The Monster Mile was an important venue for NASCAR as it began to stretch beyond its Southern roots in the late 1960s. It was a tire-grinding asphalt track until a concrete surface, less affected by weather, was installed in 1995. The track provides perhaps the most unique setting in NASCAR in that the site includes a massive hotel and convention center, an 80,000-square foot casino with 2,000 slot machines and a five-eighths mile harness track. In 1998, both of Dover's grueling races were shortened to 400 miles, a welcome relief for drivers and crews.