A crash course on racetracks in Chase

0 Comments | USA TODAY, September, 2007

Larry McReynolds, analyst for Speed and Fox and a former Nextel Cup crew chief who amassed 23 victories, 21 pole positions, 122 top-five finishes and 209 top-10s from 1985-2000, previews the 10 Chase tracks:

Race No. 1: Sylvania 300 Sunday at Loudon, N.H.; ABC, 1 p.m.

The challenge has always been if you can get your car to roll through the middle of the corner, normally the rest of that racetrack will take care of itself. The most important part is dead in the middle of (Turns) 1 and 2 and 3 and 4. The Car of Tomorrow has magnified that because of the higher center of gravity and more right-side weight. The weight distribution also seems to have magnified brake usage, and this is a track that's hard on brakes.

Loudon is a very line-sensitive...