AUGUST 11, 2004

The Speedway to be resurfaced

Indianapolis Motor Speedway is currently closed as work begins on a resurfacing of the oval, the first since 1995. The $2m project will involve the removal of the old surface of the 2.5-mile oval with 36,500 tons of new asphalt being laid in its place. The Formula 1 circuit will not be resurfaced although the F1 cars run for a considerable part of the lap on the oval it will make a difference when the F1 cars return next June. The work is being carried out because the old track was beginning to crack and this meant that it took much longer to dry and water got into the track during rain storms and took much longer to drain out. The tracks are caused by seepage in the winter when water gets into the tarmac and freezes, expanding and cracking the surface. This cannot be avoided but new technologies mean that the lifetime of the new surface is likely to longer than the existing surface.