TWISTS AND TURNS: CHEVROLETS LOOKS TO GLEAN RESULTS AT ‘THE GLEN’
Bowtie Brigade Seeking Road Course Sweep
DETROIT – (August 2, 2016) – Next up on the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series schedule is the newly repaved, high speed, 2.45-mile, 7-turn, Watkins Glen International Raceway located in upstate New York. Part of the Finger Lakes region, this historic road course has played host to NASCAR Sprint Cup Series cars since the late 1950’s and continues to be one of the most challenging venues on the circuit.
Since the inaugural NASCAR Sprint Cup Series event in 1957, in which Buck Baker driving a Chevrolet took home the win, one thing has remained the same – Chevrolet drivers and teams find Winner’s Circle at ‘The Glen’ more than any other brand. Over the course of 33 events at the infamous twisty course a Chevrolet driver has earned the spoils of victory 17 times.
Two weeks ago, nine Chevrolet Sprint Cup Series teams traveled to Watkins Glen to take their first look at the newly paved surface. From that test, drivers and teams learned of the new curbing that was put in, how fast the track was going to be and the characteristics of the tire Goodyear was planning to bring for the race.
“The surface was getting old and some of the patch work that they had to do was starting to rip up over the years,” said Kurt Busch, driver of the No. 41 Chevrolet SS, who took part in the two-day test session. “So, brand new asphalt surface, brand new curbing all the way around the race track and so with something new it is going to create a whole different environment for us to race on.
Our team spent two days testing working on brakes, working on new transmission ratios, just trying to get a feel for the new surface. The Goodyear tires are very conservative tire with a new surface. They are lasting a long time, but it is like you are on ice the first few laps. There is going to be a lot of things that the drivers have to
balance this time around.”
The first road course race of the season at Sonoma Raceway in June ended in a fierce battle between Tony Stewart and Denny Hamlin. Stewart earned his first win since October of 2013 at the California road course and amplified his career-long prowess on road courses. Stewart enters Watkins Glen firmly in the Chase for the championship conversation. As the most successful NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver to lay tire to pavement at the 2.45-mile track, Stewart looks to cap off an 18-year long career at NASCAR’s highest level as a 6-time winner at ‘The Glen’.
New pavement, new tire compound and new curbing lead to new challenges for all 22 Chevrolet SS drivers and teams. The Chevrolet engineering staff has been hard at work with simulation tools to collect as much data as possible to help all Bowtie branded teams prepare for success at the New York road course.