They Built A Wall!

More changes are coming at Petty International Raceway.

After placing a wall around the outside of Turns One and Two during the last off-season, the staff is hard at work putting a wall on the other end of the race track. When the work is completed, the track will have a barrier or wall around the full race track, with the exception of the pit entry (off Turn Two) and pit exit, which will now be located at the beginning of the front straight, off Turn Four.

BEFORE PICTURE – AUGUST 2013

AFTER PICTURE – OCTOBER 27th, 2013 (From front straight looking at wall)

AFTER PICTURE, OCTOBER 27th, 2013 – LOOKING FROM TECH SHED TO FORMER PIT EXIT

The third picture from the other side of the track really goes to show how much room there will be in the pits with the pit lane extending to the end of Turn Four. This new area outside of the turn will be used as a lineup and staging area, which will solve traffic problems in the middle of pit road where, in the past, would serve as the staging area for the next race upcoming. Wayne Smith also hinted that there may be some relocation of the pit grandstand to the new area behind Turns Three and Four. Notice how much everything has changed though – the scoreboard now sits in the middle of the new pit road while in past (see first photo) had blended into the cluster of tires and signs where tow and clean up trucks would be staged in Turn Three. Of note, the truck on the track is where the new pit exit will be.

As we get photos, we will be posting them here on the site. The track is targeting the Victoria Day long weekend as their opening event in 2014. Last season, Russell Smith Jr scored a big win on the long weekend en route to his GT Enterprises Sportsman championship.