FYI WIRZ: NASCAR Heads West to Rough Kentucky with Changes

If NASCAR can dodge rain clouds, the Quaker State 400 at Kentucky Speedway in Sparta, Kentucky, will commence on July 11 at 7:30 p.m. ET. Stormy weather might delay action on the 1.5-mile tri-oval with 14-degree banking, but track conditions are expected to be rough on the seasoned surface anyway.

Drivers are accustomed to changing track conditions, even though the 1.5-mile length is the most common oval they encounter. But equal distance doesn’t mean identical configuration. 

NSCS teams will also begin implementing new rules that will include a low-downforce package. Changes in Kentucky and beyond are intended to improve competition for fans. 

Seven top drivers in contention for the Chase for the Sprint Cup Championship shared their comments on the challenging track and changes they will face this weekend. 

Rain has already interfered with practice times.

Kevin Harvick still holds the lead in NSCS points.

“Kentucky Speedway is very rough,” he said. “The corners are longer, so they’re not as sharp, but the roughness of the racing surface is really what makes it unique in my mind. There is still a lot of grip, but the track has become rough over the years.”

Dale Earnhardt Jr. is no doubt buoyant from his early-morning victory last Monday in Daytona. 

“It’s going to be a challenge to see what the package is doing,” he said. “The track is so rough and slick. We’re going to be there for a couple of days practicing. They’re giving us ample time to practice and understand how to adjust our cars to that package.”

Martin Truex Jr. is fond of Kentucky Speedway.

“We're looking forward to Kentucky. It's our kind of racetrack—an old, worn-out, bumpy mile-and-a-half oval,” he said. “A new aero rules package will be in place at this race. There's going to be a learning curve to deal with, but I am confident about our situation.”

Kurt Busch pointed out the unique challenge all face.

“The track has a unique set of bumps that makes it different from a lot of the typical 1.5-mile tracks we see,” he said. “You can overthink Kentucky a little bit because there’s nothing similar to it.”

Matt Kenseth agreed with other drivers about the rugged Kentucky surface.

“Looking ahead with the new aero package, obviously no one knows yet how it’s going to act until we get a bunch of cars on track,” he said. “It’s one of the roughest tracks that we go to. You need to handle well through the bumps and be decent in traffic.”

Jeff Gordon has a special reason to win this weekend.

“I have won at every track except Kentucky, but to win there this weekend and have a win at every track at the Sprint Cup level is something that would mean a lot to me,” he said. “Winning at every track is not something that’s easy to accomplish.”

Aric Almirola looks to improve results.

“We're not far enough outside of the Chase cutoff to take big risks to win,” he said. “We need to focus on getting top 10s and top fives the next nine races to get back into the Chase. We had a taste of the Chase last year, and we want that again this year."

Dwight Drum

Rain has been a common foe to the execution of routine schedules at NASCAR events this season. Perhaps this race will go off as planned for fans at the track and viewers on NBCSN.

FYI WIRZ is the select presentation of topics by Dwight Drum at Racetake.com. Unless otherwise noted, information and all quotes were obtained firsthand or from official release materials provided by sanction and team representatives.