12-15-2005, 05:11 PM
ThatsRacin.com
Talladega Superspeedway announced Thursday that the 2.66-mile track will be completely repaved with asphalt after next April's race and will be done in time for next year's UAW-Ford 500 in October. The track hasn't been repaved since 1979.
"Twenty-six years has certainly been a long time to go without necessitating a project this extensive, so there is no question that the time has come for us to repave," track president Grant Lynch said. "It will ensure that Talladega Superspeedway continues to uphold its reputation for the most exciting, most competitive racing throughout the entire NASCAR circuit for years to come.
"If our track history is any indication, it will increase the level of competitiveness. The first race held here after our last repaving project was one of the most exciting on the record books."
A portable asphalt plant will be moved to track grounds this month, with working beginning in February. Trial batches of asphalt will be tested on speedway property before on-track work begins.
The track opened in September 1969 with the Talladega 500, a race boycotted by 37 of NASCAR's top drivers because of concerns over tires shredding at the high speeds. Richard Brickhouse won the event, but the track was repaved in time for the 1970 season. A new coat of asphalt was laid again in 1979.
"The track hasn't been paved since 1979, which was when my dad won Rookie of the Year," five-time Talladega winner Dale Earnhardt Jr. said. "So the new asphalt will definitely make for much smoother and more competitive racing. The current surface has provided a lot of great races at Talladega over the years, and I'm looking forward to many more exciting races and wins there."
Talladega is known as a relatively easy track on tires, but the new surface should enhance the already exciting racing.
"Everyone should be able to hold it wide-open all the way around the whole day," Nextel Cup champion Tony Stewart said. "The fastest car will rise to the top."
"Repaving is something you've got to do every now and then. It's part of what racing is all about. And in Talladega's case, to go that many years without having to repave a race track is pretty impressive. It shows how good a job Talladega Superspeedway has done of maintaining their facility and their race track. I'm pretty impressed with what they've been able to do. Hopefully this new surface will last them another 30 or 40 years."
Talladega Superspeedway holds NASCAR records for most lead changes (75, May 6,1984) and leaders (26, most recently April 22, 2001).
"Talladega's surface is one that the weather and other things have taken a toll on over the years," said Dale Jarrett, the most recent winner there. "Putting a new surface down should make the racing even more exciting."
"We won't be dealing with a single-groove track that some other resurfacing projects have presented at other tracks because it is a different type of racing. If anything, where the present surface limits us on what we can run as far as springs we run because of the bumps and dips, this should allow us more options and to really get the cars down which will make for some good side-by-side racing, or I should say side-by-side-by-side racing."
Talladega Superspeedway announced Thursday that the 2.66-mile track will be completely repaved with asphalt after next April's race and will be done in time for next year's UAW-Ford 500 in October. The track hasn't been repaved since 1979.
"Twenty-six years has certainly been a long time to go without necessitating a project this extensive, so there is no question that the time has come for us to repave," track president Grant Lynch said. "It will ensure that Talladega Superspeedway continues to uphold its reputation for the most exciting, most competitive racing throughout the entire NASCAR circuit for years to come.
"If our track history is any indication, it will increase the level of competitiveness. The first race held here after our last repaving project was one of the most exciting on the record books."
A portable asphalt plant will be moved to track grounds this month, with working beginning in February. Trial batches of asphalt will be tested on speedway property before on-track work begins.
The track opened in September 1969 with the Talladega 500, a race boycotted by 37 of NASCAR's top drivers because of concerns over tires shredding at the high speeds. Richard Brickhouse won the event, but the track was repaved in time for the 1970 season. A new coat of asphalt was laid again in 1979.
"The track hasn't been paved since 1979, which was when my dad won Rookie of the Year," five-time Talladega winner Dale Earnhardt Jr. said. "So the new asphalt will definitely make for much smoother and more competitive racing. The current surface has provided a lot of great races at Talladega over the years, and I'm looking forward to many more exciting races and wins there."
Talladega is known as a relatively easy track on tires, but the new surface should enhance the already exciting racing.
"Everyone should be able to hold it wide-open all the way around the whole day," Nextel Cup champion Tony Stewart said. "The fastest car will rise to the top."
"Repaving is something you've got to do every now and then. It's part of what racing is all about. And in Talladega's case, to go that many years without having to repave a race track is pretty impressive. It shows how good a job Talladega Superspeedway has done of maintaining their facility and their race track. I'm pretty impressed with what they've been able to do. Hopefully this new surface will last them another 30 or 40 years."
Talladega Superspeedway holds NASCAR records for most lead changes (75, May 6,1984) and leaders (26, most recently April 22, 2001).
"Talladega's surface is one that the weather and other things have taken a toll on over the years," said Dale Jarrett, the most recent winner there. "Putting a new surface down should make the racing even more exciting."
"We won't be dealing with a single-groove track that some other resurfacing projects have presented at other tracks because it is a different type of racing. If anything, where the present surface limits us on what we can run as far as springs we run because of the bumps and dips, this should allow us more options and to really get the cars down which will make for some good side-by-side racing, or I should say side-by-side-by-side racing."
They call it PROGRESSIVE but I call it screwing with a good thing.