Six NASCAR Nextel Cup teams went to Talladega last week to test Goodyear tires on the newly-repaved Talladega track, at 2.66 miles the longest oval on the schedule.
It is also one of the two restrictor plate tracks on the circuit. None of the 10 teams in the Chase for the Championship were included in the test, as NASCAR felt it would give an unfair advantage to those chosen to participate. Veteran Ryan Newman, rookie David Gilliland, and experienced Cup drivers Martin Truex Jr., Brian Vickers, Travis Kvapil, and David Stremme were the six drivers involved in the test.
They were universal in their praise of the track. All but Gilliland (who was at Talladega for the first time) noted how much smoother the track is, compared to the bumpy surface of years past.
So how much is the resurfacing going to play into race strategy and the likelihood of "the big wreck" when NASCAR races at Talladega in two weeks? Newman noted that the new pavement is dark, making it more susceptible to temperature changes.
As far as the "big one" goes, removing the bumps from the racing surface should eliminate the cars bouncing around and possibly lessen the chances. But hey, it's a plate race, and with cars bunched tightly and racing flat out, there's still no margin for error.
I spoke with local racer Gary Nevers on Friday to get an update on his condition following a scary accident at Reno-Fernley Raceway last Saturday night. The popular Nevers had the throttle stick open on him entering turn three during a heat race, and hit the wall a ton, destroying his car, dubbed the War Pony II.
Nevers was extricated from the car complaining of neck and back pain, and was taken to Washoe Med in Reno by Care Flight. It turns out he had small fractures in two vertebrae in his neck, and spent a couple of days in the hospital under observation.
He also has a serious case of "racer's rheumatism," and hurts all over. But he asked me to thank all the fans that called him and his family members to ask about his condition and to give him encouragement.
"I didn't know I had that many fans," Gary told me. He plans to be back in a race car next season, with the doctor's permission, but it won't be in the War Pony II. The car was pretty much totaled in the accident, but Gary was philosophical about it.
"We were due for a new chassis anyway," he said. When I asked him if the new car would be dubbed War Pony III he was non-committal, but I think he'd accept his fans' input on the issue. For the remainder of the season Gary plans to support his friend Mike Prien, who will finish out the season racing at Reno-Fernley and Fallon in his Pro Stock car. Gary is truly one of the good guys in local racing, and we wish him a speedy recovery and a successful 2007 season in his new racecar.
The local racing season is winding down, with just two more weekends at Reno-Fernley Raceway's clay oval. Next weekend features the Western States Mini Sprint Nationals, with two track divisions racing in support races. The always exciting Vintage Midgets will also be on hand. On Oct. 7 and 8, the track hosts the sixth annual High Desert Shootout, which in past years has seen on the order of 200 cars in six divisions from Nevada, California, Oregon, Washington, Utah, and Idaho show up for the two-day event.
Rattlesnake Raceway in Fallon will hold its final points race on Sept. 30, and the Nevada Dirt Track Championship two-day event on Oct. 14 and 15. And on November 11 the track will hold the Kris Kringle race (snow tires and chains may be required).
If you are a road-racing fan, there are some exciting events coming up next season at Reno-Fernley's road course. At more than four miles in length, it rivals Wisconsin's Road America as one of the longest natural road courses in the country. There's a new driving school at the track, and I hope to be able to bring you a first-hand account of its racing instruction in the near future.