The racing at Watkins Glen International will look a bit different this weekend, as NASCAR introduces some new track limits.
No longer will we see the entire field driving off into the Turn 1 runoff on starts/restarts, as NASCAR has made some significant changes there and to the exit of the Carousel.
They’re essentially building a new wall via tire packs to keep the racing line closer to the actual racing surface.
Track limits exiting Turn 1
At the exit of Turn 1, there will be four tire packs. The first is 11ft away from the racing surface, the second is 9ft away from the racing surface, while the third and fourth are 6ft away from the racing surface. The bundles are spaced out with 180ft between each one, and drivers will no longer be able to venture far beyond the outer curbing.
Track limits exiting Carousel
As drivers race through the bus stop chicane, and then wind through the Carousel (aka the Outer Loop) onto the next straightaway, they won’t be able to use the runoff there either. A large, connected tire pack is now lining the track in that area. At the exit of the corner, it is 20ft away from the racing surface, moving progressively closer at an angle until it is just 5ft away.
The exit of the Carousel was the site of a major accident during last year’s NASCAR O’Reilly race. Michael McDowell and Austin Hill were using the runoff and battling for space as they turned back towards the racing surface. McDowell got turned into the guardrail, and over a dozen cars were involved as McDowell’s car came back across the track. There was a red flag for cleanup and barrier repairs, lasting close to an hour.
This change is likely motivated by that wreck and other major incidents in that area in recent years, as cars fought each other for room as they moved back onto the track — all while rapidly approaching a guardrail. However, tire packs have previously been at the center of some fairly violent crashes in Watkins Glen history too, as they have a tendency to spit cars back in front of oncoming traffic (Ex: 2009 Hornish/Gordon). In fairness, those tire packs were positioned differently than the new ones exiting the Carousel, but the concern remains among some drivers.
The real unknown are the four tire packs stationed at the exit of Turn 1, and how they may impact the race both through the way drivers attack the corner, and what happens if an unfortunate driver hits one. We can also expect some sort of penalty if drivers go wide and end up moving around the tire packs as well.
Anthony Alfredo posted a rendering of what the exit of Turn 1 will look like from the ground level:
NASCAR explains
“There is going to be a tire barrier or a tire pack coming out of the carousel, and that is an area where we have seen some pretty hard hits,” said NASCAR’s senior director, racing communications Amanda Ellis, on the Hauler Talk podcast.
“Ultimately, that one is in place from a safety perspective because we want to make sure to help control that as much as we can. “I know that we’ve seen some hard hits in Cup and O’Reilly but specifically I know in the Truck Series we’ve definitely seen some — they took some hard hits in that area. Some drivers may like it, may not like it … but that won’t be the only change going into Watkins Glen.
“We’re also going to have some tire packs in Turn 1 and those are essentially in the runoff areas. If you go back and you watch parts of the race last year, the drivers were really starting to use that runoff area. This is an opportunity to kind of give them some boundaries in that area but also help get cars back on the track quicker and stay in that racing groove.
“There will be potentially some track limits in that area, but we’re still working through that.”
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