The Daytona 500 was halted twice Sunday because of a hole in the track’s surface, an embarrassing scenario for Daytona International Speedway, which hosts NASCAR’s signature event.
An 18-inch-long, 8-inch-wide pothole began forming between Turns 1 and 2 of the 2 ½-mile track during the first half of the race. Racing was red-flagged with 78 laps to go and then later with 39 laps left. According to one member of the No. 42 Target Chevrolet team, NASCAR officials radioed to racing teams, requesting extra Bondo putty to repair the hole after the second stoppage. MiamiHerald.com
After the race, Daytona International Speedway president Robin Braig apologized for the hole and the delays that caused many fans to head to the exits long before the finish.
“We’re the World Center of Racing. This is the Daytona 500. This is not supposed to happen, and I take full responsibility,” Braig said. “We can come back from this. We know how to fix it. This is hallowed ground. We understand that. We accept the responsibility.”
It was unclear how or when the hole developed on an area between Turns 1 and 2, but it took attention away from a strong race that had a record number of leaders. It comes at a critical time for NASCAR, which began this season by making several on-track changes designed to boost sagging TV ratings.
Speedweeks had been filled with wild races, close finishes and plenty of positive attention. NASCAR.com
Track workers and pavement experts tried several different ways to get the hole filled. None of them worked.
The initial fix took 1 hour, 40 minutes, and the drivers then completed 36 laps on the repaired superspeedway before the patchwork broke up. The second repair lasted 44 minutes. In that one, workers gathered up polyester resin products from teams, mixed it with a hardener and then heated it with blowtorches and jet dryers to turn the putty mixture into a hardened substance.
They raced the final 32 laps without any noticeable issues.
“This is a bad predicament to be in—for NASCAR, the fans, for everybody,” driver Kyle Busch said as he waited.
The 2½-mile, high-banked superspeedway was last paved in 1978 and is scheduled for $20 million repaving in 2012. But Braig said it could be moved up if necessary.
Earnhardt has been among the track’s biggest critics, often saying it was long overdue for a new surface. He reiterated his stance during the first break Sunday, saying there was about “2½ miles of hole.”
“It’s so damn slick,” he said. “It shouldn’t be like this. It’s 2010.” ESPN
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