Tire test to show Kentucky changes, tweaked rules package – Nascar

New asphalt and a new configuration will greet NASCAR Sprint Cup Series teams Monday and Tuesday, June 13-14 when they arrive at Kentucky Speedway for the season’s first organizational test.

The Speedway Motorsports, Inc.-owned facility will host all three NASCAR national series, Sprint Cup, XFINITY and Camping World Truck, the weekend of July 7-9.

The track recently completed a comprehensive renovation that included repaving the entire 1.5-mile layout and increasing the banking in Turns 1 and 2 from 14 to 17 degrees. Additional SAFER barrier has also been installed.

It is the first of five organizational tests scheduled for 2016. Others are slated for Indianapolis Motor Speedway (July 12-13), Watkins Glen International (July 26-27), Chicagoland Speedway (Aug. 23-24) and Homestead-Miami Speedway (Oct. 18-19).

Only one Sprint Cup Series team from each organization is allowed to participate in an organizational test.

According to track officials, the following drivers are among those expected to take part: Jamie McMurray (Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates No. 1 Chevrolet), Kevin Harvick (Stewart-Haas Racing No. 4 Chevrolet), Kasey Kahne (Hendrick Motorsports No. 5 Chevrolet), Ryan Blaney (Wood Brothers Racing No. 21 Ford), Joey Logano (Team Penske No. 22 Ford), Paul Menard (Richard Childress Racing No. 27 Chevrolet), Chris Buescher (Front Row Motorsports No. 34 Ford), Aric Almirola (Richard Petty Motorsports No. 43 Ford), Michael Annett (HScott Motorsports No. 46 Chevrolet) and Martin Truex Jr. (Furniture Row Racing No. 78 Toyota).

The test will incorporate changes to the rules package announced last month for this weekend’s race at Michigan International Speedway as well as next month’s points race at Kentucky. Those changes include a decrease in the size of the rear spoiler (height and width) and altering the size of the rear deck fin, as well as a two-inch reduction in a portion of the splitter located underneath the car.

Steve O’Donnell, NASCAR Vice President of Competition and Racing development, told NASCAR.com last month that because teams have spent plenty of time developing the current package, tweaking that package for only two events will keep what has been accomplished relevant while building a database for ’17.

The Goodyear tire provided for the test, as well as next month’s race, is similar to the tire used earlier this season at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

“We couldn’t wait until they were done paving,” Greg Stucker, Director of Race Tire Sales for Goodyear told NASCAR.com. “We had to make the call. So we went with the Vegas setup. We went pretty conservative because that’s the only choice we had. We thought it was going to be a good fit, still think it will, but we’ll figure that out.

“It’s a test from the perspective of we’re going to learn as we go through, but unless there’s a major issue, that’s what we’re committed to. That’s what all the teams will have to run on. We won’t be there testing multiple compounds and constructions and all those things.”

Stucker said the biggest thing his group monitors when tracks have been repaved is heat buildup in the tires.

“Because we know there’s not going to be a lot of tire wear to dissipate the heat, we’ve got to make sure that we’ve got compounds that are in the right ballpark as far as heat generation and be able to manage that,” he said.

“They used kind of a different (asphalt) mix with Kentucky, a lot higher percentage of larger aggregate. Some of the photos I’ve seen, it definitely rougher, more abrasive than a standard repave would be. And they’ve been treating it with lime to try to harden it, cure it up as quickly as they can, too.

“They’re doing all the right stuff to try and get it past that early, grippy, high heat portion of a repave. But we’re still expecting that’s going to be the case.”