“This is my actual training here.” Landon Cassill told Parker Kligerman as he began his hot lap of the Charlotte Roval in the iRacing simulator on Tuesday’s edition of NASCAR America.
He wasn’t joking.
No one knows what to expect this weekend when NASCAR visits the Roval for the first time. Testing brought about reconfigurations and there are plenty of unknowns on this hybrid road and oval course.
Cassill had a clean lap going until he hit the frontstretch chicane that would have launched him to the checkered flag. He overcooked the center of the turn and spun into the outside wall.
“If you sit on the pole for this race, whoever does that is going to say ‘you know what I could never do that lap the same way again,’ ” Kligerman added during his lap around the track.
A more conventional lap around the Roval was provided by Chris Buescher’s in-car camera during a test session in July.
“Some corners are going to come more natural,” Cassill said while watching video of the No. 37 navigating the track. “I’m probably going to find out where the low hanging fruit is.”
Cassill will pilot the No. 00 StarCom Racing Chevrolet in Sunday’s race (2 p.m. ET on NBC).
“Look at this,” Kligerman said. “As we ride along with Chris Buescher here from the test. I mean, elevation change, now you’re going to take this hard left onto the banking and start ripping through the gears to I believe 180 miles per hour as they are going to head for his fast chicane. This is probably the most insane part of the race track.”
For more, watch the videos above.