NASCAR still evaluating McDowell's car and data

By SceneDaily Staff

Saturday, April 12, 2008

RSS Feed
Email to a Friend
Increase Text Size Decrease Text Size RESIZE
Share
- Facebook
- Del.icio.us
- DIGG This
- Reddit
- Newsvine
- Stumbeupon
1 Comment

AVONDALE, Ariz. – G-force readings from Michael McDowell’s grinding crash at Texas Motor Speedway last weekend were lower than other major wrecks in NASCAR, but Sprint Cup Series Director John Darby said the nature of severe crashes in the new car has changed so much that G-force readings don’t mean as much as they once did.

NASCAR has begun the process of thoroughly examining McDowell’s battered Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota in its Research & Development Center, Darby said, adding that the G-force numbers were “pretty low.”

But that wasn’t totally unexpected, because the design of the new car and the SAFER barrier has changed crash dynamics.

“G-forces overall have been reduced,” Darby said. “But when you look at the big picture, the G-force is the least significant number anyway.”

The significant number is the change in velocity, which Darby said was “substantial” with McDowell’s car.

“They weren’t the worst we’ve ever seen by any means,” Darby said. “But part of the process of building a safer race car is to reduce all those numbers as best we can. Even when we understand completely the final numbers – which ultimately will be lower than what we’ve seen in the past – that’s what we’re looking for.”

McDowell’s crash, dramatic as it was, wasn’t as severe as the wreck suffered by Jeff Gordon at Las Vegas Motor Speedway when his No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet slammed the inside wall along the track’s backstretch.

“It wasn’t as big a hit as the 24 took,” said Cal Wells, executive vice president for business operations for MWR. “The 24 hit a concrete wall and it jerked the motor and the transmission. ... Everything [on McDowell’s car] performed extraordinarily close to design.”

RSS Feed
Email to a Friend
Increase Text Size Decrease Text Size RESIZE
Share
- Facebook
- Del.icio.us
- DIGG This
- Reddit
- Newsvine
- Stumbeupon
1 Comment

Comments

1 response to "NASCAR still evaluating McDowell's car and data".

1

Tim Edick said:
Apr 12, 2008 at 8:48 AM
Way to go NASCAR! Glad to see your staying on top of the safety issue's. Now listen to your drivers about the drug issue and add to that safety performance.
Report as Abuse

Report Abuse

This feature is intended to allow you to report comments that are abusive in terms of foul/vulgar language, harassment, racial/religious prejudice and any words/phrases of a related nature. This feature should not be used to report users who simply make a comment about your favorite driver, with which you do not agree. Commenting is a forum in which we can all express our opinions. Reporting abuse of others should be done with this in mind.
» Confirm Abuse Report