“Make the Racing Different Each Time” – Kyle Larson Takes a Sly Jab at NASCAR Making Changes to Tracks Every Year

NASCAR returned to the city of Atlanta for the second time in the ongoing season. The last time when the Cup Series when raced was at the onset of the season, and it was Team Penske’s Joey Logano who had seized the victory on the tracks of the speedway. However, it was not the first race, where a Ford car had dominated the track, rather the drivers from Ford Performance also showcased their prowess during the qualifiers for Quaker State 400 race.

There is no denial in the fact, it is Chevrolet that has always dominated the world of NASCAR and is considered the winningest manufacturer. Still, the qualifier on Saturday seemed to paint a different story as eight Ford cars took away eight positions in the top-10 berth.

Some may consider it as the desperation of the Ford drivers to secure a victory and pull out from the deplorable state, while others can appreciate the repaving of the track, that perhaps helped in gaining momentum on the track. But, it seems that not all drivers are contended about the fact, especially Kyle Larson.

Kyle Larson Takes a Dig at NASCAR for the Continuously Changing Track Conditions

The race track, which was once a 1.54 mile marked with worn-out asphalt and wide corners that perfectly suited to the taste of the Cup Series drivers, had undergone reconfiguration after the 2022 season. The new track now boasts higher banking with repaved surface, to make the race more conducive to races seen in the superspeedways. Also, the widths of the tracks were reduced from 55ft to 52ft in the front stretch and 40ft in the turns.

The revamped track which bore similarities to the tracks of Daytona and Talladega, added to the sourness of the drivers owing to the potency of causing on-track wrecks. And it seems that drivers are yet to get over this fact, as a journalist in a pre-race interview ahead of the Atlanta race asked Hendrick Motorsports Kyle Larson, “How do you feel like Atlanta Motor Speedway has matured as a superspeedway track?”

To this, the speedster replied, “Well, we’ve only made two laps, so I don’t know how it’s different than earlier this year. It seemed like the Chevys had their hands full yesterday just to complete a lap. I don’t know if that’s the surface or just teams trying to make their car better; not making it better and making it tougher to drive. But we’ll see once the race starts.”

“Visually, it doesn’t look like it’s aged much. Just the times I went through (turn) two, I felt like the patch was rougher than I remembered, so curious of what that’ll feel like as we move up the race track because in qualifying we just run low. We’ll see – but yeah, pavement ages and I hope this place ages quickly to make the racing different each time we come back,” Larson added.

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Hendrick Motorsports Speedster Pleads for an Abrasive Track as the Tracks Undergo Repaving

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Old and worn-out asphalt has always been a favorite of drivers as it helps them find a groove for racing. This is almost like a challenge that most of the drivers relished.

When asked about the older asphalt of the track and whether it was favorable for driving, the driver replied, “I haven’t, aside from Darlington, seen any track. You will get super abrasive over time. Yes, the groove might change here and there, Kansas, for example, is good, but I won’t say it’s abrasive. It’s nice that you can move around the track. It wasn’t repaved all that time ago.”

He continued, “But then track like Daytona or Talladega or Pocono, Phoenix places like that, I don’t foresee those tracks ever, getting abrasive. But the pavement must be a lot more durable than it used to be and I would love for all these tracks to get abrasive, that’s when the racing gets better. But these places seem like paved so perfectly that I don’t see it getting abrasive ever.”

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With NASCAR taking up development projects to revive the old tracks and also revamp the current tracks, it will be an interesting affair to witness how these drivers adapt themselves to the changing track conditions. Will they be able to showcase their talents or will it be a crash fest on the track?