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NASCAR: The Good, Bad And Ugly From Texas

By Tanner Whitt

Apr 9, 2017; Fort Worth, TX, USA; A view of the start of stag two of the O'Reilly Auto Parts 500 at Texas Motor Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 9, 2017; Fort Worth, TX, USA; A view of the start of stag two of the O'Reilly Auto Parts 500 at Texas Motor Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports /
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Apr 9, 2017; Fort Worth, TX, USA; NASCAR Cup Series driver Kevin Harvick (4) Earnhardt Jr. (88) and driver Martin Truex Jr. (78) during the O’Reilly Auto Parts 500 at Texas Motor Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 9, 2017; Fort Worth, TX, USA; NASCAR Cup Series driver Kevin Harvick (4) Earnhardt Jr. (88) and driver Martin Truex Jr. (78) during the O’Reilly Auto Parts 500 at Texas Motor Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports /

The Good: The New Texas Repave And Reconfiguration

Eddie Gossage decided after last season, it was time to repave Texas Motor Speedway. Both races at the 1.5 mile track in 2016 were delayed due to rain. Weepers, where water comes up from cracks in the track surface, were a main reason for the repave. However, Gossage didn’t want to stop there. Not only did they repave the track, they also reconfigured turns 1 and 2 by taking less banking out, making the turn flatter.

Most of the weekend, many of the drivers couldn’t control their cars. The track was slick and treacherous. Many drivers, including Dale Jr., assumed that the best way around the 1.5 mile track would be to get to the bottom where the grip was, which would result in a one groove track with no passing.

Surprisingly, the drivers were wrong.

At the beginning, everybody was trying to get to the bottom. However, as the race progressed and the track rubbered in, the groove widened out. Drivers were able to make passes in the high groove, and Earnhardt Jr. was one of them. The reconfigured turns 1 and 2 provided another opportunity for guys to make passes. The flat turn allowed drivers to get to the bumpers of other cars and move them up the track. Kyle Larson did this a couple of times late in the race to Kevin Harvick and Joey Logano as he tried to run down Jimmie Johnson.

So, the track over-preformed this weekend. Many drivers and fans alike assumed that the race would be boring, and they were wrong. There was a lot of passing, three wide racing, and many comers and goers throughout the day.

Let’s just say, when the Cup Series returns in the fall with championship implications on the line, it will be very exciting.

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