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The Martinsville Speedway owners have ground the cement corners of the 0.526-mile track that will host next week’s Winston Cup event. The change has resulted in a tire chewing mess that has clipped lap times by more than a second. #28-Ricky Rudd went to the track on Monday to test for the upcoming event but got only 15 laps in before loading the car up and heading for home. It was readily apparent that something had changed when the hauler pulled in and the team saw the cemented corners appearing as though a machine that grinds the highways prior to the application of asphalt had prepared them. The cement was described as being deeply grooved with a wavy pattern that ran parallel with the racing groove. Making matters worse for the #28 car was the fact that the track hadn’t been cleaned prior to the practice session. The team tried a few work-arounds but soon decided to give up on the session. The tires on Rudd’s Ford looked in worse shape after just 12 laps than a pair of left tires that the team used in a race several years ago did after 225 laps. Rudd wasn’t able to get within three seconds of a normal lap time in the 15 laps run. Several other teams tested Tuesday and Wednesday, but had similar problems. The best effort during those tests could only close to within a second of a normal lap time at the Virginia track.
Credit: Fordracing.com
The Martinsville Speedway owners have ground the cement corners of the 0.526-mile track that will host next week’s Winston Cup event. The change has resulted in a tire chewing mess that has clipped lap times by more than a second. #28-Ricky Rudd went to the track on Monday to test for the upcoming event but got only 15 laps in before loading the car up and heading for home. It was readily apparent that something had changed when the hauler pulled in and the team saw the cemented corners appearing as though a machine that grinds the highways prior to the application of asphalt had prepared them. The cement was described as being deeply grooved with a wavy pattern that ran parallel with the racing groove. Making matters worse for the #28 car was the fact that the track hadn’t been cleaned prior to the practice session. The team tried a few work-arounds but soon decided to give up on the session. The tires on Rudd’s Ford looked in worse shape after just 12 laps than a pair of left tires that the team used in a race several years ago did after 225 laps. Rudd wasn’t able to get within three seconds of a normal lap time in the 15 laps run. Several other teams tested Tuesday and Wednesday, but had similar problems. The best effort during those tests could only close to within a second of a normal lap time at the Virginia track.
Credit: Fordracing.com
