WHEN the NASCAR roadshow rolls into Watkins Glen International this weekend, drivers will face new tyre stacks placed around the circuit in key areas to police track limits, a move which is raising eyebrows throughout the paddock.
The new obstacles, placed at turns 1 and at the Carousel, are likely to be major talking points throughout the event.
After his first look at the changes, Shane van Gisbergen was less than convinced of the moves.
“We just did the racing school preview, and I think turn 1 is a really good solution, I think what they’ve done with the tyre packs there and the gaps in the walls – I think that is going to work ok,” said van Gisbergen.
“The exit to the Carousel is a bit of worry, the angle that it comes back on – my experience with those tyre walls is that they grab cars and spit them out.
“I don’t like the look of that, but smarter people (than me) have come up with those things.”
For SVG, the event will mark the first time in his stock car racing career that he has completed triple duty in one weekend – racing in the Cup, O’Reilly, and Truck Series on three consecutive days.
“Just being able to carry momentum, there’s a big compromise with set-up, you want a car that looks after its tyres, but you need a car that turns,” said van Gisbergen on the keys to the track.
“Really, just knowing what you want from a car, and then this weekend is probably going to be the weather.
“It looks pretty iffy and changeable all the time, so staying on top of that and what tyre you want to be on, if it is going to be like that, it’s going to be really difficult.”
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