NASCAR drivers anxious to see how track’s first Cup race will unfold | Sports

It was the longest race in NASCAR history.

One week later, drivers will get a break Sunday afternoon at the inaugural Enjoy Illinois 300 at World Wide Technology Raceway.

Questions abound about how the 1¼-mile track with its unusual layout will impact racing when the 36 Next Gen cars start at 2:30 p.m. But drivers will have to figure things out in a hurry at the shortest non-road course Cup series race on the schedule.

“It will go a lot quicker,” said Chase Briscoe, who won the pole Saturday morning. “I don’t mind longer races. We don’t need more than one 600-mile race. That was kind of a race of attrition and you’re just trying to get to the end. It’s interesting going from the longest race to one of the shorter races all year. It’s a cool transition from an endurance race to kind of a sprint race.”

Drivers were skeptical about whether the WWTR track will produce much in the way of side-by-side racing and passing opportunities. It has been more than 10 years since anything other than NASCAR trucks or IndyCars raced at the facility.

The spectacle will unfold in front of 57,000 expected fans and a television audience on FS1 as St. Louis adds another major sporting event to its history.

The 619 miles run in Charlotte were a caution-fest with wrecks starting early and continuing through the final laps. Drivers usually have an idea how a race will unfold given the history of a track, but not so at WWTR.

“It’s going to be interesting,” Ty Dillon said. “I don’t think any of us know what’s going to happen when we’re out there together in the heat of the day, sliding and slipping around. The shifting makes the racing a little bit tougher. If we didn’t have to shift so much you’d see more guys pay a bigger penalty for missing the corner.

“Shifting seems to equalize things. Hopefully it doesn’t equalize it too much and make it hard to pass. With a little heat and all the cars on the track maybe the cars handle a little worse, and we’ll be able to do some more passing.”

Briscoe has had some significant moments in recent weeks with the pole being a highlight. He is 13th in the standings and trying to assure himself a spot in the playoffs.

He has one win this season and one more would guarantee a playoff spot. With that in mind, he tried last week to make a late move to win the Coca Cola 600 but spun his car with two laps remaining and ended up fourth.

“I’m going to try to win, especially now with how the format works,” he said. “Wins mean a lot for us and if you get an opportunity to win a race you have to try. It’s what I’m paid to do. You have to go for it. Hopefully I’ll be in contention again.”

Most races at WWTR over the years have been completed without an excessive number of cautions, albeit in completely different vehicles. Anything is likely to be better than the 18 cautions last week.

IndyCars, for example, never have had more than six cautions in a race at WWTR since returning in 2017 with fewer cars on the track. The trucks ran Saturday without seeing a yellow flag until the second stage of the race.

“This is the only place I’ve driven this car, besides maybe road courses, where you can have the car sideways in the middle of the corner and not crash,” Tyler Reddick said. “You can slide this car around a lot here. It’s refreshing. We’ve got a lot of grip here and can drive into the corners pretty hard.”

One potential problem that was voiced in recent days was a possible sightline issue for spotters sitting high up on the west side of the stands. Driver Daniel Suarez said, “I’m hearing they’re in a tough position,” but he didn’t seem concerned.

From his perspective, Briscoe said he anticipates a lot of attrition during the race from re-starts and the possibility of mistakes due to shifting.

“It will be interesting to see how it plays out,” he said. “It’s cool to be on the pole. I never thought I’d run a Cup race or win one. To say I’m a pole winner is really special, and to do it at an inaugural event is even cooler.”