NASCAR’s Gen6 car proven to “fly” – but why is a runway needed?

Testing at Daytona International Speedway Photo credit: David L. Yeazell / Speedwaymedia.com

So what does NASCAR and NASA have the same interest in?

It’s Runway 15 at the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center.

That’s right. Runway 15.

Runway 15 at NASA’s Shuttle Landing Facility at Kennedy Space Center, Florida.

Yes, the 2013 Gen-6 cars have proven that they can pretty much “fly” hitting a top speed of 199 mph at Daytona International Speedway. But it is not the actual “flying” part that’s involved, but rather, just more testing on Runway 15.

Teams have since discovered that Runaway 15 at NASA’s Shuttle Landing Facility is perfect for straight-line testing. Notable Research and development teams from Richard Childress Racing, Joe Gibbs Racing and Michael Waltrip Racing have discovered the NASA Shuttle Landing Facility just south of Daytona Beach in Brevard County, a great testing place to collect aerodynamic data. “We use the landing strip at Kennedy Space Center at Cape Canaveral just because it’s a long, smooth straightaway, and it’s warm, so in the wintertime you can test there with pretty controlled conditions,” Richard Childress Racing director of competition Dr. Eric Warren. It’s also more economically feasible than transporting cars from North Carolina to the proving grounds in Arizona. “You work out a relationship with those guys and pay for the use of the facilities  like any other testing facility. They have their own on-site emergency crews, so the safety side of it is really nice. It’s closer (than Arizona).

The Shuttle Landing Facility’s Runway 15, or SLF, which opened in 1976, is one of the largest runways in the world. The runway is located 2 miles northwest of the Vehicle Assembly Building and is 15,000ft long and 300ft wide – about as wide as the length of a football field and is longer and wider than runways at most commercial airports. It has 1000ft of paved overruns at each end and the paving thickness is 16 inches at the center, and 15 inches thick on the sides. Although a single landing strip, it is considered two runways, depending on the approach: from either the northwest on Runway 15 or from the southeast on Runway 33. The landing strip is not perfectly flat; it has a slope of 24 inches (61 centimeters) from the center line to the edge to facilitate drainage.

Space shuttle Endeavour rolls down the Shuttle Landing Facility on Runway 15. Credit: NASA

The final space shuttle mission, STS-135, ended on July 21, 2011 after Endeavour rolled to a stop at its home port on Runway 15 at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. NASA’s space shuttle fleet began with its first launch on April 12, 1981 and continued through 30 years of missions.

Sources: FoxSports, Google, NASA

Day 2 – Feeling the Draft at Daytona International Speedway

 

Credit: Chris Trotman/Getty Images for NASCAR

During single-car runs in the morning session, Richard Childress Racing’s Jeff Burton in the No. 31 Chevrolet topped the speed charts with a lap speed of 194.805 mph. Rounding out the top five were teammate Kevin Harvick (193.557), Matt Kenseth (193.121), Paul Menard (192.963) and Greg Biffle (192.719).

But since the first day of testing, drivers wanted to try drafting in a larger pack at Daytona International Speedway with the Gen 6 car, instead of in two-car tandums.

And they got their wish, but not without trouble.

But of course… everyone knows the saying…”It’s Daytona”, and it doesn’t matter what time of the year it is. It always happens – you know… “The Big One” – that is.  Friday’s second session opened with a multi-car pack working on drafting around the 2.5-mile superspeedway. About an hour into the afternoon test session, a multi-car incident on the backstretch sent several cars to the garage. Among the drivers involved in the incident were Marcos Ambrose, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jamie McMurray, Brad Keselowski, Jeff Gordon, Greg Biffle, Joey Logano, Kyle Busch, Regan Smith and Kasey Kahne.  The official count was that 12 cars out of the 18 on track were involved in some way or another.

Kasey Kahne’s Chevy SS after the wreck during the drafting session at Daytona International Speedway. Photo by Karen Pistone/Racingal.com

SO WHAT HAPPENED?
“We were just out there running around, said Dale Earnhardt, Jr. “I felt like Marcus (Ambrose) was backing up to me in (turns) one and two to get a run down the back.  I was just going to give him a push down the back straightaway and see if he could get the lead.  I was trying to eventually get the lead myself.  We got off the back straightaway and were just kind of pushing him along there and our cars sort of just didn’t match up very well.  I got him hooked into the fence.  I pushed Martin (Truex) a little bit in his Toyota and they matched up good.  The bumpers were good, didn’t have any problem with any of the cars.  That is the first time I pushed a Ford.  The roll bar of the front of my car is just at the right place where his car sets right up on top of that.  I sort of had him going down the back straightaway like a forklift.  It was a big mess and tore up a lot of cars down here trying to work on their stuff.  Definitely the drafting is not like it used to be.  You can’t really tandem certain cars; certain cars don’t match up well.  Our bumpers on the Chevy’s have a little bit of a point. It makes it a little bit of a challenge to get into guys and kind of help them.  We definitely weren’t doing that in the corner at all because it was pretty hairy trying to do it on the straightaways.”

Jeff Gordon was asked if he was surprised that the wreck had happened:

Jeff Gordon speaks to the media following the incident that took out 12 of 18 cars during the afternoon drafting session. Photo by Karen Pistone/Racingal.com

“I’m not surprised at all.  We see it every year, maybe not quite this big, but you get down here in packs.  It’s important to be in those packs and learn what you can learn, especially with a new car.  I think you can kind of weigh into both sides of it.  You know when the cars are starting to push and move around a lot more that the chances are getting higher that something is going to happen.  There are some rookies out there as well.  I saw some things happen a couple of laps before that.  You just ride it out and hope you can make it through it.  Unfortunately, we didn’t in this case.”

Some teams had packed up and called it a weekend late afternoon on Friday and headed back to their shops with damaged cars. Out of 35 teams, 21 remained to test Saturday afternoon.

AFTERNOON TESTING SESSIONS

In the afternoon session, which included drafting sessions, speeds reached 199 mph with 2011 Daytona 500 champion Trevor Bayne leading the speed charts with a lap of 199.650 mph.

With The Sprint Unlimited (Feb. 16 on SPEED, Motor Racing Network Radio and SiriusXM Satellite Radio) and the Daytona 500 (Feb. 24 on FOX, Motor Racing Network Radio, SiriusXM Satellite Radio) a little more than a month away, Greg Biffle is readying himself for what he believes will be a “fun” and “exciting” Speedweeks.

“The cars are stuck less and they are looser,” said Greg Biffle. “That is good for racing. It is good for the fans. It will make it more exciting and make pit strategy come into play. If you put tires on, you will be able to go faster. I think all of that is good. This is going to be a heck of a race. I like that the cars were sliding around and hard to drive. It will make it a fun race.”

During Day 2′s media availability, NASCAR’s 10-time Most Popular Driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. talked about his anticipation for the upcoming 2013 season.

“I feel like that the sport is in a good healthy place,” said Dale Earnhardt Jr. “We have a good opportunity to grow. With this car we have a chance to do something great and really make a big impact … I think the racing is as exciting as it has been in a long time.  You look at some of these old races and look back at some of the events that we had in the ’80s and the ’90s … it always is changing and it always will, but I think we have improved it.”

Matt Kenseth, the 2012 Daytona 500 champion, has been fast throughout Preseason Thunder with his new ride for 2013 season – the No. 20 Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing.

After spending his entire career with Roush Fenway Racing, the 40-year-old driver is joining Joe Gibbs Racing and will be teammates with Denny Hamlin and Kyle Busch.
He will look to become the first driver to repeat as Daytona 500 champion since Sterling Marlin accomplished that feat in 1994-95.

Preseason Thunder will conclude today.

 

DAY 1 – Preseason Thunder Testing at Daytona International Speedway

DAY 1 

Defending Daytona 500 champion Matt Kenseth, with new team Joe Gibbs Racing, was fastest in the first practice with a top speed of 192.757 mph and second-fastest in the afternoon session with a top speed of 195.385 mph.

Teammate Denny Hamlin topped the speed chart in the second practice (195.712 mph) in his Gen-6 Toyota Camry.

Carl Edwards hopes to use Preseason Thunder to kick start 2013 after a disappointing 2012 season. Edwards missed the Chase for the Sprint Cup after finishing second in 2011.

“I couldn’t be looking forward to it more,” Edwards said. “I think it will be an exciting year for me. I would like to put last year out of my memory and not think about it too much. Not in the last few years have I been this excited to go racing. I think it is probably because my off season has been a little longer than most. I didn’t go to Vegas [for NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Champion’s Week] so I have been ready to go.”

As far as competition goes, the Gen-6 car received high marks. But so too did the look and feel of the Toyota Camry, Chevrolet SS and Ford Fusion as they hit the high banks of the World Center of Racing for the first time in advance The Sprint Unlimited on Feb. 16 (SPEED, MRN Radio, SiriusXM Satellite Radio) and the 55th running of the Daytona 500 on Feb. 24 (FOX, MRN Radio, SiriusXM Satellite Radio). The one wish of drivers: To draft -  in bigger packs. They are pack drafting this afternoon. Hopefully they will get more information that they are looking for.

More to come.

‘Gen-6′ car, Preseason Thunder Fest ready to roll at Daytona International Speedway

This week’s test sessions will be the only test for the new Gen-6 car at Daytona prior to Speedweeks, which begins with newly renamed Budweiser Shootout – The Sprint Unlimited- on Feb. 16 (SPEED, MRN Radio, SiriusXM Satellite Radio) and concludes with the 55th running of the Daytona 500 on Feb. 24 (FOX, MRN Radio, SiriusXM Satellite Radio).

After several tests for the new car, including one restrictor plate test at Talladega Superspeedway, the rules package has been set heading into Preseason Thunder.

The rules package for Daytona includes:

· Plate size 29/32″ (same plate size as 2012)

· Spoiler size 4″ high x 53″ wide

· Spoiler angle 70 degrees

· Front Grille size 1-3/4″ high x 23″ wide

· Radiator Relief valve 32 psi

Teams participating include:

Car # Team Name Driver
1 Earnhardt Ganassi Racing Jamie McMurray
2 Penske Racing Brad Keselowski
5 Hendrick Motorsports Kasey Kahne
9 Richard Petty Motorsports Marcos Ambrose
10 Stewart Haas Racing Danica Patrick
11 Joe Gibbs Racing Denny Hamlin
13 Germain Racing Casey Mears
14 Stewart Haas Racing Tony Stewart
15 Michael Waltrip Racing Clint Bowyer
16 Roush Fenway Racing Greg Biffle
17 Roush Fenway Racing Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
18 Joe Gibbs Racing Kyle Busch
20 Joe Gibbs Racing Matt Kenseth
21 Wood Bros Racing Trevor Bayne
22 Penske Racing Joey Logano
24 Hendrick Motorsports Jeff Gordon
27 Richard Childress Racing Paul Menard
29 Richard Childress Racing Kevin Harvick
31 Richard Childress Racing Jeff Burton
33 Circle Sport / Joe Falk Austin Dillon
36 Tommy Baldwin Racing Dave Blaney
38 Front Row Motorsports Josh Wise
39 Stewart Haas Racing Ryan Newman
42 Earnhardt Ganassi Racing Juan Pablo Montoya
43 Richard Petty Motorsports Aric Almirola
47 JTG-Daugherty Racing Bobby Labonte
48 Hendrick Motorsports Jimmie Johnson
51 Phoenix Racing Regan Smith
55 Michael Waltrip Racing Mark Martin
56 Michael Waltrip Racing Martin Truex
78 Furniture Row Racing Kurt Busch
83 BK Racing Travis Kvapil/David Reutimann
88 Hendrick Motorsports Dale Earnhardt Jr.
95 Leavine Family Racing Scott Speed
99 Roush Fenway Racing Carl Edwards

In addition to the year’s first on-track testing, the track will also host Preseason Thunder Fan Fest on Thursday night, January 10.

Fan Fest will include autograph sessions, driver fan forums, show cars and displays, music and a photo opportunity with the 2013 Harley J. Earl Daytona 500 trophy.

Tickets for Daytona Preseason Thunder Fan Fest are $20 on Thursday and $10 for Friday and Saturday and are available by calling 1-800-PITSHOP or online at www.daytonainternationalspeedway.com. Children 12 and under will receive free admission.

Among the drivers scheduled to appear on Thursday, Jan. 10 during the 5:30–7:30 p.m. session are Greg Biffle, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jeff Gordon, Denny Hamlin, Kevin Harvick, Jimmie Johnson, Kasey Kahne, Jamie McMurray, Tony Stewart, Martin Truex Jr., Jeff Burton, Juan Pablo Montoya, Kurt Busch and Mark Martin.

In the 7:30–9:30 p.m. session, 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Brad Keselowski, 2012 Daytona 500 champion Matt Kenseth, Ryan Newman, Danica Patrick, Aric Almirola, Carl Edwards, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Clint Bowyer, Marcos Ambrose, Joey Logano, David Ragan, David Gilliland, Paul Menard, Kyle Busch, Bobby Labonte, Austin Dillon, Trevor Bayne and Casey Mears are scheduled to appear.

Daytona International Speedway will also host special driver chat sessions on the speedway’s social media channels following the end of testing Thursday evening from 5:30-9:30 p.m. Fans can submit questions for Twitter chats by including #DaytonaTesting and the driver’s official Twitter handle. NASCAR’s official Twitter feed @NASCAR will also provide updates throughout the three-day session. Fans can also participate in live driver chats hosted on Facebook by visiting www.facebook.com/DaytonaInternationalSpeedway.

SPEED and SPEED.COM announce coverage of testing at Daytona International Speedway

SPEED and SPEED.com offer live coverage of the Jan. 10-12 test session in its entirety with SPEED live from all afternoon sessions and SPEED.com streaming all morning sessions.

John Roberts, Jeff Hammond and Matt Clark host SPEED’s on-air coverage from the studio above pit road at the start/finish line at Daytona.

9 am to 12 pm/et on SPEED.com – Steve Byrnes calls the on-track action, along with Kyle Petty and Kenny Wallace.

1-3 pm/et and 3-5 pm/et – Darrell Waltrip and Larry McReynolds on SPEED. Bob Dillner and Matt Yocum report from pit road and the garage.

SPEED.com NASCAR Editor Mike Hembree will be on site to provide coverage and perspective as well.

NASCAR Race Hub will air Jan. 10-11 at 6 pm/et from Daytona to recap all the on- and off-track action. The program’s 2013 season premiere is slated for Feb. 4 at 6 pm/et (Monday-Thursdays at 6 pm/et).

Day 2: NASCAR’s afternoon test session of the Sixth Generation car at CMS rained out

Credit: Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images for NASCAR
Jeff Burton drives the #31 Caterpillar Chevrolet during testing at Charlotte Motor Speedway on December 12, 2012 in Concord, North Carolina.

Several NASCAR Sprint Cup Series teams ‘partially’ tested their new 2013 cars at Charlotte Motor Speedway Wednesday morning only – the afternoon session was rained out.

The look of the new sixth-generation car has been a hit and so has the performance of the new car. Drivers experienced speeds on Tuesday that have the potential to break the current qualifying record at Charlotte Motor Speedway, currently held by No. 16 Greg Biffle since this past October, as the speed chart topped the 193-mile-per-hour range.

Teams will have two more open tests before the beginning of the 2013 season starting with Preseason Thunder at Daytona International Speedway Jan. 10-12. The sixth-generation car will return to Charlotte Motor Speedway Jan. 17-18, when the teams will have their final opportunity to test the car before Speedweeks in Daytona

AM Speeds for Wednesday 2nd session:

No. 5-Kahne 193.771
No. 20-Kenseth 193.050
No. 29-Harvick 192.458
No. 42-Montoya 192.020
No. 24-Smith 191.435

SPEEDS for the rain shortened Day 2 (Wednesday) afternoon session:

No. 5-Kasey Kahne 193.112
No. 20-Matt Kenseth 191.993
No. 24-Regan Smith 191.510
No. 27-Austin Dillon 191.442
No. 29-Kevin Harvick 190.981

Credit: Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images for NASCAR
Denny Hamlin drives the #11 FedEx Toyota after an incident during testing at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

In the morning session on the 2nd day, No.11-Denny Hamlin wrecked about 30 minutes into the test session.

DAY 1: NASCAR’s test session of Sixth Generation car ends at Charlotte Motor Speedway

Credit: Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images for NASCAR

Sixteen cars participated in the last open test session of the year at Charlotte Motor Speedway today. Fans and media were treated to all three manufacturers on the race track at once, including the fully unveiled Chevrolet SS which was debuted in Las Vegas during NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Champion’s Week. There was an air of excitement from the drivers and teams in the garage surrounding the looks and performance of the sixth generation car.

While fans were seeing the Chevrolet fully unwrapped without camouflage, several drivers were getting used to new fire suits, car manufacturers and teammates. For the first time in his career, former NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Champion Matt Kenseth was sporting a new number (20), team (Joe Gibbs Racing) and manufacturer (Toyota). Kenseth was happy with the car; however, his team was forced to make an engine change during today’s morning session.

Credit: Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images for NASCAR

While Kenseth got to know his new team, current NASCAR Sprint Cup champion Brad Keselowski learned to work with new Penske Racing teammate Joey Logano.

“I feel like there are a lot of areas that I can improve and be better,” said Keselowski. “I think there are things Joey does right out of the gate that are better than what I do. I think he has the ability to unload at a place like this and just instantly be fast and that’s not my style.”

In addition to the off season testing sessions scheduled next month for Daytona and Charlotte, plans call for an extra day of testing before the events at Las Vegas and Texas to provide teams with an opportunity to learn more about the sixth-generation race car early in the season. Extra practice time will also be added to the schedule at Auto Club Speedway in March.

The test continues Wednesday at 9 a.m. at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

What are the drivers saying?

Credit: Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images for NASCAR
Dale Earnhardt Jr. (L), driver of the #88 National Guard Chevrolet, speaks with Regan Smith, driver of the Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, in the garage area during testing at Charlotte Motor Speedway

Dale Earnhardt Jr.
“Our test is going pretty well so far. The cars drive really well. I know everybody is probably real curious about how we think the racing is going to go. It’s real early in the game, this is the first time I’ve driven the cars at all. I’m really impressed. I really like the balance of the car, the downforce seems to be relatively good. The car has driven well for us today. We will just move through the next couple of days here and keep tuning. Trying things and see what the car likes and doesn’t like. Hopefully, get some more testing in before the season starts so we can continue to understand. A lot of the rules and decisions that NASCAR is going to make on this car, some are finalized, some are not. It’s still a little bit of a moving target for the teams. I’m real encouraged so far.”

What exactly is different with the Sixth Generation car?

  • There is about 100 to 115 more horsepower under the hood
  • Distinct body lines that match street vehicles
  • The area comprised of the roof, windshields, windows, and decklid is known as the ‘greenhouse’. The “greenhouse” area is the same on every car.(Fans will notice different shapes and sizes of windows depending on the manufacturer represented.)
  • Longer nose and shorter tail to mimic street cars [longer nose (by 2 inches) and shorter tail (by 6 inches)]
  • Carbon fiber hood and decklid (Carbon fiber is very strong, which eliminates the opportunity for flexibility. This should remove the advantage some teams discovered and make it easier for NASCAR to police these parts. Carbon fiber is also light-weight which in turn lowers the center of gravity, helping cars find more mechanical grip and handle better.)
  • New decals on windshield and roof (To improve manufacturer branding, decals will no longer be permitted on the headlights and taillights.)

 

Source: NASCAR Media/Joe Gibbs Racing

Pre-Season Thunder dates announced for Daytona International Speedway

Daytona’s Preseason Thunder, the annual three-day NASCAR Sprint Cup Series test session at Daytona International Speedway in advance of the season-opening 55th annual Daytona 500.

  • Jan. 10-12
  • 9am and 5pm
  • Weather permitting
  • Each session includes a lunch break from Noon until 1pm

The test sessions mark the first time the new 2013 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series cars, which highlight greater brand identity for the manufacturers, will turn laps on Daytona International Speedway’s 2.5-mile tri-oval.

Daytona Preseason Thunder Fan Fest will also be taking place for race fans on Thursday, Jan. 10 from 5:30 pm  9:30 pm. Fans can watch the track activity from at no cost from a section of the Oldfield Grandstands or the Sprint FANZONE. Tickets for the FanZone during the Daytona Preseason Thunder Fan Fest, which include autograph session wristbands, will be available for purchase at a later date.

For fans who would like to be contacted regarding Daytona Preseason Thunder Fan Fest ticket information can sign up online at daytonainternationalspeedway.com/thunder. Information on tickets for both the Daytona Preseason Thunder and the Roar Before The Rolex 24 will be available online at daytonainternationalspeedway.com or by calling 1-800-PITSHOP.

Faster speeds recorded as NASCAR teams test repaved Kansas Speedway

Crew members set up a 2013 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet, driven by Josh Wise, during NASCAR testing at Kansas Speedway on October 17, 2012 in Kansas City, Kansas. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images for NASCAR)

One thing is for sure from the newly repaved 1.5-mile oval at Kansas Speedway that has developed is SPEED. After a two-hour Kansas test session that was delayed by rain on Wednesday, 30 out of the 47 cars that tested, turned a faster lap than the current track qualifying record of 180.856 mph set by Matt Kenseth in 2005. Greg Biffle turned the fastest lap of the test session at 184.900 (29.205 seconds).

Among the 47 cars that tested, four were the redesigned 2013 models. The teams testing the 2013 cars were Michael Waltrip Racing, Penske Racing, Earnhardt Ganassi Racing and Wood Brothers Racing.

Kansas Speedway is the third of three 2012 repaves, joining Michigan International Speedway and Pocono Raceway.

Testing at Kansas continues today until 12:30 p.m. CT.

Source: NASCAR

THREE NASCAR drivers – ONE top groove = TWO day Goodyear Tire test at Bristol

Goodyear Tire Testing at Bristol - Jeff Burton comes out of turn two at Bristol Motor Speedway. Photo by BMS.

Bristol Motor Speedway has witnessed the initial laps on its recently altered surface. On day one of a two-day Goodyear Tire test, which ended Wednesday, Tony Stewart (#14), Jeff Burton (#31) and Clint Bowyer (#15) circled the half-mile concrete oval, and will wrap up the session on Wednesday. While it’s impossible to predict how the racing action will be when NASCAR hits Bristol for August race week and the IRWIN Tools Night Race, the trio of drivers offered their comments following a full day of lapping the banks of Bristol. The same drivers will return on Wednesday to complete the Goodyear Tire test. Goodyear has mandated that the test sessions are closed to the public and media.

No. 14 Tony Stewart (who is the only driver to try to run the high groove): “Well, you’ve definitely lost the top groove. Guys who run up there aren’t going to be able to do that because it’s pretty slick up there. There’s going to be less room to race, that’s for sure. We’ve gone from a three-groove track to two grooves and any time you’ve got less room to get around it can get pretty interesting. I’m one of the guys who likes that high groove so it’s really going to change things up for me. It’ll change things for everybody though because when you take away room to race on a track this small with 43 cars& yeah, it’s going to tighten things up.”

No. 15 Clint Bowyer: “That outside line  the upper groove  is out of play now. There’s going to be a lot closer racing then we’ve had here in the past. I don’t typically run up there but a lot of guys do and I can’t see them going up there now. If they do& it’s pretty slippery and they’ll figure that out in a hurry. The closer we have to race just means something’s going to happen. Is it going to make fans happy? Well, narrowing up the track means less room to get around so there’s no question there’s going to be closer action.”

No. 31-Jeff Burton: “Goodyear is looking to bring a tire with more grip. I really think they have found some stuff that is really promising. As for the track itself, I really can’t imagine running up there in that top groove. I think it is going to force everyone more to the middle and bottom of the track. The drivers aren’t going to be happy, but the spectators probably will be because it is going to put more cars in a closer space. By taking away that groove, it is going to change your mind about going up there. I think it is going to be two grooves, unless Goodyear brings a tire with a lot of grip. If that is the case, you’ll want to run around the bottom. Making the groove smaller is a good thing, it is going to put the action back to the bottom and middle of the track. What has changed is up near the wall, the bottom is the same. Tony experimented and tried out that top groove, and I know he won’t be trying that again. If people liked the older track more than the new, they are going to like this. This takes the top groove out and brings it back toward the old track. Taking the groove out moves the track closer to what it used to be.”

Source: BMS