Saturday night will see a second test of what could be NASCAR’s future rules package. The first came June 12 at Michigan. Now, drivers return to a favorite test bed with smaller spoilers and splitters.
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Kyle Busch, 2015 winner at Kentucky (Getty Images)
Lower downforce is stock car racing’s trend du jour. More slipping and sliding; more changes of speed and leads in the corners; faster straightaway runs. Few drivers oppose the plans that in 2017 could be part and parcel of every track except Talladega and Daytona.
Last year’s Kentucky race was a hit among drivers craving better racing. This year should be no different. There also will be questions of a repaved track and tire adjustments.
The five previous Kentucky races formed a palindrome. The winners: Busch, Brad Keselowski, Matt Kenseth, Keselowski and Busch. Someone will break the chain.
Here’s the entry list. Saturday’s Quaker State 400 begins after 7:30 p.m. ET.
This will be Busch’s 600th start in Cup racing, including a record 141 wins in a Toyota. He will drive in the weekend’s Truck Series and Xfinity Series races as well.
As for the new racing surface, it’s been there, done that.
“It will be just like any other race on a repave — there are going to be a lot of unknowns and a lot of different variables,” Busch said this week. “With the reconfiguration of the track — the paving, banking, angle changing in (turns) one and two versus three and four — you basically have a whole new racetrack. It’s going to be a benefit running all three races this weekend so I can learn to understand the nuisances of the new configuration and learn how to pass on a single-groove racetrack.”
