New Track Surface Team Test for Michigan International Speedway Repave!

A new week, a newly repaved track! 

On Thursday, June 14th, teams will have an opportunity to check out the newly repaved Michigan International Raceway!  It will be a one-day test, with two test sessions.  One from 8-11 a.m. ET and again from 1-4 p.m. ET  The intent is to give teams the chance to figure out the new track surface.

If anything, I'm suspecting more records broken and faster qualifying speeds for the Quicken Loans 400, which could lead to harder hits on the wall.  (Here's hoping we don't have to see that tested, but, well, *it happens.)

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The repaving of Michigan took place back in November, and was the fourth time it was repaved.  Before the repave, a laser survey of the racetrack was taken where they collected more than 100 million data points.  This allowed the engineers to replicate all points of the original pavement, but with all the dips and bumps smoothed out.  Or as they put it, "... making MIS as smooth as silk."

The $7 million project was done by Ajax Paving Industries, from Troy, Mich..  They've done track repaves before, which include the Chrysler Corp. oval in Chelsea, Mich., the Ford Romeo Test Track for Ford Motor Co., (a five-mile, steep-banked oval) and they did the repave on Phoenix International Raceway.

Back in April, Hoosier Tire tested there and there was generally a good response to what they saw, and made note of how the speeds were faster.

I can't wait to see what the teams will have to say about it.

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