During the CARS Tour Late Model Stock Car race at North Wilkesboro Speedway, issues with the race track arose, causing concerns for the upcoming All-Star Race. Prominent figures like Chase Elliott expressed their worries.
However, Dale Earnhardt Jr, the veteran who helped NASCAR execute the $20M worth revamp of the track, was having none of it. Not only did he address the concerns, but he also went on to disregard the worries raised by the Hendrick Motorsports star.
What was the real concern at North Wilkesboro Speedway?
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After he finished third in the ASA Super Late Model race, Chase Elliott was asked about the condition of the track surface. He addressed the issue by mentioning that the sealer applied to the track had come off. Some fans are expressing disappointment, considering NASCAR had invested a substantial amount in the reconstruction of the tracks.
Chase Elliott, third in the ASA Super Late Model race Wednesday night, on how he thinks the Cup cars will race at North Wilkesboro Speedway and how the surface will hold up. pic.twitter.com/w4xGK7Bv69
— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) May 18, 2023
Dale Jr, on the other hand, on the recent episode of his Dale Jr Download podcast, proved these concerns wrong as he stated, “They put some sealer down on the race track in some areas. That is always going to be a conversation.”
“When you put some that sealer down in those cracks, there parts of it’s gon na come off and it never became a problem. It’s something to navigate, it’s a challenge (…) but it never was an issue,” the JR Motorsport owner added.
He then commended the track crew for their swift response and efficient repair work, which was completed in a remarkable eight minutes. “There could be some issues with the track surface, but they have a plan. Those issues will not be long-term problems.”
Why did they apply sealers on the surface of the track?
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On the same podcast, he also talked about the issue of the potholes. He stated, “North Wilkesboro doesn’t have timing loops”. He explained that to address this, the crew needed to cut grooves into the track and lay down timing loops. They utilized a jet dryer, which effectively blasted and created the necessary cuts for the specific timing loop. But it created more cracks on the track so they applied sealer on the grooves.
The track did not break due to its age. The issue arose as a result of a chain reaction caused by the need to lay down timing loops on the surface. “They know now not to use jet dryer on that track,” Dale said.
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It will be interesting to see how the big names of NASCAR perform on the historic track that is in the headlines for a few days now.
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