NASCAR Test Conducted on Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course
NASCAR has conducted a test on the Charlotte Motor Speedway road course. This hints at a new NASCAR road course race hosted in Charlotte in the near future.
How soon? Rumors have begun circulating. The All-Star Race could be hosted on the Charlotte Road Course in 2017. That race will be hosted on May 20th.
Where is this coming from? A video surfaced of NASCAR driver AJ Allmendinger running a test on a version of the Charlotte Road Course. You can watch the NASCAR Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course Video Below.
That track test was run on January 13th, 2017 in association with JTG Daugherty Racing. The NASCAR Charlotte Motor Speedway test was conducted on a layout very similar to the popular Daytona International Speedway road course.
It features 90% of the oval track. Drivers would enter the infield just past the start/finish line. Then, they would exit the road course layout just before turn 1 of the oval. Meaning, turns 1,2,3 and 4 of the oval would all be in use in this road course layout.
The test was conducted by NASCAR and Charlotte Motor Speedway. That’s an important piece of the puzzle. It tells us that this wasn’t a team test, it was a test for NASCAR. To see if NASCAR could run on that road course layout.
Charlotte has been attempting to host a NASCAR road race since 2015. Speedway Motorsports Incorporated CEO Marcus Smith spoke with Motorsport.com two years ago when the idea first surfaced.
At that time, October 2015 was an expected announcement date but nothing was announced. Smith explained that Charlotte Motor Speedway has three different lengths and options for road course racing and the possibility of a NASCAR road course race at Charlotte could be “awesome.”
Charlotte Motor Speedway has been hosting NASCAR races since 1960. Of the 244, NASCAR races hosted at the speedway, none have been hosted on any layout of the road course. The speedway uses the road course for sports car races.
NASCAR has only hosted two road course races per year, for a very long time. The national tour visits Watkins Glen International as well as Infineon Raceway.
A new road course is a nice way of mixing up several return trips to Charlotte Motor Speedway. Charlotte, NC is basically the home of NASCAR.
NASCAR Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course Test Video
Little action @LEE SPENCER @Christian_Racin @jim_utter @Knighter01 pic.twitter.com/IkxKiOOjWM
— pat rogers (@PRSHD) January 19, 2017
2017 AJ Allmendinger Car Photos
Media:Drew Hallowell/Streeter Lecka/NASCAR via Getty Images
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