Post by dalejrfan on Oct 31, 2005 22:17:11 GMT -5
The secret to the success of NASCAR's "car of tomorrow" may actually lie in a truck.
And that is by design.
NASCAR utilized six cars – five built by Nextel Cup teams and one by the NASCAR research and development staff – in an on-track test Monday at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
Drivers Jeff Burton, Brian Vickers, Kyle Petty, Carl Edwards and Martin Truex Jr. joined NASCAR pace car driver Brett Bodine on the track for single-lap runs in the morning. They were expected to run together on the track Monday afternoon.
The cars are wider (by 4½ inches) and taller (by 2 inches) than the manufacturer models used in Sunday's race, won by Edwards. They also come with enhanced safety features and the driver's seat has been moved four inches closer to the center of the car.
The biggest differences in style come in the cars' "boxier look" and their noses, which are strikingly similar to Craftsman Truck Series entries.
"The design of the front of car was to address something we are seeing on the track, which is front travel," said Gary Nelson, NASCAR's vice president for research and development and a former Cup crew chief.
"With the current air dam, when it travels it just scrapes away and the goal of the crew chief is to push the air dam against the track. The lower the air dam, the faster the speed."
Nelson said NASCAR officials have studied the Truck Series – which is often lauded as having the most competitive racing of NASCAR's top three series – and have incorporated some of what they learned.
"We looked at some things and said, 'Let's see if it makes sense on the car.' I'm not saying it will all end up on the car, but it's certainly worth exploring," he said.
Rather than the current air dam – which looks like a short skirt that hangs from a car's front bumper toward the ground – beneath the bumper of the "car of tomorrow" is a splitter, which looks like a shelf secured to the bumper.
On the "car of tomorrow," the splitter will help collect air rather then send it over the top of the car, which leads to the aerodynamic dependency of today's racing.
Based on information from Monday's test, NASCAR will schedule another test – likely at Lowe's Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C. – where it will check such issues as making sure the new splitter design doesn't collect trash off the track.
Bodine came to Atlanta with NASCAR's car a week ago and ran several laps to develop a baseline for Monday's test.
"We had a little leg up on everybody. But last week's test and the first laps today, we're real pleased with the speeds we've been getting," he said. "So far, I would say we are right on target with what we want to accomplish."
Burton said he didn't find too many differences, other than the new car's look.
"I think the splitter idea is a good idea. The concern is, if you lost the splitter. If you lost the splitter, you'd be in major trouble," Burton said.
"All in all, my initial belief it's just a race car and we can make it work."
And that is by design.
NASCAR utilized six cars – five built by Nextel Cup teams and one by the NASCAR research and development staff – in an on-track test Monday at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
Drivers Jeff Burton, Brian Vickers, Kyle Petty, Carl Edwards and Martin Truex Jr. joined NASCAR pace car driver Brett Bodine on the track for single-lap runs in the morning. They were expected to run together on the track Monday afternoon.
The cars are wider (by 4½ inches) and taller (by 2 inches) than the manufacturer models used in Sunday's race, won by Edwards. They also come with enhanced safety features and the driver's seat has been moved four inches closer to the center of the car.
The biggest differences in style come in the cars' "boxier look" and their noses, which are strikingly similar to Craftsman Truck Series entries.
"The design of the front of car was to address something we are seeing on the track, which is front travel," said Gary Nelson, NASCAR's vice president for research and development and a former Cup crew chief.
"With the current air dam, when it travels it just scrapes away and the goal of the crew chief is to push the air dam against the track. The lower the air dam, the faster the speed."
Nelson said NASCAR officials have studied the Truck Series – which is often lauded as having the most competitive racing of NASCAR's top three series – and have incorporated some of what they learned.
"We looked at some things and said, 'Let's see if it makes sense on the car.' I'm not saying it will all end up on the car, but it's certainly worth exploring," he said.
Rather than the current air dam – which looks like a short skirt that hangs from a car's front bumper toward the ground – beneath the bumper of the "car of tomorrow" is a splitter, which looks like a shelf secured to the bumper.
On the "car of tomorrow," the splitter will help collect air rather then send it over the top of the car, which leads to the aerodynamic dependency of today's racing.
Based on information from Monday's test, NASCAR will schedule another test – likely at Lowe's Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C. – where it will check such issues as making sure the new splitter design doesn't collect trash off the track.
Bodine came to Atlanta with NASCAR's car a week ago and ran several laps to develop a baseline for Monday's test.
"We had a little leg up on everybody. But last week's test and the first laps today, we're real pleased with the speeds we've been getting," he said. "So far, I would say we are right on target with what we want to accomplish."
Burton said he didn't find too many differences, other than the new car's look.
"I think the splitter idea is a good idea. The concern is, if you lost the splitter. If you lost the splitter, you'd be in major trouble," Burton said.
"All in all, my initial belief it's just a race car and we can make it work."