Phoenix International Raceway’s newly reconfigured and repaved 1-mile oval will be unveiled this weekend for the Kobalt Tools 500. With three NASCAR series competing at Phoenix this weekend, PIR is making sure our new track is ready for a full weekend of racing in the Valley of the Sun. Since the last NASCAR test at PIR on October 4-5, our team has implemented several exercises designed to help develop an upper groove:
· Advanced tire dragging machine focusing on enhancing the upper groove applied rubber into the surface; the machine went through more than 80 tires over 12 days for around 90 hours of actual dragging.
· Working with Richard Petty Driving Experience yesterday and today, six cars and drivers (NASCAR Nationwide Series champion Randy Lajoie, ARCA champion Frank Kimmel, Tim Fedewa, Steve Grissom, Brad Noffsinger and Andy Thurman) turned laps, focusing on widening the upper groove.
· The cars driven this week are 850-hp NASCAR-sanctioned race cars prepared for Sprint Cup competition.
· The cars collectively ran more than 3,000 miles on a soft Goodyear tire compound.
In addition to the aforementioned measures taken to develop the new track, the new PIR will be washed and swept before being turned over to NASCAR for the event weekend.(PIR)(11-10-2011)
