If NASCAR has its way, all tracks should dry faster next season on rainy days.
Robin Pemberton, NASCAR's vice president of competition, told SiriusXM NASCAR Radio on Thursday he believes the new Air Titan track drying system should be at "100 percent" of race tracks in 2014.
The new system was highly touted to start this year but has only been used at a handful of tracks, mostly because of the cost associated with renting it.
Here is Pemberton's response to Sirius Satellite Radio host Jim Noble when Noble asked if Air Titan would be at most, if not all, Sprint Cup events in 2014:
“Yeah, I
believe we’re very close to seeing that. This technology, in a racer’s world,
it’s never fast enough. We know that. If you get an idea that something works
you want to understand why you can’t use it 365 days a year. The guys at
R&D, Gene Stefanyshyn and his group back there, they’re working really hard
and trying to come up with a package that’s a little more, the economics are
there, it’s a little easier to travel, it’s a little more user friendly. We
proved out what Air Titan does and immediately, even before the first race was
over with us using it, we were on to the next program and the guys back there
are knocking out some really, really nice equipment right now and prototypes," Pemberton said.
"I
believe that you’ll see that at 100 percent of the race tracks next year and, if
not, we may miss one or two. But our guys are after it, racetracks are wanting
it, the fans need it, the drivers are appreciating it. I think when the fans
know that Air Titan will be there and there’s an opportunity to start the race
on time or start it a little bit earlier than you normally would, I believe that
they will appreciate the fact that the effort’s been made to dry the track and
get something for them. It’s a big undertaking but I will tell you this,
everybody from the top on down in our company, this has been all but priority
one for over a year now."
