Sears Point Completes More Work – REPOST – UPDATE Testing this week: Construction crews have completed work on the modified Chute and NASCAR Winston Cup drivers will get their first opportunity on the re-configured segment during a two-day test session, April 24-25. The new Chute, which connects Turns 4 and 7 on the road course, will be used for the first time in competition at the Dodge/Save Mart 350 NASCAR Winston Cup event, June 21-24. Drivers confirmed for the NASCAR test are: #2-Rusty Wallace, #8-Dale Earnhardt Jr., #5-Terry Labonte, #29-Kevin Harvick, #17-Matt Kenseth, #31-Mike Skinner, #55-Bobby Hamilton, #01-Jason Leffler and #87-Ron Fellows. The entire segment will span 1,170 feet, nearly 300 feet more than the original Chute (890 feet). Construction crews have also broken ground on 40 permanent garages that will be ready for the Dodge/Save Mart 350. In the past, teams have worked on their cars under the hot sun, but that will no longer be the case. Each garage will be 12 feet wide and 25 feet deep, giving race teams ample room to work on their cars. Sears Point Raceway will build additional garages for the 2002 season to handle the entire qualifying field. The original 12-turn, 2.52-mile road course will still be used for all road-racing events at Sears Point Raceway that are not NASCAR-sanctioned(Sears Point PR)(4-7/23-2001) UPDATE: #2-Rusty Wallace was the fastest driver during a two-day test session at Sears Point Raceway as track officials opened up the modified Chute for the first time. Wallace, a two-time winner at Sears Point Raceway in 1990 and 1996, turned the 10-turn, 2-mile road course in 1 minute, 17.31 seconds(93.132mph) to record the fastest lap over the two-day session. He was followed by #29-Kevin Harvick (1:17.70 – 92.664mph) and #87-Ron Fellows (1:18.10 – 92.190mph). The modified Chute, which connects Turns 4 and 7 on the road course for all NASCAR-sanctioned events, will be used for the first time in competition at the Dodge/Save Mart 350, June 21-24. Other drivers who competed in the two-day test were #5-Terry Labonte, #8-Dale Earnhardt Jr., #01-Jason Leffler, #17-Matt Kenseth, #31-Mike Skinner and #55-Bobby Hamilton. The Chute was originally constructed in 1998 with the intention of giving fans better visibility of the road course. The original move also shortened the course – from 2.52 to 1.95 miles – and provided fans with 40 additional laps, meaning more opportunities to see the stars. The third objective was to provide better competition. The first two objectives were met, but the third didn’t work, which is why officials are now correcting it, with the aid of drivers. The modified Chute features the following elements: A 300-foot straightaway from Turn 4 to what will become the new Turn This segment will feature straight-line braking before entering Turn 4a; A sharp 70-degree right-hand turn from Turn 4a into the Chute. There will also be 150 feet of runoff room available outside Turn 4a; Once out of Turn 4a, drivers will navigate an 870-foot pure straightaway, which will feature speeds in excess of 110 mph. This will be one of the fastest segments of the track; Turn 7 will boast a 90-degree right-hand turn placed 100 feet beyond the current Turn 7 apex. The turn will feature 120 feet of runoff. The modification will increase the length of the road course from 1.95 to 1.99 miles. The number of turns remains the same (10). Other top times for the two-day test session were: Hamilton (1:18.10 – 92.190mph); Labonte (1:18.20 – 92.072); Kenseth (1:18.39 – 91.849); Skinner (1:18.51 – 91.708), Earnhardt Jr. (1:19.41 – 90.669) and Leffler (1:19.45 – 90.623). The original 12-turn, 2.52-mile road course will still be used for all road-racing events at Sears Point Raceway that are not NASCAR-sanctioned(Sears Point PR)(4-25-2001)
