Overview
- Watkins Glen will feature new physical limits this weekend, with four tire packs placed in the Turn 1 runoff and a connected tire wall lining the Carousel exit.
- The Turn 1 bundles sit about 11 feet, 9 feet, and then 6 feet from the racing surface, spaced roughly 180 feet apart, while the Carousel wall tapers from about 20 feet to about 5 feet from the track.
- NASCAR says the setup is meant to stop drivers from running wide and cutting back into traffic at speed, and officials plan to take driver questions during track walks.
- Shane van Gisbergen welcomed the Turn 1 solution but warned the Carousel wall could grab a car and throw it back into the racing line if struck at the wrong angle.
- Last year’s multi-car crash at the Carousel involving Michael McDowell and Austin Hill and older violent rebounds with tire packs at the Glen underline both the intent and the risks.