Rain shortens Kansas Speedway test

"There's not too many people that like a repave, other than the ones who win the race at the end of the day," Gordon said after the first full testing session since the resurfacing. "It's just one of the necessary evils of our sport. We understand that tracks have to be repaved eventually. It doesn't last forever."

Some drivers got their first experience on the new surface during tire tests in late August. For others, it was their first time to drive it — just days before the weekend Nationwide and Sprint Cup race.

"The track's a lot different right now than it was for the tire test," Chase driver Matt Kenseth said. "They did a nice job. It's getting pretty smooth. It seems like it's getting faster."

Rain delayed the start of testing for more than 2 1/2 hours, shortening the planned 4-hour session to 2 hours. Still, the drivers got enough track time to see just how much things have changed.

"This track went from being pretty abrasive and wearing the tires out to now it's just smooth and super-fast, and the times don't fall off," said Gordon, who won the first two Cup races at the track and has eight top-five finishes and two top-10s in 13 starts. "It's only going to get faster."