Drivers back Homestead

The Florida track previously featured six degree banking, making it the flattest track on the Winston Cup circuit and ensuring that the racing at the circuit was usually processional.

However, the circuit owners have now invested $10 million installing innovative, computer designed variable banking. The track is angled at 18 degrees at the bottom, 19 degrees in the middle and 20 degrees at the top. The idea is to create three grooves, allowing for side-by-side racing.

"It's a definite improvement," said Dale Jarrett after practice yesterday (Thursday). "There should be some interesting racing. It looks like there are two and possibly even three grooves out there. It's very fast right now, but it should be a lot better for racing."

Veteran Ricky Rudd said: "I think for sure I can guarantee two abreast racing and maybe even three," he said. "It's definitely a unique track. It's not one of the cookie-cutter tracks like a Kansas, Chicago or Vegas type of track. It's a track that's all by itself.

"I know for sure you can go in there two-wide because I've missed the corner several times. I've been in grooves that I didn't know existed and the car still stuck and could still run pretty good, so I think they accomplished what they were looking to is have a multiple groove race track."