Overview
- NASCAR, which detailed the changes Wednesday, installed tire packs at Turn 1 and a long angled tire wall at the Carousel to enforce track limits for this weekend at Watkins Glen.
- Turn 1 now has four tire bundles placed 11 feet, 9 feet, then 6 feet from the racing surface, with the last two at 6 feet, each separated by about 180 feet to cut off the wide runoff used on starts and restarts.
- Exiting the Carousel, a connected tire wall begins about 20 feet from the track and narrows to roughly 5 feet near the rumble strip to keep cars from charging through the paved exit and rejoining at speed.
- Opinions are split: Shane van Gisbergen warns the angled wall could grab a car and throw it back into traffic, while Chris Buescher says simulator runs kept cars on line and supports a clear hard limit.
- NASCAR cites last year’s multi-car crash at the Carousel as the catalyst and says full-speed practice will be the first check on safety and race flow, with officials ready to review driver feedback.