From an interview with Danny James of the Lane Construction Corporation. James is the Mechanical Supervisor responsible for overseeing the paving of racetracks such as Daytona International Speedway, Atlanta Motor Speedway, Texas Motor Speedway, Talladega Superspeedway and Kansas Speedway. James is supervising the paving the Dominion Raceway in Spotsylvania, VA. During the interview, James said Lane Construction has been contracted to repave Atlanta Motor Speedway and Kentucky Speedway in 2016. The video interview which had been on the Dominion Raceway Facebook page, was removed Wednesday afternoon and the same video on YouTube is now private.(11-18-2015)
UPDATE: Atlanta Motor Speedway posted on their twitter: A repave has been looked into, but at this time, there are not any plans to do so.(11-18-2015)
UPDATE2: Kentucky Speedway may be due for a repave in 2016, but it’s still plenty possible the track chooses to wait out another year with its bumpy surface. That’s despite what Lane Construction Corporation’s Danny James said in a recent interview circulating social media Wednesday. In a video published to Facebook, James said his company has been contracted to repave Kentucky Speedway and the Atlanta Motor Speedway, both owned by Speedway Motorsports Inc. ‘I’m not exactly sure why he’s talking about what we’re doing,’ said Mark Simendinger, Kentucky Speedway’s general manager. ‘If I were him, I’d be more focused on Lane Construction Corporation is up to ‘ not what we’re up to.’ Simendinger said repaving is something track officials have discussed with Lane Construction and other contractors. ‘Have we made up our mind with what we’re going to do? No,’ Simendinger said. ‘We’re not going to ask (James) to make our media announcements for us. We evaluate it every year. We’re evaluating it right now. That shouldn’t come as a surprise.’(Courier-Journal)(11-18-2015)
UPDATE 3: Atlanta Motor Speedway was last resurfaced in 1997 and today is among the oldest racing surfaces on the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series circuit. While track officials are constantly monitoring the track’s condition, there are, at this time, no plans in place to resurface the track. A favorite among many NASCAR drivers, the aged, abrasive surface produces slick racing conditions and some of the fastest tire fall-off in NASCAR. With very little alteration since its most recent repave 18 years ago, regularly scheduled maintenance programs, including filling cracks with pavement preservation products, is performed on the 1.54-mile asphalt surface between races. Mild Georgia winters and the thorough maintenance program have played a key factor in the track’s longevity.(AMS)(11-24-2015)
UPDATE 4: Kentucky Speedway announces it is undertaking a comprehensive renovation of its racing surface which is highlighted by increased banking in Turns 1 and 2 and further includes drainage improvements, additional SAFER barrier, and repaving of the entire 1.5-mile tri-oval. Work has begun and will be completed in time for this year’s NASCAR tripleheader weekend in July. ‘Modifying Turns 1 and 2 will present an exciting challenge to the drivers while addressing issues of the track surface, SAFER barrier and drainage will improve safety, which is always our paramount concern,’ said General Manager of Kentucky Speedway, Mark Simendinger. The project will be coordinated by Vice President of Operations and Development for Speedway Motorsports Inc., Steve Swift. ‘We have assembled an excellent team, all of whom are familiar with the demands of speedway construction. I am excited about the finished product as we wanted to present a unique challenge to the drivers. This design, with Turns 1 and 2 completely different than 3 and 4 accomplishes that goal. The big winner will be the race fan,’ said Swift.(Kentucky Speedway)
