Patch no longer an issue at DIS

The tiny pothole that brought the mighty Daytona 500 to its knees has been eliminated as a racing nuisance.

The hole, which started as a gouge from the chassis of a Sprint Cup Series stock car, caused NASCAR to stop the 500 twice for more than 2 1/2 hours to repair the area.

The pothole was fixed with a concrete patch four days after the checkered flag fell on the Daytona 500, capping three weeks of auto racing events. The area was allowed to "cure" for several days to complete the repair.

Daytona 200 Motorcycle Week started Saturday with a dozen motorcycle road-racing events and the patch was not a worry for competitors.

"There have been no issues with the bikes," Speedway president Robin Braig said. "We talked to tire and bike manufacturers and riders and there are no concerns." Daytona Beach News Journal

In a random survey of Championship Cup Series riders, who are racing in the West Banking area, the consensus was the patch — closer to the apron than the outside retaining wall — was not even in the preferred racing line.

"The higher you run, the better because there's less wind resistance," Bonita Springs rider Charles Long said. "That patch really has no effect. You can see it because it's a lighter gray than the rest of the track."