NASCAR happy with speeds, plans no change in restrictor plates

By Bob Pockrass - Associate Editor
Friday, October 30, 2009

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.”

Comments

5 responses to "NASCAR happy with speeds, plans no change in restrictor plates". Post a Comment.
  1. 1
    mt63 said:
    Oct 30, 2009 at 8:16 PM

    NASCAR should discard all restrictor plates. Lets run a season without them.

  2. 2
    daviclar38 said:
    Oct 31, 2009 at 9:24 AM

    You can't let them do that no one would finish Sundays race. They would all wreck eventually.

  3. 3
    beefjurski said:
    Oct 31, 2009 at 10:43 AM

    They would all wreck?? They had been running without them for until 1988. There were still cars running at the end.

  4. 4
    RVD420 said:
    Oct 31, 2009 at 11:27 AM

    Take the plates off. Then knock the banking on turns 1 & 2 down to about 22 degrees. The 11 degree of banking reduction will make the drivers have to lift going to turns 1 & 2. That will make the racing much safer than slapping plates on the cars.

  5. 5
    Werner said:
    Nov 1, 2009 at 10:56 AM

    they won't lift...it'll be about gearing and keeping the pedal to the metal...downsize the motors and then we can get rid of the plates...for those who want to still run the big motor...you get the plate...it's been done before....or for giggles...let's put a chicane in on the back stretch...lol

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