Kentucky Speedway yesterday "announced a repave" for the 1.5-mile oval ahead of this July's NASCAR tripleheader weekend, according to Jonathan Lintner of the Louisville COURIER-JOURNAL. Banking will "increase in Turns 1 and 2," while more SAFER barriers are also "expected to be installed." Additionally, the speedway "promised better drainage after rains canceled a number of practice and qualifying sessions" in '15. And so a track now "known for its bumpy, rough surface will earn a reputation as an oval with two distinct corners," similar to Darlington Raceway and Phoenix Int'l Raceway. Opened in '00, Kentucky Speedway "was long due for a repave." Track GM Mark Simendinger often "compared the aged surface to an old, pliable baseball mitt, one you want to stick with until it's no longer suitable" (Louisville COURIER-JOURNAL, 1/6). USA TODAY's Jeff Gluck wrote drivers "probably won't be thrilled" by the changes, but they "had to be done." Kentucky's "worn-out surface was great for entertainment but not so great for weather." Even when it had not rained for hours, the track's "weepers" -- cracks in the surface that leaked water -- would "pour out little streams that threatened to delay or even postpone the racing." Last year, the weepers "washed out huge portions of the weekend schedule despite the track's best efforts." The track was "coming apart at the seams -- literally -- in some spots." Repaves "usually produce snoozers for the first few years until the track starts to age." And with the "high quality of asphalt in the modern age, it takes much longer for tracks to start putting on good shows." The speedway said that it will "try to use a 'curing process' with the asphalt to help in the aging of the track, but it's unclear what effect that might have" (USATODAY.com, 1/5).
