NASCAR happy with speeds, plans no change in restrictor plates
TALLADEGA, Ala. – NASCAR is happy with the speeds of the Sprint Cup cars in practice and there are no plans to change the restrictor plates for qualifying or the race this weekend at Talladega Superspeedway, Sprint Cup Series Director John Darby said Friday night.
Sprint Cup teams are using restrictor plates with holes 59/64ths of an inch in diameter, which is 1/64th of an inch smaller than what was used in April at Talladega. The entry blank for the race specifically states that NASCAR can change the restrictor plates after practice Friday.
“We’re good,” Darby said in the Talladega Superspeedway garage. “There’s no reason to change from what we have now.”
With temperatures in the 60s but a little wind that possibly slowed down the cars, the top speed in first practice Friday was 195.944 mph and the top speed in final practice was 193.154 mph.
Last April, the top speed in first practice was 197.472 while in second practice it was 194.904.
In the race last April, Roush Fenway Racing’s Carl Edwards turned a lap of 200.7 mph. His car later was launched into the trioval catch fence after getting struck by two cars.
“The intention in the change of the plate wasn’t to slow everybody down, it was to make sure that they didn’t go any faster,” Darby said. “The plate was selected for that preference, and it did just that. Sunday, we’ll see the true results. The more cars that are out there, the more air you move, the quicker they go.”
