Adapting to this track

• This track can be hard on engines. The cars will have a rev limiter, which is a piece of equipment you can adjust with a chip to keep the driver from over-revving the engine. If the driver misses a shift, it will protect the motor. When I worked with Mike Skinner, we used the limiter as a gauge for him because we didn't want him revving up over 9,200 rpms. It alerted him to roll out of the throttle at the right time going into the corners. That can be a problem if you get into these corners too wide-open because there is no banking to help you around.
• Loudon is a fairly smooth racetrack, especially with the new asphalt. Even though you will work with shock packages, it's not to get the car over bumps; you use them to get the car lower to the ground. The challenge is making the car turn, so teams will get super soft and fairly equal with their front springs. The rear springs won't be set as equal because you fight a lack of forward bite or the rear wheels want to spin off the corner.

Plotting strategy

• This isn't the easiest place to pass. You still have to set up a guy and take a position away by getting up under him in the corners and taking him off the corners. If you can get to the inside of someone on the straightaway and outbrake him getting into the corner, you'll be able to pass there, too.
• It's a stretch to race 100 laps on a tank of fuel unless you get some caution laps, which would help you. If you get to the window near the end of the race where you know you can make it on fuel, you probably will elect to do a two-tire pit stop. With new pavement, there isn't a lot of wear on the tires.
• Track position is important because it is so hard to pass, and with so many lapped cars toward the end of the race, if you have a restart in 10th, it's like you are in 20th. You have to pass all those cars.

Where the action is

• Watch the corners. For years, this was a track where you would wreck if you got out of the groove and into the marbles. With more than one groove now, we'll see less action, but even though there are wider exits to the corners, you'll still see a few cars get into each other on the exit and up into the straightaway.