FORT WORTH, Texas — The first Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at the “new” Texas Motor Speedway is in the books.
And just what did the competitors think of the newly repaved, reconfigured 1.5-mile track, where the banking was reduced and the track widened in Turns 1 and 2?
It depends, really, on who you ask – and where they finished in Sunday’s O’Reilly Auto Parts 500. But the consensus seemed to overwhelmingly be a huge thumbs-up after many had expected a whole lot more wrecks.
Several of even the best drivers the sport has to offer – including eventual race winner Jimmie Johnson – had feared the worst after encountering trouble keeping their cars under them during practice sessions and qualifying prior to the actual race.
But it was a relatively clean event on Sunday.
“I think the racing was better than it could have been,” said Kevin Harvick, who started from the pole and finished fourth in his No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford. “The track did a great job getting the racetrack ready. It could have been like it was all day Friday, but we were able to get that second groove coming in.”
Martin Truex Jr., who finished eighth in his No. 78 Furniture Row Racing Toyota, seemed a bit less impressed.
“The track was really, really difficult and the tires were definitely a challenge,” Truex said. “It seemed like every time we put a set on, the car was a little different.”