Posts Tagged ‘Sprint Cup Series’

Pemberton admitted the change was made in large part simply because many folks did not like the look of the wing, but also because the spoiler hopefully will make even better racing.

“I think the racing is pretty good,” Pemberton said. “I think it’s an opportunity to change things up a little bit — and quite frankly, the wing wasn’t accepted as universally as we had hoped it would be by competitors and the fans alike. So after much effort, we started looking and decided to go back to the spoiler.”

Appearing at the same Charlotte Motor Speedway news conference as Pemberton. Martin Truex Jr. said he welcomes the change from wing to spoiler on the No. 56 Toyota he drives for Michael Waltrip Racing.

“My first reaction was that it looks better,” Truex said. “Every car I ever ran in my entire life except for the last three years had a spoiler on it, so I’m a little more comfortable with it.”

Truex’s team was among those participating during a spoiler test at Talladega Superspeedway on Tuesday. He said while speeds were a concern, most drivers were in agreement that the spoiler did not cause any dramatic handling differences at that 2.66-mile track.

“I was happy with it. Obviously, Talladega is not a great judge for us, because you go out there and pretty much run wide-open. You’re at the mercy of the engine and the draft, and that’s pretty much all it is,” said Truex, who admitted “the fastest he saw” was 208 mph and that he, too, heard of others who supposedly went 212 mph or more. “As far as the package we used there, that’s the only place we’ll use it and we’ll have to work on other race tracks to figure out what we’re going to use on them.”

“Every car I ever ran in my entire life except for the last three years had a spoiler on it, so I’m a little more comfortable with it.”
said Truex JR.

That’s where the test at Charlotte next Tuesday and Wednesday comes in.

  

“The test next week here at Charlotte is going to be a great one for all of us,” Truex said. “There is a lot to be learned about the setup of the cars, what the spoiler likes vs. the wing and how it drives different. As drivers, we’re going to have to figure that out — and the teams are going to have to figure out how to get the cars better to work with the spoiler as opposed to the wing. I think it will be quite a bit different.”

Pemberton said it is an important test, noting that many teams already have tested with the spoiler at non-NASCAR sanctioned facilities of all other types and should be ready to use it for real come Martinsville. He added that he expects the biggest difference will be that it may enable cars to maneuver around each other more freely and more frequently.

The Charlotte test likely will put that theory to, well, the test.

“It’s been some time since we’ve had a test of this magnitude at any race track, and I think the teams will be working hard to find the setup that will work with respects to the spoiler,” Pemberton said. “Many of the teams already have a month under their belts; they’ve tested it at various places around the country. They’ve got some experience and they’re not coming in totally blind, and I think you’re going to see what we’ve got in front of us for the rest of the year in regards to the spoilers.”

Joe Menzer: NASCAR.COM contributed to this report.

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The Sprint Cup cars tested at Talladega Superspeedway Tuesday, Jeff Gordon had an answer for those wanting to know if replacing rear wings with vertical blade spoilers was going to improve racing in the series.

He said check back after the test at Charlotte Motor Speedway next week.

Jeff Gordon was asked the question of whether the return to the use of spoilers is a good idea, well,   He’s for it.

Twenty-four cars took to the track at Talladega Monday. All had spoilers on their rear deck lids.

Teams started the day with a 1 1/32-inch sized restrictor plate.

Jimmie Johnson had the fastest time in the morning session as he turned a lap at 196.467 mph. That was 8 mph faster than Juan Pablo Montoya’s pole-winning lap last April at Talladega.

Gordon, Johnson’s Hendrick Motorsports teammate, also posted a lap at better than 196 mph.

In the afternoon session, drivers were able to ride in packs and get the feel for how the spoiler-fitted cars performed in the draft at the high-banked, 2.66-mile superspeedway.

The plate size went down to 31/32 of an inch and the teams adjusted the size of their rear spoilers in order to find that happy medium between high speeds and handling.

  

Robin Pemberton, NASCAR’s vice president of competition, was pleased with how the adjustments went during the afternoon practice.

“We saw that the closure rates were a little too quick in the initial drafting session after lunch,” said Pemberton. “So, we had the teams make some adjustments, including going down on the plate size and trimming the spoiler back some. We believe we came away here today with a good starting point and are looking forward to coming back here next month with a great race.”

Gordon said that because Talladega is such a unique venue, it was tough to figure out what, if anything, teams learned on Tuesday.

“The balance is really what we’re interested in, is how much the balance is going to change versus just overall grip,” the four-time champion said. “You know, if it plants the back of the car too much, we’re just out of tools to make the front of the car work in turn. But we’re kind of hoping that it actually helps the front of the car turn a little bit, too.

“So I’m very anxious to get to Charlotte (next week). This test is really what’s going to happen in the draft. You’re not going to find a lot about balance and those things, plus the spoiler is bigger on this car. When we get to Charlotte I think is when we’re going to find out what a spoiler really does in comparison to a wing.”

Gordon will not have to wait to get to Charlotte to make once judgment on the cars which were tested at Talladega: They sure look better.

“Yeah, I was never crazy about the way the wing was mounted on the back of the car,” he said. “When I envisioned a wing being put on our car, I envisioned it a little bit more like a Trans Am car, where it was raised up, more of a cool looking concept, and also fit a function of aerodynamics, just made the cars a little bit more futuristic.

“But, you know, the wing that we put on there was just a glorified spoiler. It sat down on the deck lid. It wasn’t very appealing. We weren’t really using it efficiently. So when I heard about going back to spoilers, I was totally fine with it. This car looks good with a spoiler on it.”

Jim Pedley

At RacinToday.com cotributed to this report.

The Sprint Cup Series had the week off, but it was no time to rest for the Penske team.

Kurt Busch and Bill Elliott two former NASCAR Sprint Cup champions spent some time at Gresham Motorsports Park, a refurbished facility located about an hour northeast of Atlanta.

On Tuesday, Kurt Busch tested his No. 2 Dodge on the newly paved half-mile paved oval, which was previously known as Peach State Speedway.

“This is a great place to test,” Busch said in a press release. “The track is really repeatable. The track is new and it’s and it’s nice and smooth. It has a lot of grip.

“If you can run the bottom, it’s pretty fast. It’s going to be really fast in a year or two when it wears out a little.”

Kurt Busch the Kobalt Tools 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway winner , was testing at Gresham Motorsports Park getting ready for the race at Martinsville later this month. The #2 Penske Dodge had the new spoiler on the rear deck lid. Busch’s Penske Racing teammate, Justin Allgaier, also participated in the test. Allgaier competes full time in NASCAR’s Nationwide Series.

Saturday night Bill Elliott, watched from the spotter’s stand  as his his 14-year-old son, Chase Elliott, finished second in the CRA Super Late Model 125 on the lightning-fast layout.

  

Augie Grill of Birmingham, Ala. dominated Saturday’s event by leading 110 of 125 laps. His winning pass came on lap 16 when he dove underneath leader Ryan Lawler in Turn 1. Grill would never be seriously challenged for the lead during the remainder of the race.

“I had a lot of fun,” said Grill, who won the pole but started third based on the inversion procedure. “My goal, normally, in a race is to get to the front as quick as I can. That was my goal tonight. We were able to get to the front in 15 laps. I feel safe when I’m out front.

“We had a great car. It was a good night.”

Elliott held off fellow Georgia residents Bubba Pollard, Jason Hogan and Mike Garvey to claim the runner-up spot.

Grill’s victory assured him a starting berth in the track’s signature event, the World Crown 300, which is held each November.

“That’s pretty neat,” Grill said. “Now we can come experiment for the World Crown and see if we can qualify faster.”

Jeff Hood  at
RacinToday.com contributed to this report

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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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I don’t think NASCAR was ready for this one.

The boys have at it” attitude that NASCAR gave the drivers came into full swing Sunday At the Kobalt Tools 500. With only 2 laps remaining Carl Edwards Spun Brad Keselowski sending him airborne into the fronstrech wall roof first. The whole feud started way earlier in the race, when Keselowski got into Edwards in turn one only 40 laps into the race.

I don’t think anyone thought that NASCAR’s would be tested so soon only four races into the season.

NASCAR on Monday found in the middle of a dilemma over what to do with Carl Edwards, whose intentional wrecking of Brad Keselowski late in Sunday’s race ignited a heated debate about what is exceptable under this NASCAR new policy.

You know whatever decision NASCAR makes will will not satisfy everyone.

The first to find out here, is what is everyone is so upset about?

Is it that Edwards returned to the track down 153 laps, intent on retaliating against Keselowski, and after trying for at least one full lap, finally succeeded with a deliberate nudge?

  

Is it that the high-speed contact sent Keselowski airborne in a spectacular flip that could have caused serious harm to Keselowski or any number of fans in the grandstands?

Or, maybe, the issue is that NASCAR wasn’t ready to deal with the ramifications of allowing drivers free rein on the race track.

All three would be good arguments.

Edwards is not the only driver who has been on the losing end of Keselowski’s aggressive charge into NASCAR’s top level. Although Denny Hamlin had the most public feud with Keselowski, there is no shortage of top name drivers who privately pledged they’d exact their revenge this season.

I still think this dates back to last year on the final lap of last April’s race at Talladega, where Keselowski’s nudge sent Edwards flying into the fence in a wreck that some may argue was worse than one at Atlanta. But the two race against each other weekly in two series, and Edwards’ hinted at a far deeper history with the unapologetic Keselowski.

Edwards didn’t hold back any words in a Facebook posting late Sunday night.

“My options,” he wrote, “Considering that Brad wrecks me with no regard for anyones safety or hard work, should I: A-Keep letting him wreck me? B-Confront him after the race? C-Wait till Bristol and collect other cars? or D-Take care of it now?

“I want to be clear that I was surprised at his flight and very relieved when he walked away. Every person has to decide what code they want to live by and hopefully this explains mine.”

Brad knows the deal between him and I,” Edwards said. “The scary part was his car went airborne, which was not at all what I expected. At the end of the day, we’re out here to race and people have to have respect for one another and I have a lot of respect for people’s safety.

“I wish it wouldn’t have gone like it did, but I’m glad he’s OK and we’ll just go on and race some more and maybe him and I won’t get in any more incidents together. That would be the best thing.”

Opinions were split, though, perhaps fueled by the severity of Keselowski’s crash.

  

Nobody was to outraged when Hamlin paid back Keselowski in last year’s Nationwide Series finale at Homestead. And it sure seemed that more people were cheering than jeering when Juan Pablo Montoya and Tony Stewart played retaliatory bumper-cars a day later.

Fans want him suspended, and many analysts have agreed. Even Keselowski seemed to taunt NASCAR into cracking down on Edwards.
“It’ll be interesting to see how NASCAR reacts to it,” he said after the wreck. “They have the ball. If they’re going to allow people to intentionally wreck each other at tracks this fast, we will hurt someone either in the cars or the grandstands. It’s not cool to intentionally wreck someone at 195 mph.”

Now it is up to NASCAR to figure out what they need to do.

Jenna Fryer, AP Auto Racing Writer, contributed to this report

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