NASCAR not changing fuel cells
CONCORD, N.C. - While the cars in the Nextel All-Star Challenge had the smaller fuel cells in them Saturday night, the true test of the change will come in the May 28 running of the Coca-Cola 600.
Although drivers have lobbied against the 13-14 gallon fuel cell being used instead of the 22-gallon one, NASCAR will go with the smaller fuel cell. The sanctioning body made that decision before testing earlier this month so that drivers could get the weight in their cars adjusted during their test sessions.
"That deal is going to happen," Nextel Cup Series Director John Darby said after the all-star race. "Even now that we've raced it, we had short runs and everything. We still don't have enough true live race data to pull it off."
Among the drivers not pleased with the fuel cell are Jeff Gordon and Kevin Harvick.
"[You will] pit stop every 18 minutes," Harvick said. "Tires are $2,000 a set and it's really hard to know what you've got and how many tires you need and I just think it's kind of a joke for what it is."
