ForConstructionPros.com

Using state-of-the-art techniques, the Sunmount Corp. of Roanoke, TX, an industry leader in resurfacing high-speed, high-banked automotive racetracks, put down the smoothest, most dense racing surface possible during the reprofiling and repaving of Lowe's Motor Speedway in Charlotte, NC.

Previously, Sunmount resurfaced six high-profile facilities including Atlanta Motor Speedway, Texas Motor Speedway and Talladega Super Speedway.

Work on Lowe's Motor Speedway is a $3.5-million dollar project.

"We are remolding this track to take some of the meanness out of it," says H.A. Wheeler, president and general manager of Lowe's Motor Speedway. "This is one of the toughest tracks on the NASCAR® Nextel Cup circuit because it can bite drivers when they least expect it. Although we've had a few exceptions over the years, rookies don't normally do well here because the track is difficult. Even a few seasoned veterans have never really gotten the hang of the track."

There are a number of factors that make a professional automotive racetrack difficult for drivers. How rough the racing surface is, the difficulty of the entry and exit points in the turns, the degree of banking, a driver's ability to look ahead and spot where the racing groove narrows all contribute to a "mean" racetrack.

"We are modifying the racetrack by changing the profile of the turns, smoothing them out and making the radii more consistent," Wheeler says. "This will make the track more predictable."