Texas Motor Speedway will "repave its track" after a season in which "every race had weather-related delays," according to Drew Davison of the FT. WORTH STAR-TELEGRAM. TMS President Eddie Gossage on Friday said, "The real reason we’re doing this is the fans. We felt like it was something we had to do to ensure when the fans come to the racetrack that the track is going to dry quickly and we can get back to racing and they can get what they came for." Gossage "wouldn’t discuss the estimated cost of the project, but the typical price tag for these types of things" is around $5M. Gossage said that the goal is to "have it completed by March 1," a little more than a month before the April 7-9 NASCAR weekend. TMS "last repaved its track" in the summer of '01. The project will also include "construction of an extensive drainage system and a re-profiling of the 1.5-mile track that reduces the banking in Turns 1 and 2 by four degrees and widens the racing surface from 60 to 80 feet." The reduced banking should "decrease lap speeds and open up additional passing opportunities for drivers, something that is aimed at providing more action for fans" (FT. WORTH STAR-TELEGRAM, 1/7). USA TODAY's Brant James noted SMI-owned Atlanta Motor Speedway also will repave "after its March 5 race and Kentucky Speedway was refurbished after last season." Drivers "loathe to accept the need to repave worn tracks are in for disappointments this season" (USATODAY.com, 1/6).
