Stock-Car Montréal, promoter of the NAPA Auto Parts 200 presented by Dodge, initiated major track resurfacing work this week on crucial portions of Circuit Gilles Villeneuve for the upcoming August 29-30 NASCAR race.
The work, carried out by contractor Construction DJL in close cooperation with Shell Bitumen, will enable drivers of the Grand-Am and NASCAR Nationwide Series to negotiate the Montreal track’s demanding bends on a smooth surface worthy of the great international racetracks. The asphalt laid out this week on Circuit Gilles Villeneuve is a unique formulation created by Construction DJL, a leader in Quebec’s road construction industry, from a mix of specially selected aggregate and Shell Cariphalte Racetrack Bitumen technology. The aggregates picked by Construction DJL meet the standards of North-American racetrack while the binder developed by Shell Bitumen is especially formulated to meet the demands of high-powered racecar circuits. Shell Bitumen technology is proven worldwide. It has already been used at the F1 circuits of Sepang in Malaysia, Sakhir in Bahrain, Singapore, Hockenheim, and Nürburgring in Germany and at Ferrari’s Fiorano test track in Italy. The Bitumen technology used on portions of the Montreal track was produced in Quebec and mixed by Construction DJL. This technology is a first for North America in racetrack surfacing work. The binder used by Shell Bitumen has a much higher cohesive strength that enables it to withstand horizontal sheer forces when a racecar brakes into a corner, then accelerates out of it. Shell’s new Bitumen concentration gives a track surface a greater elasticity and allows enhanced road performance in terms of resistance to extreme heat. It has been formulated to reduce the chance of cracking, rutting, stripping, and aging prematurely under the extreme conditions of our varied climate and temperatures. Tickets for the NAPA Auto Part 200, presented by Dodge at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve on August 29-30, 2009 are currently on sale. To order tickets and see NASCAR stars on track in Montreal, call 514 397-0007 or order online anytime at www.circuitgillesvilleneuve.ca. Photos: Philippe Champoux
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