A strip of asphalt has been added to the “Carousel” portion of Sonoma Raceway.
The asphalt has been added to the inside of Turn 5, a right-hand turn where cars got off into the dirt and sprayed debris back onto the track.
The strip is meant to keeps cars from getting off track and keeping the track clean.
Kyle Busch visited the turn with officials Friday between practice sessions.
“Everybody was just cutting the asphalt and putting their right (side tires) in the dirt and just spraying dirt all over the track,” Kyle Busch told FS1. “We needed to do something about that. I got messed up on my (mock) qualifying lap. Everytime you go through there it’s getting dirtier and dirtier. Somebody in front of you is spraying dirt on the race track. You just never knew what you had when you went through there. ... I think it was a good choice and the way the race track went about it they were very receptive.”
The Carousel is being used by the Cup Series for the first time since 1997.
“The one question I did have was they’ve been racing here since the 80s, going through Turn 5 going that way,” Busch said before adding lightheartedly, “How the hell did that corner ever stay clean the way that it was? But the rest of these 40 idiots can figure out how to go through there clean. We made a change and got it done and I think it will be better.”
Nascar has put down asphalt last night where cars where using the grass in turn 5. 4 feet wide, 180 feet in length. Looks like a hump. #nascar @NASCARONFOX pic.twitter.com/yvQ11o3amq
— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) June 22, 2019