Archive for the ‘Talladega Testing’ Category

NASCAR Cup Series teams  head to Talladega Superspeedway Tuesday, March 16 for an important early season test.

24 teams are expected to participate in the one day session, which will target a number of mechanical options in advance of the Aaron’s 499 on April 25 at Talladega.

Cup officials will analyze the data along with teams’ input and later make several decisions for the Aaron’s 499. Teams also will test spoilers, which will replace the current wings on the backs of cars.
NASCAR has net set a time table for the wing to spoiler move.

Vice president of competition for NASCAR Robin Pemberton said, “It’s a confirmation test for restrictor plates and gearing, and an opportunity for teams to work on their handling packages as we transition to the spoiler,”.

Rule changes, announced on Jan. 21, are the reasons for the test. Cup Series teams used larger carburetor restrictor-plate openings in the 2010 Daytona 500 and larger plate openings are expected for the Aaron’s 499 at Talladega.

  

At 2.5-mile Daytona International Speedway, NASCAR mandated openings of 63/64-inch the largest since the one-inch mandate in 1988, the first year the horsepower reducing plates were used in Cup competition at Daytona. Each plate contains four openings, which restrict air flow to the engine, thus slowing stock cars. Larger openings mean more air, and more horsepower.

This will be the third season that the wing replaced the traditional stock car spoiler on NASCAR’s new car. Returning to the spoiler means on track testing, and another series test Tuesday, March 23 and Wednesday, March 24 at Charlotte Motor Speedway will be devoted solely to spoiler work.

NASCAR made exceptions to the current testing policy at Charlotte and Talladega. For the second straight season, Cup, Nationwide and Truck teams can not test at facilities that host national series events. This year, teams may test at tracks that host regional touring series events, but not national series events.

Nascar.com cotributed to this report

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