By Caleb Whisler, Staff Writer
Track preparations are well underway at Charlotte Motor Speedway for what is being billed as “10 Days of Thunder” with the Monster Energy All-Star Race and the Coca-Cola 600 being the main events.
According to Greg Walter, executive vice president at Charlotte, track prep began two to three months ago with an emphasis on being ready.
“We try to put emphasis on being ready. May means motorsports. When that calendar hits May 1, hopefully a lot of the prep is done with signage, planters and food prep,” Walter said. “It all starts to weigh out from the two weeks. It is like steering and aircraft carrier. There is so much that goes on to getting ready for people who come from all 50 states and about 18 countries.”
Last season, Charlotte Motor Speedway and NASCAR agreed to place PJ1, a sticky substance used at Bristol, in the high lane to help encourage passing. For 2018, the talks are still in place with speedway officials, NASCAR and the Race Team Alliance about what the plan going forward will be.
The challenge lies between two completely different aero packages being used between the two Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series events.
“With the different package on the All-Star race, how is that going to do? Are we better off putting it there to keep the track consistent or do we keep it off as it is a scientific test of sorts to see how that package works. We are working with NASCAR to figure out how we are going to do that,” Walter said.
Cars hit the track on Friday, May 18 for practice at Charlotte Motor Speedway in anticipation of winning the $1 million bonus.