Overview
- NASCAR committed in late October 2026 to change the Phoenix Raceway dogleg and will work with teams, drivers and engineers to decide the fix before the 2027 season.
- Drivers’ mouthpiece telemetry cited in meetings shows elevated g‑force spikes when cars drop from the banking to the apron, with reported readings in the low teens despite one driver’s public claim of 'thirtysomething Gs'.
- The leading near‑term option is to smooth the banking to soften the drop, a change NASCAR believes can reduce physical jolts without removing the shortcut that creates chaotic restarts.
- Drivers are divided: some call the transition 'brutal' and want stronger limits or grass to deter cutting, while others say seat fit, setup and equipment can mitigate effects and warn over‑smoothing could change racing lines.
- The decision follows past track tweaks for safety and could affect drivers’ long‑term comfort and car durability, but no detailed construction plan, surface choice or timeline has been finalized.