NASCAR dash Cup drivers praise Watkins Glen repave during tire verify

Kevin Harvick, Joey Logano, Carl Edwards, Kasey Kahne and Trevor Bayne all took half in the two-day tire verify, which doubled as a first glimpse on the achieved $12 million dollar repaving mission at the famed highway route.

WGI repave met with fantastic experiences

"i am surprised at how neatly the vehicles circulation around on the new surface. For the surface to allow us to movement around like we're, i am basically excited about that," Carl Edwards instructed Motorsport.com. "i was fearful that it became going to be in fact knife facet and actually hard to force. 

"I haven't been on the entire tires, but a couple instances, I've gotten relatively sideways and been in a position to relevant it with ease. and often with a brand new floor, this is tough."

"With the curbing the manner it was, there have been some actual hard spots that you just had to get just right and that they kind of smoothed some of that out, so or not it's a bit more forgiving," Edwards added when requested if there become anything else in specific that stood out to him.

Joey Logano observed that song officers did an "brilliant job" with the repave, the primary at WGI since 1989. "anytime you go to a music after a repave, the nerves instantly go up. Watkins Glen has at all times been a very good race track in the past, the final factor you are looking to see is it no longer be pretty much as good. however after showing up and doing a couple of laps here, or not it's nonetheless Watkins Glen. it's a lot of enjoyable."

selecting a tire compound 

Of route, groups are not just at WGI to get a believe for the brand new floor. Goodyear is trying out a variety of tire compounds forward of this August's NASCAR race weekend. And as Kasey Kahne notes, what they carry could be enormous in what form of reveal the enthusiasts see in upstate manhattan.

"I think (the racing) depends a whole lot on the tire. I think or not it's going to be very tough to pass. To me, on repaves when the music is easy and speedy and grippy, or not it's all to do with the tire if you are going to have respectable racing or now not. I consider Goodyear is aware of that.

"the day past, we tried 4 or 5 distinctive compounds, but now we've got narrowed it right down to three, at least for myself. i was on the handle tire this morning, which I think become ultimate 12 months's tire."

regarding the variety of racing this new floor will produce, Edwards believes that we that we will are expecting some greater errors, exceptionally down in the always treacherous bus cease chicane.

"Even by myself a couple times, the bus cease has been pretty enjoyable. we will be going quicker, so harder on the brakes and it will make it a bit greater dynamic, so that you'll see some guys  having more hindrance down there. That bus cease gets slender."

Getting a start on the competition

these who got the opportunity to examine right here this week are additionally getting a mild bounce on the competition, which places them forward for apply that weekend. As for what every firm is taking from this examine, it depends on who you ask, however Kasey Kahne had right here to say:

"I suppose for myself and my teammates at HMS ... or not it's the alterations with the track. The braking (and) the gear ratios are two things we are able to in fact be aware more advantageous than simply coming right here and never realizing. And the feel of the tune, which I don't believe has modified. or not it's in fact identical, smoother, but ordinary, it feels like the same Watkins Glen."

Kahne additionally cited that because of his need for more advantageous outcomes at the Glen, any bonus music time he can get is beneficial. "it be been a very good couple of days for me to be able to be right here and check out to determine this place out more suitable, it's at all times been a tricky track for me."

in fact, of the five drivers participating in the test, three of them have certainly not gained right here.