What Makes Kansas so special?

Acs

Acs

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This is one of the things I forgot to ask last season as I was getting up to speed with NASCAR. I know we all like to deride the 1.5 miler's as "cookie cutters", but the drivers and teams all are quick to say that isn't the case. Specifically though, if you asked any driver last year which of the 1.5's is the most challenging or most different, most would say Kansas. I'm struggling to figure out why that is. It's a tri-oval shape without any unique features, and progressively banked at 17-20 degrees which is middle of the pack.

And yet, go back and watch the xfinity series qualifying here from 2016 and the drivers are able to take this track flat-out. Granted, those cars had more downforce last year than the cup cars or this year, but still, that's incredible for that size of track. Charlotte and Texas and homestead are all banked more than Kansas yet as far as I'm aware cars were never able to be held flat-out around those tracks. So again, what is up with Kansas that makes this track so weird?
 
aunty dive said:
Grip?
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Grip! Specifically, new and smooth repaved surface giving large amounts of grip to a single-groove race track, until it runs out of that and then a lurid slide into the wall. Also, the difficulty of passing forces drivers to push the limits of the tires, so tire failures are somewhat common.

Acs said:
Specifically though, if you asked any driver last year which of the 1.5's is the most challenging or most different, most would say Kansas.
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Not to quibble with your post, but I'd choose Darlington as the most challenging and most different of the 1.5ers. I believe many would. JMO.
 
LewTheShoe said:
Grip! Specifically, new and smooth repaved surface giving large amounts of grip to a single-groove race track, until it runs out of that and then a lurid slide into the wall. Also, the difficulty of passing forces drivers to push the limits of the tires, so tire failures are somewhat common.


Not to quibble with your post, but I'd choose Darlington as the most challenging and most different of the 1.5ers. I believe many would. JMO.
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Isn't Darlington only 1.3 miles
 
If I remember correctly, when they repaved Kansas a few years ago a lot of the drivers were complaining that the aggregate they used was like what you would use to repave a highway, and it wasn't abrasive. Some said it was like driving on razor blades and there's almost no warning that a car's about to let go, and Goodyear struggled (struggles?) to develop a tire suitable to the new surface. I think the track has started to come in recently so it's not that treacherous anymore.

As far as the comparisons to other tracks I think it might boil down to the surface at Kansas being so much newer than those places, the one race at new Texas excluded.
 
dpkimmel2001 said:
This thread title is a trick question..... right?

I don't know how the drivers feel about the place but I know I wouldn't miss it if it weren't on the schedule.
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Off-topic but if we're in the business of experimenting with infield road courses at tracks with multiple dates I think Kansas would actually be a much better option than most. It's a better configuration and has actually held races before.
 
Midwest blandness at it's finest.

You have two choices at this track, push your car, blow a tire, get a concussion, and be forced into an early retirement. Or ***** foot it, and hope when the other drivers goodyears give out, you don't hit them. Horrible track that produces a horrible race.
 
Acs said:
This is one of the things I forgot to ask last season as I was getting up to speed with NASCAR. I know we all like to deride the 1.5 miler's as "cookie cutters", but the drivers and teams all are quick to say that isn't the case. Specifically though, if you asked any driver last year which of the 1.5's is the most challenging or most different, most would say Kansas. I'm struggling to figure out why that is. It's a tri-oval shape without any unique features, and progressively banked at 17-20 degrees which is middle of the pack.

And yet, go back and watch the xfinity series qualifying here from 2016 and the drivers are able to take this track flat-out. Granted, those cars had more downforce last year than the cup cars or this year, but still, that's incredible for that size of track. Charlotte and Texas and homestead are all banked more than Kansas yet as far as I'm aware cars were never able to be held flat-out around those tracks. So again, what is up with Kansas that makes this track so weird?
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IDK what makes Kansas so special other than regardless of what direction you are traveling you always have a head wind and traveling in it by motorcycle is sleep inducing.
 
kkfan91 said:
Isn't Darlington only 1.3 miles
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Actually 1.366, which is shorter than 1.500 by 236 yards. The nature of Darlington, and how it is different from the others, has nothing at all to do with those paltry 236 yards.
 
Wrangler1 said:
Kansas is a textbook cookie cutter IMO
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LOL. We have textbook cookie cutters *and* non-textbook cookie cutters? Who knew? If there is *only one* quintessential cookie cutter, that makes it totally unique, right? :D
 
sdj said:
I guess it is a brain block, but, every year when I read the race is going to be in Kansas, I briefly think, when did they put a track in Kansas? :idunno:
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2001, and a second date I believe in 2014 or 2015
 
track was reconfigured in 2011 to veritable banking so the track is getting interesting with multigroove racing. They have a new tire in cup this weekend. I hope they cleared that with Kyle.
 
StandOnIt said:
track was reconfigured in 2011 to veritable banking so the track is getting interesting with multigroove racing. They have a new tire in cup this weekend. I hope they cleared that with Kyle.
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everythings great with goodyear!
 
smallville is just down the road,
so superman always does he flyby.
 
DanicaFreak said:
what makes Kansas so special?

Danica passes jimmie and tony in one pass.

pure magic
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her 2nd greatest NASCAR moment!!

The sad thing is you are actually serious

"UMMMMMMMMMMMMM did I just pass Jmmie and uhhh Tony? wow"
 
I still can't believe a 3,300lb stock car with 750 hp was able to take this track flat-out. That only happens at superspeedways with more banking, easier turns, and less horsepower. The grip level on that asphalt must be absolutely insane or something else is going on.
 
kyle18fan said:
Will the new tire hold air ? :D
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Kyle stayed out on old tires to win the race last year for his first ever win at Kansas. And he blew the whole side off the car doing his burnout...so much for skew checking

nascar-cup-kansas-2016-kyle-busch-joe-gibbs-racing-toyota-race-winner.jpg
 
Acs said:
I still can't believe a 3,300lb stock car with 750 hp was able to take this track flat-out. That only happens at superspeedways with more banking, easier turns, and less horsepower. The grip level on that asphalt must be absolutely insane or something else is going on.
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you are joking right?
 
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