What, No Snow Titan?

More than 80 inches of snow has fallen at Michigan International Speedway this winter. And with just a week to go before NASCAR’s fastest track opens its gates for a Goodyear Tire Test, MIS President Roger Curtis decided it was time to call in the big guns to melt ice and snow from the track.

Michigan International Speedway maintenance crews used old-fashioned know how Monday, enlisting the help of jet dryers to melt snow drifts and sheets of ice on some areas of the racing surface. 

The ice was several feet thick in some places, especially in shaded areas of the track. And while temperatures are expected to be warmer this week and next, it was important to get a jump on melting the ice before cars test.

The jet dryer was first used in the early-70s to melt snow at Michigan International Speedway. It evolved to eventually be the primary means NASCAR used to dry racetracks after rain-delays. Today, jet dryers have been replaced by NASCAR’s new Air Titan 2.0 technology. 

Curtis said he expects all the snow and ice will be gone by next week.