In the weeks leading into NASCAR’s annual trip to Sonoma Raceway, the major topic of discussion has been the repaving of the 1.99-mile road course, and the impact it will have on the weekend’s racing activities.
However, that’s not the only major change being made for this weekend.
On Thursday, a representative from Sonoma Raceway confirmed to TobyChristie.com that the racetrack has replaced the tire barriers on the inside of Turn 11 with a permanent wall, in an attempt to reinforce track boundaries.
A representative from @RaceSonoma tells me that the track has replaced the tire barriers at the inside of Turn 11 with a permanent wall, in an attempt to reinforce the track boundaries.#NASCAR | ?: @BrianofCortland, @TobyChristieCom pic.twitter.com/x0SujIdzo1
— Joseph Srigley (@joe_srigley) June 6, 2024
The decision is a result of excessive “bumper-car type of contact” in the area, which the facility found would have the tire packs displaced by upwards of 20 feet throughout a given race, thus eliminating the natural track limit being imposed.
According to the track representative, the proposal was first shared with NASCAR during the Coca-Cola 600 on Memorial Day Weekend, where it was then approved by the sanctioning body and implemented in the two weeks since.
This weekend, the NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR Xfinity Series, and ARCA Menards Series West will all take to the racetrack for a tripleheader weekend in Sonoma, California — which concludes a West Coast Swing of road courses for both the Xfinity Series and ARCA West.
The addition of the barrier on the inside circumference of Turn 11 will play a role in the weekend’s activities, as drivers work twice as hard to get acclimated to not only the repave but also this change in one of NASCAR’s most unique corners.
One Response
I think that’s just dandy. I hope you’ve got replacements ready. Get some sponsors adverts put on ’em.. will the wall affect track record?