Say good-bye to the pothole which caused a two-and-a-half hour red flag at the 2010 Daytona 500 in February. Track officials began the first repaving of the Daytona International Speedway since 1979.
This is the second repaving of the track which opened in 1959.
Darrell and Michael Waltrip, the only brothers to win the Daytona 500, operated a backhoe taking a big bite out of the daunting Turn One (31-degree) high banks of Daytona International Speedway on Monday as part of ceremonial groundbreaking for the project.
“I’ve tried to knock the walls down but I’ve never tried to tear the track up. That was a first for me,” said 1989 Daytona 500 champion Darrell Waltrip. “It’s a good feeling. That piece of equipment is like driving a good race car. You have to have the right piece of equipment and we had it today. I’m excited about this project.”
“I’m going to get me a chunk of that and take it back to North Carolina,” said Michael Waltrip , the 2001 and 2003 Daytona 500 champion. “This place is special to our family. It’s part of who we are. I don’t come through that tunnel and not think about what this place means to me. I’m a traditionalist. I love Daytona and I love this being the Mecca of NASCAR racing.”
The process is complicated by the high banking and the entire 2.5-mile tri-oval will be repaved as well as the skid pads, apron and pit road. Concrete will be used for the pit stalls. All of the existing asphalt will be removed down to the original 52-year-old lime rock base, which will be leveled and then paving will begin.
An estimated 50,000 tons of asphalt will be used on the project that will pave 1,435,000 square feet, about 33 acres. Track officials have aimed for completion by January 1, 2011.
Current drivers have mixed emotions about the project estimated to cost $20 million.
“That old pavement, how it wears, what it does to the tires, how the cars drive on it -- is the best," said Jeff Gordon, who has won Cup races at Daytona six times. "We're going to miss that old pavement. Other than the problem with it coming up during the (February 2010) 500, that's what you want everywhere you race."
On the other hand Kyle Busch said, "I'm not a fan of it. I think it's cool the way that the track is. It's old, it's slick. You really have to have a good handling race car to get around here."
This is the second repaving of the track which opened in 1959.
Darrell and Michael Waltrip, the only brothers to win the Daytona 500, operated a backhoe taking a big bite out of the daunting Turn One (31-degree) high banks of Daytona International Speedway on Monday as part of ceremonial groundbreaking for the project.
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“I’ve tried to knock the walls down but I’ve never tried to tear the track up. That was a first for me,” said 1989 Daytona 500 champion Darrell Waltrip. “It’s a good feeling. That piece of equipment is like driving a good race car. You have to have the right piece of equipment and we had it today. I’m excited about this project.”
“I’m going to get me a chunk of that and take it back to North Carolina,” said Michael Waltrip , the 2001 and 2003 Daytona 500 champion. “This place is special to our family. It’s part of who we are. I don’t come through that tunnel and not think about what this place means to me. I’m a traditionalist. I love Daytona and I love this being the Mecca of NASCAR racing.”
The process is complicated by the high banking and the entire 2.5-mile tri-oval will be repaved as well as the skid pads, apron and pit road. Concrete will be used for the pit stalls. All of the existing asphalt will be removed down to the original 52-year-old lime rock base, which will be leveled and then paving will begin.
An estimated 50,000 tons of asphalt will be used on the project that will pave 1,435,000 square feet, about 33 acres. Track officials have aimed for completion by January 1, 2011.
Current drivers have mixed emotions about the project estimated to cost $20 million.
“That old pavement, how it wears, what it does to the tires, how the cars drive on it -- is the best," said Jeff Gordon, who has won Cup races at Daytona six times. "We're going to miss that old pavement. Other than the problem with it coming up during the (February 2010) 500, that's what you want everywhere you race."
On the other hand Kyle Busch said, "I'm not a fan of it. I think it's cool the way that the track is. It's old, it's slick. You really have to have a good handling race car to get around here."