Dover International Speedway to make changes to pit road
Changes to pit road at Dover International Speedway will alter some of the traditional storylines at the track beginning this season.
Dover is set to announce Thursday that it is adding a 43rd pit stall and widening pit road by tearing down the current retaining wall and replacing it with one that includes a SAFER barrier. Construction began roughly three weeks ago.
Previously, the track had only 42 pit stalls – forcing the last two cars in the field to share a stall until another competitor fell out of the race – and a narrow pit road that caused many incidents over the years.
Now, pit road will extend further into Turn 4 – allowing for the extra stall – while expanding toward the track's frontstretch apron by nearly five feet.
The old steel wall caused many in the stands to hold their breath after seeing drivers bash into the barrier from accidents started out of Turn 4 or at the start of the frontstretch.
With the installation of a SAFER barrier in that spot, the chances of injury should be greatly reduced. In addition, both drivers and crews will likely be grateful to have a few more feet to navigate pit road.
The new wall means that all grass along the frontstretch will be eliminated, as well as a section of grass in Turn 4.
Drivers often speak of the difficultly getting onto pit road at Dover, but it's unclear whether moving the pit entrance back further into the turn will help or hurt their chances of making it into the pits without incident. In total, the new wall will be 432 feet longer.
The pit road changes are the third phase of what the track is calling its "Monster Makeover." Previously, the so-called Monster Mile revamped its fan zone – including the addition of a 46-foot-tall Monster Monument – added a new skybox complex and refurbished its media center.
“This project is another example of our commitment to making capital improvements to the facility to create an ‘all-new Dover,’” Dover
Motorsports President Denis McGlynn said. “The first two phases of Monster Makeover construction focused on adding new amenities for fans of the Monster Mile. This year we’ll make modifications to the areas that directly impact the competition by widening pit road and creating a safer environment for the crews who are battling in the trenches on race day.”
