Fort Worth (WBAP/KLIF News) – This weekend’s O’Reilly Auto Parts 500 will draw more than 100,000 people to Texas Motor Speedway.
This year, drivers will notice changes to the track. For the first time since 2001, the track has been resurfaced. Texas Motor Speedway has also reduced the bank in turns one and two, but left the bank the same in turns three and four.
President Eddie Gossage says the changes will force teams to change the configurations they had become used to at TMS.
“All those are going to be out the window, and they’re going to have to start from scratch,” Gossage says. “That makes it fun for everybody because they’re all equal.”
The track has also been widened in turns one and two, from 60 to 80 feet, to encourage passing.
While the track has been resurfaced, Gossage says crews have maintained the “feel” of the track.
“We wanted to make it with character, with bumps and dips,” Gossage says. “With those kinds of things, it creates another opportunity to pass.”
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