WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. -- Speaking with drivers who spent Wednesday testing out Watkins Glen International's new track surface, the consensus seems clear.
"It's achieved everything that it set out to achieve, I don't think I've come across any surface that is as perfect as they've managed to do here," said racing driver Katherine Legge.
"My initial reaction was just all smiles. I was laughing to myself going down the speedway about how cool it was," said racing driver Sean Rayhall.
Legge says one of the best parts is how smooth the surface is, and fans can expect to see increased speeds all around.
"It's obviously got a lot more grip, and it's a lot quicker lap-time wise because of that," said Legge.
"Everyone's, you know, they got the question of bumps, and how you deal with a car with bumps, and having a smooth racetrack, you can really just focus on setup and making the most speed," explained Rayhall.
The track is also designed to better accommodate wet weather conditions; something that will be helpful if Sahlen's Six Hours of the Glen sees as much rain this year as it did last year.
"I think you'll see better racing. It'll be obviously less dangerous, and we as drivers will be happy."