Darlington Raceway repaves Turn 2 ahead of Southern 500

Darlington Raceway has repaved Flip 2 in preparation for its NASCAR races on Labor Day weekend, observe president Kerry Tharp advised NBC Sports activities on Friday morning.

Tharp stated the portion of the observe repaved had underlying cracks that allowed water to seep in.

“We have been discovering that over the previous couple of years that we have been having to go in there and do some patching … earlier than the occasion virtually yearly,” Tharp stated. “Now that we’ve got two (Cup) occasions, we introduced in what I might say is the most effective of the most effective in relation to asphalt consultants … and actually took a tough have a look at Flip 2.”

Tharp stated evaluation was performed in late winter. It was decided that extra work wanted to be performed to that space of the observe than patching it.

“Over time, these little fixes that we have been doing, it’s simply type of like placing somewhat Band-Support on one thing,” he stated. “After some time, that Band-Support will not be going to work very nicely. We felt we would have liked to go in there and do that after the Could occasion.”

Work began in July. The repave took about three weeks and was accomplished final weekend. Tharp stated SAFER boundaries are being put again in place in that nook.

Tharp stated the banking and the geometry of the nook stay the identical. He stated there are not any plans to pull tires or do anything to floor earlier than the NASCAR races subsequent month. Producer representatives are scheduled to look at the observe Monday. The undertaking was performed in session with NASCAR competitors officers and Goodyear officers.

“The drivers, for essentially the most half, like racing right here, I actually assume they do,” Tharp advised NBC Sports activities. “I believe they’re going to proceed to love racing right here. I believe the followers will see present Labor Day weekend.”

The Prepare dinner Out Southern 500 opens the Cup playoffs at 6 p.m. ET on Sept. 5 on NBCSN. It’s preceded by the In It To Win It 200 Tenting World Truck Sequence race at 1:30 p.m. ET on Sept. 5 on FS1.

The weekend begins Sept. 4 with the Sport Clips Haircuts VFW Assist a Hero 200 Xfinity race at 3:30 p.m. ET on Sept. 4 on NBCSN.

To purchase tickets for any of those races, go here.