Short circuit: Nationwide drivers spend day learning how new car reacts at Richmond
Carl Edwards (60) and Nationwide Series points leader Brad Keselowski battle for the lead at Michigan last month. Nationwide teams are practicing with the new car today at Richmond in preparation for tomorrow night's race. // Sam Cranston, NASCAR Illustrated
RICHMOND, Va. – Clint Bowyer led the first Nationwide Series new car practice Thursday at Richmond International Raceway, climbed out of his car and said it felt similar to a car he is very much used to driving.
“It feels like a Cup car really, it just doesn’t have any motor,” Bowyer said with a laugh. “It won’t go.”
With the tapered spacer – which is like a thick restrictor plate – the Nationwide cars have about 150 or 200 less horsepower than the current Cup car.
That’s not the only difference but the new cars are much more similar to their Cup counterparts than what has been used in the Nationwide Series.
Nationwide teams are not allowed to use bump stops (rubbers that go on the shocks), so they use coil-bound springs to help the cars handle. There are also slight differences in the front air dam and splitter.
The car is being used this year in four races, including Richmond this weekend, before being run in all races in 2011. NASCAR gave Nationwide teams six hours of practice Thursday to get their new cars ready for Friday night’s race at Richmond.
The new Nationwide car is 2.5 inches wider, 3.23 inches higher, 1.45 inches shorter, 50 pounds heavier, has a wheelbase that is five inches bigger and the spoiler is 7.5 inches wider while being 1.75 inches smaller in the middle.
“These cars are very detail oriented,” said driver Kevin Harvick. “You’re in such a tight box, it’s very similar as far as processes and things you go through as the Cup car, but the one thing that’s eliminated are the bump stops and the rear [sway] bar. … [That makes those areas] very, very hard to get right.”
Although the car might drive more like the Cup car, Nationwide Series points leader Brad Keselowski said he wasn’t able to take too much information from the Nationwide car to his Cup car after winning at Michigan last month, the last time the new Nationwide car was raced.
“So far, there’s no tangible way I can say that [it helps] other than in confidence,” Keselowski said. “My only concern was that I was doing something wrong on the Cup side to not understand how to drive that style of chassis, and the chassis are the same.
“To be able to check that off the list made me feel a little better. There are obviously a lot more pieces to the puzzle than that. Once we get in a good rhythm in this car, there will be some carryover. The potential is there. More or less, from a driver end, over time you’ll see drivers develop a different driving style that suits this car that is more similar to the Cup side.”
Keselowski was third in the first three hours of practice Thursday as his 122.039 mph lap ranked behind Bowyer (122.416) and Joe Gibbs Racing’s Denny Hamlin (122.150). Harvick was fourth at 121.622 and JR Motorsports’ Aric Almirola was fifth at 121.611. In the afternoon practice, Roush Fenway Racing's Carl Edwards topped the charts at 120.811 followed by Hamlin, Keselowski, Bowyer and Penske's Justin Allgaier.
In practice with the current Nationwide car in May, the top speed was 124.544.
“I’m looking forward to racing it,” Bowyer said. “It’s a good day to take some time, make methodical changes. You can wait for your tires to cool down and go out and make some honest attempts to learn what’s right and what’s wrong.”
Nationwide teams had another three hours of practice scheduled for Thursday afternoon. A one-hour practice is scheduled for Friday prior to qualifying and the race.
“When you get the setup dialed in correctly on these Nationwide Series new cars, you’ll notice the least amount of difference between these cars and the old cars on the short track,” said Braun Racing rookie Brian Scott.
“The short tracks are so mechanical. They seem to be less aerodynamic. You just try to get mechanical grip on the front end and the rear.”
NASCAR has increased its tolerance by an eighth of an inch on the front height sticks so the teams have a little easier time going through technical inspection.
Whether that extends into next year could be decided later this month. Nationwide Series Director Joe Balash said NASCAR will have its 2011 car technical rules package meetings next week.
