Drivers' Quotes: Repave/Resurface or Not?

Tony Stewart (with crew chief Steve Addington) was just one of many drivers
to weigh in on the topic of the track repave at Kansas Speedway.
Credit: John Harrelson/Getty Images for NASCAR

Teleconferences in the media center were held throughout the day on Friday before, during and after practices with a number of Cup drivers. One of the most consistently asked questions by media members were in regards to thoughts about the repaving/resurfacing of tracks like Bristol and Kansas Speedway. 

Here is what some of the drivers had to say:

Clint Bowyer: "It's just part of it. All things must come to an end and this surface has come to an end, but they've made really good provisions - a good game plan of repaving this race track to where it doesn't take as long to age. With that progressive banking, it should help this thing have racing like we're used to right now with two-and-three-wide racing, cars running around the inside, around the outside, shooting up the middle. With that progressive banking, you should be able to do that a lot higher speed on a fresh surface, hopefully."

Carl Edwards: "I would not resurface this track ever. I wouldn't resurface ever if it were up to me. I'd patch the holes and keep on running."

Kevin Harvick: "No I'm never a fan of repaves. I think when you repave something it takes years for the racing to get back to the point of where things are. My understanding they have some issues; they hadn't told me what they are, with the track."

Jimmie Johnson: "The tracks are going to change, and it's going to be different. Whoever figures it out first will have the advantage and win. So, I'm excited about the new surfaces that go down. Some of them are very challenging, and I hope people pay attention to the tracks that have instant success and the others that take a long time to come around, and we can learn from them as well. I'm excited for the opportunity, and I love to test. I love to be at the race track learning, and am excited to have testing at tracks we race at."

Matt Kenseth: "I think most times that tracks get repaved because they want to get reconfigured or because the pavement is gonna fall apart and obviously, after the pothole in Daytona and that concrete came up at Martinsville one time, when things like that happen I think it makes everybody look at their surfaces more closely and see if there are gonna be any problems with cracking or the track falling apart.  So I think it really dictates when the tracks get paved and when they don't get paved. From a driver's standpoint, it's always fun when they're worn out and slick.  I think the racing is better. I think there are more lanes on the race track, but you have to pave them sooner or later."

Tony Stewart: "I kind of like it the way it is now.  There are a lot of tracks getting repaved this year and there are a lot of breaks and benefits that the tracks are getting for paving now.  But you definitely have to change your approach because what we have for set-up now won't work when we come back in the fall.  It will be a whole different race track. You're definitely going to have to do something quite a bit different."

Race fans - sound off and let the ladies of Skirts & Scuffs know what you think about this hot topic.
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Unique Hiram is an Associate Editor/Contributing Writer for Skirts and Scuffs. Additionally, she is also the author of "Fast Lane Poetry" which was published April 2011. Unique can be contacted via email or through Twitter.