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Watkins Glen International made some changes to the curbing on the inside of the inner loop, including big, raised curbs further to the inside. Many drivers were unhappy with the changes, and it’s not the first time drivers have disliked changes to curbing at race tracks. Here is a look at the controversial curbing changes at race tracks.
Curbs exist for two main reasons. One is to highlight for the drivers where the track limits are on a race track, particularly in the corners. The second is to provide a small buffer between the track and the run-off, grass, or gravel.
It’s similar to rumble strips on a highway, which give drivers some warning when they are about to go off the road. The video below gives a good explanation of why they exist on F1 tracks. While an F1-centric video, it highlights how important curbs are.
When people think of curbs, they usually think of the colored strips on the inside and outside of road courses, but, there are other types of curbs. These curbs serve to deter drivers from exceeding track limits or cutting corners, particularly at sections with asphalt run-off.
One NASCAR example is sausage curbs, or turtles, found at the Charlotte Roval. These curbs are raised, and the penalty for hitting them is massive. Drivers who hit them are often sent out of control or damage their chassis.
The new inner curbs on Watkins Glen stand to serve a similar purpose. The raised curbs on the inside provide a natural deterrent for drivers who are thinking about mischievous course cutting.
The alternative is races like Circuit of the Americas, where there were no such curbs inside the esses. The result was a swath of track limits penalties, frustrating drivers and fans. Putting these types of curbs in these corners forces drivers to not push the limit quite as much as they would without those deterrents.
However, these massive curbs also pose a danger to drivers. These bumpy curbs can cause big accidents if things go wrong, which is why some drivers prefer not to put these extra things just of the track.
One such incident came at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 2021. A broken curb caused a multi-car accident at the end of the race.
The same curb in the same corner caused another massive accident later in the same race. Again, highlighting how much of a hazard bad curbs can be to drivers.
Curbs are a natural part of road course racing. However, they have caused hazards if things go wrong, and they can pose a danger to drivers. Still, that danger serves as a deterrent to exceeding track limits.
