Darlington repaving sees big jump in speed
Quote selected text Published March 14th, 2008 in NASCAR News
Jeff Gordon, Greg Biffle and Ryan Newman not only found a smoother surface this week at Darlington Raceway, they found about 18 more mph.
Gordon’s Hendrick Motorsports’ Chevrolet, Biffle’s Roush Fenway Racing Ford and Newman’s Penske Racing Dodge took part in a Goodyear Tire test session at Darlington, which had just finished repaving its 58-year-old layout for the first time in 13 years.
Track president Chris Browning said all three racers were unofficially hitting 200 mph at the end of Darlington’s backstretch. Browning had said data from a tire test last year that showed an unofficial top speed of 182 mph.
“It is a big jump in speed,” Browning said by phone Thursday. “It got our attention. It got the drivers’ attention.”
There were plenty of reasons for the increase, Browning said.
First, the test featured three Darlington experts — Gordon’s won seven times at the track, Biffle has two wins, and Daytona 500 winner Newman’s won a pole in 2003 and finished in the top five four of the past five events here.
Second, the weather was cool and sunny.
And third, engineers could not recreate the same tire-chewing, abrasiveness in the surface Darlington’s known for.
“The old humps and bumps are gone,” said Gordon, who won last May at Darlington. “It’s still Darlington. It’s just a lot smoother and a lot faster.”
Could that make it less safe?
Browning doesn’t think so. He said much depends on the type of tire Goodyear brings to the Dodge Challenger 500 on May 10. Browning said Goodyear officials are still studying the test data.
While the results were both breathtaking and bracing, Browning said: “It’s in the drivers’ hands to make [the race] what it is.”
- Repaving begins at Darlington
- Darlington confirms repaving of track surface and new tunnel
- Darlington repaving and renovation begins
- Darlington begins repaving
- Goodyear completes 2nd tire test at Darlington
A slower, bumpy track is likely more dangerous than a faster, smooth track.
It’ll be interesting to see this race this year, this aint the first time they’ve
repaved the track though so i’m sure in a couple years when that good ol weather down
here in SC will wear that track back to the way it used to be, 200 mph at darlington?
shit, that is faster than speeds at daytona and talladega
“It’s in the drivers’ hands to make [the race] what it is.”
yeah that statement by Browning leads me to beleive that Goodyear is going to send a crap tire like at Atlanta and the race is going to suck again
200mph at Darlington = Follow the leader racing no matter what tire you bring.
Smooth new pavement almost never makes for good side by side racing, like old beat up pavement with character.
Why would Goodyear send a “crap” tire like in Atlanta ?? Goodyear now has NOTES from tire tests with the COT so the tires should be no problem at all, Right darrell… lol
I see Biffle running the high side here. I really hope this turns out good.