Drivers adjusting to slower cars on Mexico course
By Bob Pockrass - Associate Editor
Sunday, April 20, 2008
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MEXICO CITY – The sapping of Nationwide Series cars by about 80 horsepower this year has had an effect on races this season, and it certainly will change the way drivers approach the turns in the Corona Mexico 200 on Sunday at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez.
The addition of a restrictor spacer (different than a plate because of its thickness and the way it is tapered) has changed the way some of the drivers will navigate the 2.518-mile road course over the 80 laps of racing.
“The biggest thing is with the less horsepower, you really have to roll the car through the turn,” said Scott Pruett, who battled for the win last year and will start second Sunday. “You cannot give up any speed. I would say compared to last year, the minimum speed through the turns is higher.
“Coming here to Mexico, because of the altitude, you already lose a lot of power. With that extra 80, 90, whatever that number is, it’s pretty dramatic.”
Because everyone is under the same limitations, it shouldn’t make a big difference as far as who will do well and who won’t, said Boris Said.
“It gives the Toyotas a big advantage – they have a lot more motor than everybody,” Said said. “Other than that, it’s just slower. … There will be no difference in the show at all.”
The pole speed of 102.756 mph was way below Pruett’s pole speed of 103.648 mph a year ago.
“The forward bite is not going to be such a big issue as it was before,” said road-course ace Max Papis, who is driving for Rusty Wallace Racing. “It’s going to be carrying the right speed, rolling the speed into the corner. It’s going to take a while for you to get used to understanding what you want to go fast.”
That means figuring out where to shift and figuring out how to handle traffic.
“We’ll definitely be shifting in different places,” said Roush Fenway Racing’s Carl Edwards, who will start third. “The set-up will be a little different because you won’t have as much power off the corners so you don’t have to worry about wheel spin as much.”
- Mentioned Drivers:
- Boris Said
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