by Dave Westerman
The race track will look a bit different when Auburndale Speedway opens for action on Saturday May 15th.
This Saturday night, May 8th, will be the final night of racing on the current configuration of the track as things will be much different the following week. Starting on Sunday, May 9th, crews will begin laying four feet of concrete on the inside of the turns to create a new “inside groove” that will allow for two-wide racing that drivers and fans have been asking for.
The concrete will be tapered in the same way the current banking is laid out. “What we’ll get is a tight inside groove and a middle groove that will be just as quick,” says track owner Rex Guy. “Everyone has been asking for a workable outside line around the race track and we feel this is the best way to go about it,” he says.
This method is expected to not only be much more cost-effective than completely repaving the track, but should actually provide better racing for all classes. “If we repave the surface, we’re still in the same boat,” says Guy. “The inside groove would be even faster and it would still make it difficult to use the outer lane. Our new plan is really the best way to increase competition and make an even better show for the fans,” he says.
The Open Wheel Modifieds will put the new configuration to the test for the first time on May 15th and the following week the Late Models return for a big 100 lap event.
“We are all looking forward to seeing two-wide racing in the Late Models and Modifieds and can only imagine what the racing will be like in classes like the Legends, Mini Stocks, Street Stocks and Scramblers,” says Guy.
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