Kentucky Speedway to resurface track, alter Turns 1 and 2

— -- With weepers and a bumpy track frustrating drivers and fans over the last several years, Kentucky Speedway officials plan to do something about it in 2016. And they also hope to make the racing better in the process.

The track, opened in 2000, will undergo a complete resurfacing prior to the July 7-9 NASCAR race weekend as well as a partial reconfiguration. The track width will be reduced from 74 feet to 56 feet in Turns 1 and 2, while the banking in that area will increase from 14 degrees to 17 degrees.

The hope is that by having two distinctly different turns -- Turns 3-4 will remain 74 feet wide and banked 14 degrees -- that it will present an additional challenge to drivers and encourage more passing at a track that had been mired with single-file racing at many events up until NASCAR experimented with a low-downforce package in 2015.

The track also will add 3,200 feet of SAFER Barrier. And as part of the resurfacing process, workers will use a process to cure the track in a way to give the surface the feeling of having some age on it -- making it not so silky smooth for the first races.

While it could be debated that the bumps gave the track character, the weepers had to be addressed as they kept Sprint Cup teams from qualifying and gave them limited practice for the 2015 race. Track officials added that they were concerned the surface would break apart if it wasn't repaved.

So in some ways it was a no-brainer to repave the track. Track officials simply couldn't afford more embarrassment of not having the track ready for racing or having it break apart. But now the pressure is on -- fans will expect the resurfacing to improve the racing and improve the experience. If Kentucky Speedway delivers, it would be a key move in changing the perception of the facility.