Cup drivers seek change to Texas but leery about it copying Atlanta – NBC

FORT WORTH, Texas — Some Cup drivers are involved {that a} reconfigured Texas Motor Speedway might create racing much like Atlanta, including one other sort of superspeedway race to the NASCAR calendar.

Whereas Texas officers haven’t acknowledged publicly any plans to make adjustments, some rivals really feel Sunday’s playoff race (3:30 p.m. ET on USA Community) may very well be the ultimate occasion on this monitor’s present format. 

With the All-Star Race transferring from Texas to North Wilkesboro subsequent 12 months, Texas Motor Speedway’s lone Cup race will happen Sept. 24, 2023. That might present time for any alterations. Work on altering Atlanta started in July 2021 and was accomplished by December 2021. 

Reigning Cup champion Kyle Larson stated work must be accomplished to Texas Motor Speedway.

“I would really like them to demolish this place first after which begin over from scratch,” Larson stated Saturday. “For one, they did a really poor job with the reconfiguration, preliminary reconfiguration. 

“I want to see them change it from a mile-and-a-half to one thing shorter. I don’t know if which means bringing the backstretch in or no matter. 

“If I might construct a monitor, it’d be in all probability a three-quarter mile Bristol principally, pavement and progressive banking. However I don’t know if that’s even attainable right here. I’m unsure what they bear in mind, however something can be higher than what they did.”

Former Cup champion Joey Logano worries about one other superspeedway race with such occasions at Daytona, Talladega and now Atlanta. 

“Do we want extra superspeedways?” Logano requested Saturday. “Is that the kind of racing followers need to see? As a result of if you have a look at the best way that individuals have completed up entrance in these superspeedways recently, (they) are those which might be using round within the again. 

“Do you consider that you have to be rewarded for not working? As a result of that’s what they’re doing. They’re using round within the again not working, not going up there to place a superb race on. They’re using round within the again and capitalizing on different individuals’s misfortune for racing up entrance making an attempt to win. I don’t assume it’s proper. That’s not racing. I can’t get behind that.”

Logano stated he needs to have extra management in how he finishes, significantly in a playoff race. 

“I need to be at tracks the place I could make a distinction, the place my staff could make a distinction, and we’re not on the mercy of a wreck that occurred in entrance of us that we couldn’t do something about,” he stated.

Discussions of fixing the monitor comply with complaints about how powerful it’s to go at this 1.5-mile speedway.

“When you get to the highest, it’s nearly like the underside (lane) may be very, very weak,” Daniel Suarez stated.

Suarez has blended emotions concerning the concept of turning Texas into one other Atlanta-style race.

“Atlanta was an excellent racetrack, after which they turned it right into a superspeedway and it’s a number of enjoyable,” Suarez stated. “I see it as a hybrid. I don’t assume we want one other racetrack like that, nevertheless it’s not my resolution to make. No matter they throw out at us, I’m going to attempt to be the very best I might be.”

Suarez hopes that Texas might be like what it as soon as was.

“Possibly with some work, we are able to get this race monitor to what it was, a really extensive race monitor, working the underside, working the center, working the highest,” he stated.  

“As a race automobile driver, that’s what you need. You need that potential to run round and to indicate your expertise. In superspeedways … everyone seems to be bumping, everyone seems to be pushing, and you cannot present your expertise as a lot.”

Chase Briscoe can be OK with a change to Texas, however he needs it to be extra like a monitor aside from Atlanta.

“If we’re actually going to vary and fully begin from scratch, I’d love one other Homestead-type racetrack,” Briscoe stated. “The issue is any time you construct a brand new race monitor, it’s not going to be slick and worn out for some time. It’s making an attempt to determine what’s greatest to maximise these first couple of years to get it good by the tip. 

“I believe Homestead is a superb mannequin, if we’re going to construct one other mile and a half. I believe we’re going to have to take a look at what they’ve, the progressive banking, the form of the race monitor is totally different. I simply assume it’s a very good race monitor, and I believe it all the time places on actually good racing. Something we might do to attempt to match that, that might be my vote.”

Denny Hamlin simply hopes some form of change is made to Texas.

“I’d reasonably have one other Atlanta than this, truthfully,” Hamlin stated. “Something shall be higher than sort of what now we have right here.”