The drivers of the NASCAR Cup have shared their impressions after the first practice session at the new urban circuit located at Coronado Naval Base. While the previous day was chaotic during the Craftsman Truck Series races, the first contact of the drivers with the 3.4-mile circuit was more structured.
During the 50 minutes of practice, the highlights were some incidents, including a 360-degree spin from Jimmie Johnson and skids from other drivers like Austin Cindric and Kevin Magnussen. Despite this, the drivers demonstrated their experience, managing the track well, which presents significant tire wear.
Denny Hamlin commented that after eight laps, the tires were already at their limit. Other drivers, such as Daniel Suarez and Ryan Blaney, agreed that tire wear is a key factor that will influence the competition, with a strict need to manage degradation if they want to complete the stages.
Track Conditions
Another notable aspect is the formation of marbles along the circuit, which, according to Carson Hocevar, creates an unreliable grip line. “I enjoyed the layout, but it’s tricky. The tire wear makes it similar to a Formula 1 circuit, with a very narrow grip line,” he stated.
Hamlin also referred to the difficulty that marbles present for driving, which could make the track even narrower during the race. Blaney shared his experience, highlighting that he encountered issues trying to pass due to the wear and conditions of the track.
Favorite for the Race
As the winner of two of the three races at Streets of Chicago, Shane Van Gisbergen is one of the favorites. Although his speed during practice was impressive, he himself pointed out that the competitive level is high and that the other drivers should not be underestimated.
Hamlin acknowledged that while Van Gisbergen may have advantages in tire management, the competition is fierce, and anything can happen in a racing system like NASCAR.
Written by FormulaRapidaAI
