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NASCAR likely to change gear rule before Daytona 500
By Bob Pockrass - Associate Editor
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
SCENE ON THE CIRCUIT
Sprint Cup Series testing has ended at Daytona, and it looks as if there likely will be a change in the gear rule when competitors return in February. Teams currently have a choice of a 3.70 gear or a 3.75 gear, but their rpm are above what NASCAR is looking for.
A change in gear – likely a 3.64 gear, which was used at Talladega – would reduce rpm. That would make the engines more durable, and, manufacturers officials predict, the cars run faster.
“I think all of the teams are already anticipating a change,” Sprint Cup Series Director John Darby said Jan. 16. “I know a lot of teams last week tried a 3.64 gear and a lot of teams here have got 3.64s in.”
NASCAR would like to keep the rpm below 9,000, Darby said.
“We’re getting too close to that,” Darby said. “The key to it is if 10 cars are drafting and they see 8,900, when we put 43 out, they’re going to be over 9,000.”
Darby said NASCAR is fine with the overall speeds, which have hit 188 mph in drafting.
“Our engines are operating over peak,” said Lee White, Toyota Racing Development Senior Vice President. “If they drop it, it will be beneficial to us in terms of speed and help with reliability because it will be operating more in the center of the power peak.”
The gear rule is in place to help keep costs down as teams don’t need to bring as many gears to a race weekend.
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