Only recently, NASCAR and SMI came under heavy fire from Denny Hamlin over the devastating state of Sonoma Raceway’s surface, just weeks after a repave. And though tensions between Marcus Smith and Denny Hamlin have subsided since, the 23XI co-owner may have another reason to call out the officials. Various insiders from Dale Earnhardt Jr’s CARS Tour revealed the unfortunate state of affairs at the beloved Orange County Speedway ahead of the race this weekend.

As major cracks and undulations continue to form on the 0.625 track based in New York, front-running teams and drivers in the CARS Tour are holding their breaths with anticipation as race day approaches. For many who have experienced racing on such a damaged track before, the signs at Orange County Speedway spell nothing but trouble.

Orange County Speedway’s concerning deterioration throws Déjà vu at Dale Earnhardt Jr’s top CARS Tour talent

After three long years of patience, the zMAX CARS Tour is finally returning to one of its most familiar racetracks, the Orange County Speedway. The high-banked short track has delivered action-packed racing for decades, but this has inevitably taken a major toll on the surface. As the series aims for a successful return to the track they’ve raced at eleven times in the past, one of the series’ most prominent team owners highlighted the obstacles that could hamper an otherwise good race on Saturday.

Lee Pulliam, the four-time NASCAR Whelen All American Series Division 1 champion turned team owner, walked the half-mile during track inspection and was met with a frightening sight. The Lee Pulliam Performance owner pulled out three concrete slabs with his own hands, showing just how vulnerable the track was to buckling under load. This triggered some fears for Pulliam, who stated, “think everyone is a little bit concerned.”

For the team owner, track conditions like this caused heartbreak in 2018 when the Tri-Country Motor Speedway’s surface damaged Pulliam Performance’s car’s alternator belt on his CARS Tour debut. But even with Orange County Speedway throwing Déjà vu at the team owner, he’s confident they can avoid such a disaster this time around. He was quoted by ShortTrackScene; “It’s one of those things where it’s the same for everyone. This is such a cool place to race and hopefully, there won’t be any problems.”

Speaking of Déjà vu, the team owner at Pulliam Performance wasn’t the only one experiencing a little Deja Vu. His star driver, Brenden Queen, faced a similar issue last season during the Orange Blossom Shootout. As a driver, Queen felt there wasn’t much he could do if the track deteriorated. He stated, “I hit that piece running second to Deac (McCaskill) in that orange blossom last year, and I never even saw it, until I was going in, almost into the wall. So, I don’t really think there’s anything as a driver you can do.”

Naturally, both drivers and team owners show concern about the condition of the Orange County Speedway. That being said, is a full repave the only answer? At least one veteran seems to disagree.

Does Orange County Speedway need a full repave to restore its glory?

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When we talk about Dale Earnhardt Jr’s CARS Tour and the most experienced drivers on its roster, no conversation is complete without the mention of Brandon Pierce. Entering his eighth season, the veteran has a good gauge of how devastating the track’s conditions could be concerning Saturday’s race. His experience has helped Pierce get an edge over others, even on such surfaces. Naturally, Pierce believes a full repave isn’t the solution to the problem.

The #2 driver used his experience to point out the exact areas on the track that needed to be worked on. He stated, “The only place that’s gotten worse is (Turns) 3 and 4 and unfortunately, that’s the line I like to run” Still, the overall track didn’t create cause for concern in Pierce’s mind. He added, “I don’t think it’s a fight or flight deal yet. I’m glad we’re back here and I’d be lying if I said I didn’t think it could come up or have a caution or two for it.”

Brandon Pierce alluded to the success of the SMART (Modified) Tour only weeks earlier at the same track as a reason for teams and owners to reduce their fears. At the end of the day, a few minor changes could make Orange County Speedway truly great again. He concluded, “I do think this place races a lot like Tri-County and I would love to see this place because it needs some work, maybe get a sectional pave to kind of save the kind of racing we have now because I love it.”

Though a partial repave might save Team Lee Pulliam Performance from becoming the victims of Déjà vu in the future, will the crumbling tarmac hamper this Saturday’s race?