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Utica-Rome takes down guardrails for safety

Turn Three and Four guardrails now part of history at Utica-Rome Speedway. VERNON, NY -- The ominous and sometimes unforgiving two-tiered guardrail wall between turns three and four at Utica-Rome Speedway has been permanently removed making the ...

Turn Three and Four guardrails now part of history at Utica-Rome Speedway.

VERNON, NY -- The ominous and sometimes unforgiving two-tiered guardrail wall between turns three and four at Utica-Rome Speedway has been permanently removed making the half-mile track more driver friendly. Track maintenance crews began the removal Monday morning after the races the night before and completed it early Wednesday afternoon. The project was scheduled for the 2002-2003 off-season, but management decided to complete it now for several reasons.

The wall was removed simply because it was a negative safety factor and that it cost drivers money from unnecessary accidents. Several times this season alone, drivers bounced off the wall and back into traffic, causing major pileups. Now, with no wall there, there is a run off area to correct any mistakes and to get out of the way of oncoming traffic without creating a parking lot with heavy damage. Drivers and car owners alike will now not have to worry about repair bills caused by the guardrails.

A bonus impact of the removal that turns three and four are now wider, and the racing groove is expected to get wider as well. Before the wall was installed in 1997, many of the drivers swung their right rear tire over the area where the guardrail was placed. Now, race fans can expect more three, and possibly even four wide racing between turns three and four. The guardrails are still there from turn two to just before turn three.

With the complete removal of the guardrails between turns three and four, Utica-Rome Speedway has become more of a driver friendly track once again. The fast half-mile could even become faster as drivers will now have an extra groove to race in on the west-end of the track without an intimidating guardrail blocking the lane. Drivers are excited about the change, and race fans should be excited as well as the racing could become even more thrilling.

What will happen this Sunday August 11 at Utica-Rome Speedway as the drivers test the "new" turns three and four on Wilber-Duck Chevrolet Night? Double 358-Modified, Pro Stock, and Pure Stock features will fill the race card, along with a regular Sportsman show on what promises to be an interesting evening for sure. Gates will open at 4pm, with racing beginning at 6pm. For more information, contact the track office at (315) 829-4557 or log onto www.uticaromespeedway.com.

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Edition

Australia