The work continues as crews at Charlotte Motor Speedway begin paving sections of the reconfigured road course known as the Roval.
According to an update from the track, the current section being paved is between Turns 6 and 7. This is an updated section of the road course, which Speedway Motorsports designed to help make the racing more competitive during the important playoff elimination race.
SMI extended the straightaway out of Turn 5 to create a new Turn 6 and then funnel drivers toward the tight hairpin that now makes up Turn 7. This section of the infield includes elevation changes as the drivers go uphill out of Turn 6 and then immediately downhill heading toward Turn 7.
The paving, which began during the Olympic break, will continue throughout the month. The next segment of work will take place on the frontstretch. SMI will construct a sharper apex in Turn 16 to help create a harder braking zone in the final corners of the purpose-built course.
BREAKING | ROVAL gets a refresh. 🚧🔨
New configuration adds heavy braking corners and additional passing zones. 👀
LEARN MORE 📰: https://t.co/wL2ebsoWsf pic.twitter.com/czrOuWnKCP
— Charlotte Motor Speedway (@CLTMotorSpdwy) May 26, 2024
According to SMI, the work will require 600 tons of asphalt, 23,000 square feet of cement-stabilized base, and 1,000 cubic yards of dirt. The expectation is that the work will be complete by the end of August.
This reconfiguration is one that SMI announced in May ahead of the Coca-Cola 600, which took place on the Charlotte Motor Speedway oval. SMI President and CEO Marcus Smith and Speedway Motorsports SVP of Operations and Development Steve Swift revealed that this reconfiguration had been in the works for 1.5 years.
SMI met with multiple drivers during this period, attended multiple competition meetings to discuss safety, and worked with iRacing to test the reconfiguration before starting the work. The group of drivers involved included reigning Cup champion Ryan Blaney, who won the inaugural Roval race back in 2018.
"In just six short years, the Roval has created many unforgettable moments, from Ryan Blaney's miraculous victory in the inaugural event and Chase Elliott's unforgettable burnout in Heartburn Turn to AJ Allmendinger's dramatic triumph for Kaulig Racing last season," said Charlotte Motor Speedway President and General Manager Greg Walter in a statement.
"These enhancements are designed to challenge drivers to further push their limits and race for the win in an event that will make or break the championship hopes of several Playoff contenders."
The first test of the reconfigured oval will take place on Sunday, Oct. 13. Twelve drivers will enter the race still in contention for the championship. Only eight will remain in the hunt after the elimination race.