The Nashville Superspeedway is one of the four tracks on the current NASCAR schedule to have a concrete surface. The 1.33-mile oval joins Bristol, Dover, and Martinsville (on the corners) in having this feature. So, what’s the difference between a concrete surface and an asphalt surface? How do concrete surfaces affect the racing experience?
Advertisement
In its simplest definition, concrete is a mixture of broken-down rocks (or aggregate) that are stuck together with a binder. This binder determines the properties of the concrete and the most commonly used one is Portland cement.
Asphalt, on the other hand, is a type of concrete that specifically uses bitumen to hold the aggregate together. How does this make a difference on the race track?
Official: Both NASCAR weekends at Bristol in 2024 will be on the concrete. No dirt race at Bristol. Two concrete race weekends. Dates still TBA. @NASCARONFOX pic.twitter.com/zNGhRUp14R
— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) September 15, 2023
First off, concrete can only be laid down in sections. While this helps create patterns that help with grip, it can also be trouble. Drivers describe the bumps these sectional slabs create as vibrational.
In an episode of Dale Jr. Download earlier this year, Dale Jr. talked about how IndyCar faced issues because of these slabs when trying to race in Dover. He cited this as one of the reasons why he isn’t very fond of concrete tracks.
On the other hand, the grip on asphalt surfaces depends on the character of the bitumen and the degree of track wear. When it is initially laid down, the asphalt surface is level. But with time, the bitumen begins wearing off and the aggregate gets exposed to offer a better grip. Eventually, when enough bitumen has worn away to the level of loosening the aggregate, a repave is required.
Throwing out the caution flag for this one ⚠️ pic.twitter.com/ux22bFd8cj
— Sonoma Raceway (@RaceSonoma) December 31, 2023
Concrete does not wear off as quickly as asphalt does, so the grip level is retained for a longer period. One more advantage that concrete surfaces have is that they don’t change as much during a race because of temperature differences. Bitumen, being a petroleum product, makes asphalt tracks more slippery under hot temperatures.
What can be expected from the weekend at the Nashville Superspeedway?
Due to the nature of materials used in a concrete surface, the level of abrasive friction on it is less as well. This means that it is quite hard to lose grip but when one does, it makes a big difference. Since the majority of race tracks in NASCAR use an asphalt surface, drivers face a strong challenge when they race on concrete tracks. It will be so this weekend in Nashville as well.
Of those who are experts on all-concrete surfaces, Kyle Busch leads the active drivers pack with 11 wins. He has conquered Bristol 8 times and Dover thrice. However, considering his recent dip in form it is questionable whether he will be challenging for the win. He is followed by Denny Hamlin with six wins, and Brad Keselowski and Martin Truex Jr. with four wins each.
Greg Stucker, Goodyear’s Director of Racing, says about racing on concrete, “Laying rubber on the track surface is always the number one goal when we race on concrete. Nashville adds resin to the track surface to help accelerate the rubbering-in process, so we should be able to develop multiple grooves over the course of the weekend.” Hopefully, we are in for a weekend of competitive racing.
