Aero package for restrictor-plate races being evaluated
NASCAR President Mike Helton says the sanctioning body hasn’t ruled out the possibility of making aerodynamic changes to the Sprint Cup cars for Daytona that could require a test at the track prior to Speedweeks in February.
// Jim Fluharty, NASCAR Scene
MIAMI BEACH, Fla. – NASCAR hasn’t ruled out the possibility of making aerodynamic changes to the Sprint Cup cars for Daytona that could require a test at the track prior to Speedweeks in February, NASCAR President Mike Helton said Monday.
Helton talked about changes to the Cup car during a luncheon prior to the NNS/NCWTS Awards Banquet tonight.
With NASCAR Chairman Brian France talking Friday about changes to the car possibly happening during the offseason, Helton expanded on what changes have been made and what the future holds.
One piece of the Cup car that could get changed is the aero package for Daytona and Talladega. Cars went airborne in each of the Talladega races this year. NASCAR has wind-tunnel tests scheduled in a couple of weeks for the Cup car focused on restrictor-plate tracks.
“[We’re] specifically looking at the chemistry of the roof flaps because we have the ability through the camera angles and data collection to learn more about the incidents [at Talladega], particularly the 39 [of Ryan Newman] at Talladega this past October. We can learn more,” Helton said. “We will do things over the offseason and if it is a major change for Daytona, we may have to do something [test] there to take a look at it. We’ll have to wait and see what we find out from the wind tunnel and a complete evaluation.”
As far as any rule changes for the car for races not at Daytona and Talladega, Helton said only to anticipate subtle changes.
“I don’t see anything glaring that has to be fixed, and there is not an overwhelming consensus of anything major [to change],” Helton said. “I still won’t sit here and tell you there won’t be something. … We always put out a rule book and then we put out a lot of [technical] bulletins along the way.
“Several years ago we made a commitment to the team owners not to make major changes without a lot of advance warning. We’re at the end of the season. We’re not that far from the opening of the next season so advance warning, I think, is something that would have to be factored in and we’re in that period.”
The car at times has been blamed for being difficult to adjust and also for too much single-file racing. The rear wing, which replaced a splitter, also has been a topic of conversation. The new Nationwide Series car, which will be introduced for four races in 2010 before a full rollout in 2011, has a spoiler instead of a wing. It also has more manufacturer identity features in the front, which also will help with front downforce.
“I couldn’t sit here and tell you today that the wing is there forever on the Cup side,” Helton said. “I couldn’t tell you that the [front] splitter as we know it on the Cup car will exist forever. I can tell you we are going to learn a lot with the Nationwide car that has a different configuration to it aerodynamically and we’ll learn from that and we’ll see what happens.”
Helton said since the first introduction of the Cup car in 2007 there have been at least 25 subtle changes in the rules. The splitter can be moved asymmetrically, weight can be repositioned differently in the car, and there are spring changes and a smaller flywheel in the motors. Those changes have allowed drivers to adapt to the new car.
“Car owners are very quick to tell us that they don’t want any major changes right now that will cost them a lot of money in engineering or redevelopment,” Helton said. “We continue to look at the subtle elements that we can continue to work with crew chiefs and drivers to give them adjustability. The manufacturers themselves have changes coming in the styling of the nose of the car that we will have to address, which is nothing new.”
One thing NASCAR won’t consider is changes that just make it easier to drive.
“Race cars aren’t supposed to be easy to drive, no more than riding a bull for eight seconds or throwing a 40-yard touchdown pass or hitting 15 home runs,” Helton said. “Those things aren’t easy. If they were easy, they wouldn’t be valuable to fans. It wouldn’t be hero material.”
