Chicane’s removal has some drivers in a twist

Drivers have mixed feelings about the removal of the chicane entering Turn 1 of the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez track, which will result in a much more sweeping turn in that corner during the Telcel-Motorola Mexico 200 NASCAR Busch Series on Sunday. "I'll miss it," said Boris Said, who will be driving for Evernham Motorsports. "It was really fast. But I don't think it will have any real big effect on the race."

NASCAR made the move for competition reasons, with the expectation that the drivers shouldn't be as bunched up going into the sweeping turn after slowing down to go through the chicane.

"I think it's going to work out," said Ron Fellows, a veteran road racer who will be driving for Kevin Harvick Inc. "Your approach speed into Turn 1 is going to be faster. It should make the brake zone longer and make for a little cleaner, more passing opportunities. It should spread things out on restarts."

In the first two years of the race, the drivers remained single-file through the main straightaway because they couldn't go two-wide through the chicane. Now they might race and pass more down the long frontstretch as they can go two wide through the turn if they can't complete the pass by the turn. More at Scene Daily.