RELATED: Full Dover weekend schedule | Paint Scheme Preview
NASCAR officials confirmed Friday morning that an adhesive compound, used earlier this year at two other facilities, will not be applied before this weekend’s racing tripleheader at the 1-mile concrete track.
Dover officials previously told NASCAR.com on Wednesday morning that the application of a substance such as TrackBite had “been discussed,” but no decision had been made, and that, “if NASCAR believes it will enhance the racing here, we would certainly be supportive.”
The substance was used last year at Bristol, and again for this year’s spring race weekend in an effort to create more grip and widen the racing groove on the .533-mile track. Both Bristol and Dover feature a concrete racing surface and high-banked turns.
Officials with Charlotte Motor Speedway applied the substance in the turns of the 1.5-mile track before the recently completed Monster Energy All-Star and Coca-Cola 600 race weekends.
“It’s something we continue to learn and work with the race tracks — what’s the right application? It was the first time we’ve ever done this on asphalt,” NASCAR Executive Vice President and Chief Racing Development Officer Steve O’Donnell said earlier this week on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. “We continue to learn and as we see multiple grooves open up earlier, I think it’s something you could see us apply in the future.”
Action at Dover begins Friday with the Bar Harbor 200 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race while the One Main Financial 200 for the XFINITY Series is scheduled for Saturday.
The AAA 400 Drive for Autism featuring the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series rounds out the racing weekend on Sunday (1 p.m. ET, FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR).