Fast Times
A NASCAR BLOG BY Kris Johnson
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Out with the new, in with the old
Mar
11
Has it really been a year since NASCAR’s new race car was used for the first time in actual competition at Bristol Motor Speedway?
So much has changed since the splitter-and-winged entry hit the half-mile in its inaugural run. Roush Fenway Racing has not only figured it out, but seems to have the upper hand now. Hendrick Motorsports has backslid a bit after making a mockery of the early COT competition last year. In the topsy-turvy world of NASCAR, change can be refreshing.
Not always, though.
While we’ve had a calendar year to get accustomed to the new car’s look, it still seems unwieldy to me. Not an eyesore, maybe, but a far cry from the comparatively sleek piece that preceded it. Watching Nationwide Series races these days can leave you longing for the past and the Cup cars of yesteryear.
If this was a beauty pageant, the new car would be going home without a ribbon. The safety benefits are laudable, but aesthetically it can’t compete. Perhaps it will suit the eye better after a full slate of 36 races.
For now, as the boys take to the track again this weekend in Bristol, it’d sure be nice to have the old car back.
Rattling someone’s cage there in the new generation machine just doesn’t seem the same somehow.
So much has changed since the splitter-and-winged entry hit the half-mile in its inaugural run. Roush Fenway Racing has not only figured it out, but seems to have the upper hand now. Hendrick Motorsports has backslid a bit after making a mockery of the early COT competition last year. In the topsy-turvy world of NASCAR, change can be refreshing.
Not always, though.
While we’ve had a calendar year to get accustomed to the new car’s look, it still seems unwieldy to me. Not an eyesore, maybe, but a far cry from the comparatively sleek piece that preceded it. Watching Nationwide Series races these days can leave you longing for the past and the Cup cars of yesteryear.
If this was a beauty pageant, the new car would be going home without a ribbon. The safety benefits are laudable, but aesthetically it can’t compete. Perhaps it will suit the eye better after a full slate of 36 races.
For now, as the boys take to the track again this weekend in Bristol, it’d sure be nice to have the old car back.
Rattling someone’s cage there in the new generation machine just doesn’t seem the same somehow.
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Comments
2 responses to "Out with the new, in with the old"
david larison said:
Mar 11, 2008 at 12:56 PMThe sooner folks guit complaining about the new car vs the old car the better. The old car is gone. Get used to it.
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» Confirm Abuse ReportChad Manley said:
Mar 12, 2008 at 3:18 AMAs a person that did not like the new car, I have been pleasantly surprised with some of the best racing we've had in years. With the exception of 1 or 2 teams (18 & 99)getting the handle on it better then the rest and running off with the race, the former COT has produced some exciting racing.
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