather than the normal 22-gallon tanks to create more pit stops for gas, preventing long runs that would put stress on the tires.
The smaller fuel cells is the one change Martin doesn't favor.
``I understand what they were trying to do, but I'm not a big fan of it,'' he said. ``If we run into marginal tire durability, then it will be a good thing. (But) you're going to have to pit every time the caution comes out.
``What I want is old school racing. I want a fuel stop. I want to run 80 or 100 miles of green-flag racing. I don't want run five laps and have a caution, run five more and have a caution.''
Martin thrilled with Lowe's repaving
By JENNA FRYER, AP Motorsports Writer
April 18, 2006
CONCORD, N.C. (AP) -- If there's anything wrong with the freshly paved surface at Lowe's Motor Speedway, Mark Martin would be the driver to find it.
It took him one lap in a street car Tuesday to learn his favorite race track was as good as ever.
``Most everybody in motorsports knows that this is the race track that sets the standard in my world -- it's the greatest race track to me -- and the new pavement looks beautiful,'' he raved. ``The race track still has every bit of the same personality as it did.
``Couldn't have asked for a more awesome job. I am very confident we are going to have a great surface to race on.''
Martin's assessment was the stamp of approval Lowe's officials had been hoping for. They spent $3 million this winter to repave the surface and have been crossing their fingers that the project was successful.
Track president Humpy Wheeler tried to stall the paving project last year by using a cheaper grinding process called ``levigating'' that he used in spots to smooth out the trademark bumps in the surface and create more side-by-side racing.
The project didn't really work and there were a NASCAR-record 22 cautions during the Coca-Cola 600 last May. So Wheeler went back over the summer and levigated the rest of the surface.
Only that was a disaster.
The surface was way too slick in October, creating a hazardous situation that caused tires to pop like balloons during any extended runs.
Martin was furious about the state of the track.
``It's just messed up now,'' he said during a test last September. ``Humpy has tried to make it better ... but he shouldn't have tried to manipulate this race track in the first place. I don't know why it had to be more exciting for the fans than it was, because it was a great racetrack.''
Now that the track has been repaved, Martin couldn't be more pleased.
He ran six laps in a Stage 2 Roush Mustang, hitting about 90 mph as he carefully examined the surface. He was thrilled the moment he got to Turn 1 of his first lap.
``That's silk smooth,'' Martin said. ``This is where the real character is -- this is a Charlotte character how that banking falls away. It's a non-issue.
``This corner is smooth, bumps are gone. Everything is really good here.''
Martin acknowledged that the smooth surface will be fast, a precaution Goodyear officials have prepared for by designing a new tire compound to use during the May races. NASCAR is also prepared for the increased speeds, mandating smaller fuel tanks be used there next month.
Cars will go to 14-gallon tanks at Lowe's rather than the normal 22-gallon tanks to create more pit stops for gas, preventing long runs that would put stress on the tires.
The smaller fuel cells is the one change Martin doesn't favor.
``I understand what they were trying to do, but I'm not a big fan of it,'' he said. ``If we run into marginal tire durability, then it will be a good thing. (But) you're going to have to pit every time the caution comes out.
``What I want is old school racing. I want a fuel stop. I want to run 80 or 100 miles of green-flag racing. I don't want run five laps and have a caution, run five more and have a caution.''