It’s no secret that Watkins Glen is one of the more challenging and unique tracks on the NASCAR schedule. The road course has been a part of the calendar for almost three decades but has recently been at the center of controversy after drivers complained about experiencing intense headaches while driving over the old curbs. One of them was Kyle Larson, whose mouthpiece data let the sanctioning body know that a dangerous section of the track was being left unnoticed.

Unlike the Xfinity Series cars, which are better at absorbing shocks from curbs, the rigid padding for the Next Gen cars meant that a change was inevitable. As a result, NASCAR has replaced the curbing before the second playoff race at ‘The Glen’, which will be a welcome change for drivers hoping to get a result on the track.

Kyle Larson shares credit for changes made to Watkins Glen

Mouthpiece sensors have been an important source of data collection for NASCAR in recent years. So it should come as no surprise that when drivers complained that racing at Watkins Glen was taking a toll on their health, the sanctioning body was keen to analyze the information to get to the bottom of the problem.

The data they received was alarming, as it revealed that drivers were experiencing 18Gs of force to the head every time they drove through the bus stop on the road course, causing them headaches, not just during the race but in practice and qualifying as well. As expected, NASCAR promptly made changes to the track ahead of the second playoff race, and Kyle Larson expressed his gratitude for the alterations to the road course.

The Hendrick Motorsports driver told Bob Pockrass, “It looks a lot smoother, looks faster probably getting into it.” Eager to not take all the credit for the changes that were made at Watkins Glen, the 32-year-old went on to say, “It did sound like there were a lot of guys who had reached out after and said their heads hurt. So, yeah I think it was a collaborative effort amongst all the drivers and thankfully NASCAR was receptive to it.”

The sanctioning body has revealed that they have removed the elevated strips on the track and replaced them with flatter rumble strips, which will reduce the violent turns being experienced by drivers. Earlier, the bus stop area of the track was paved till the Armco barriers, which have been extended ahead of the playoff race. If that wasn’t all, NASCAR has also installed interchangeable rumble strips and one-inch rumbles next to the barriers.

Will the changes to the 2.45-mile road course improve the quality of racing in the playoff fixture? Time will tell, but it’s refreshing to see NASCAR take driver feedback seriously and prioritize their safety. Hopefully with fewer headaches, drivers will be able to push their Next-Gen cars to the limit in a crucial playoff race, entertaining fans in the process without compromising on their health.

Aric Almirola explains the reason behind Watkins Glen’s woes

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Kyle Larson wasn’t the only driver who was outspoken about the issues surrounding ‘The Glen’. Semi-retired driver Aric Almirola also shared his insights about the reason why drivers experienced intense headaches while racing on the old configuration at Watkins Glen International. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver competed on the road course in the Xfinity Series, finishing in 26th place at 2024 Mission 200 at The Glen.

Explaining the differences between the Cup and Xfinity Series cars, the 40-year-old told Fox Sports journalist Bob Pockrass, “It hurt. Mostly with the Cup car, the Xfinity cars run a little bit more on standard suspension so it’s not as violent because the car is a little bit more forgiving the car, there’s a lot more body movement in the Xfinity car so it absorbs the high velocity of the curbs better. But the Cup cars are so rigid and they run them so stiff and they bottom out on the shock limiters. So, when you hit those curbs in the Cup car, it was just violent.”

With NASCAR having made changes to the track, drivers will hope that racing at Watkins Glen will be a much smoother experience. Kyle Larson crashed out of the opening playoff race at Atlanta Motor Speedway, which means getting a result at ‘The Glen’ would be very important to maintain his championship hopes. Will he be able to get back into Victory Lane, now that the sanctioning body has used his data to improve the road course? Time will tell.