NASCAR Tech News and Rumors
NASCAR Technical related
June 23, 2007
Teams add weight to COT cars: NASCAR teams will be adding extra weight to the cars of tomorrow this weekend at Infineon Raceway. NASCAR has increased the weight of the car by 50 pounds to allow teams to distribute the weight more easily and to improve the integrity of the car since teams will not be trying to lighten up the car in other places, a NASCAR spokesman said. (Scene Daily)
July 17, 2006
Toyota near approval, Dodge to Wind tunnel: John Darby, Nextel Cup series director, says officials are in the final stage of approving the Toyota Camry for next season. Also, Dodge submitted a car for next season with a new hood and rear. Darby said the car is scheduled to be taken to a wind tunnel Tuesday. (Roanoke.com)
June 25, 2006
COT in production phase? Owner Richard Childress said recent test sessions and developments have brought a final design configuration for the so-called NASCAR “Car of Tomorrow” much closer to reality. The new design is to be used in 16 of the 36 Cup races next year. Based on his discussions with NASCAR officials, Childress said, “I think they’re just about ready to push the button” on the design. He said the length of the car and chassis configuration have been finalized and that, based on that information, he and other owners could now begin the production process. (Gaston Gazette)
June 20, 2006:
NASCAR goes Unleaded: NASCAR announced today a timeline to phase unleaded fuel into its three national series beginning next month. The unleaded fuel will first be used for the NASCAR Busch Series race at Gateway International Raceway on July 29. The plan is to evaluate the use of unleaded fuel over several NASCAR Busch Series and NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series events this season before making a decision on when it will be mandated for all three national series. Unleaded fuel will be used for four weeks before undergoing an evaluation period. After the race weekend at Gateway, the fuel will be used at O’Reilly Raceway Park at Indianapolis on Aug. 4 and 5 for the NASCAR Busch Series and NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series; at Watkins Glen for the NASCAR Busch Series and Nashville Superspeedway for the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series on Aug. 12; and at Michigan International Speedway for the NASCAR Busch Series on Aug. 19. Following those events, competitors will return to their regular fuel for four weeks while NASCAR, Sunoco and team engine builders evaluate the effects of the new fuel. On Sept. 23 the NASCAR Busch Series (Dover International Speedway) and NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series (Las Vegas Motor Speedway) will resume using unleaded fuel for the remainder of the season. In addition, NASCAR, Sunoco and NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series engine builders plan to work with the ARCA Re/Max Series at Talladega Superspeedway to study the use of unleaded fuel in engines with restrictor plates. Following the season, a decision will be made on the future of unleaded fuel. NASCAR had previously announced a switch to unleaded fuel by 2008. The current goal is to have all three national series using unleaded fuel fulltime by Speedweeks of 2007. (NASCAR PR)
June 19, 2006:
Unleaded fuel for 2007: Nextel Cup cars will be mandated to run unleaded fuel beginning with next season's Daytona 500. NASCAR's Busch Series cars will switch to unleaded fuel on a temporary basis starting with the July 29 race at Gateway International Raceway, before running the brand full-time in 2007 along with the Cup and Craftsman Truck Series. "The plans are for Sunoco to evaluate what they learned for three or four races in the Busch Series beginning at Gateway, then come back later and finish out the [2006] season in the Busch and Truck Series running unleaded fuel," NASCAR vice president Jim Hunter said. (Atlanta Journal Constitution)
June 9, 2006:
COT design not final yet: NASCAR’s “Car of Tomorrow” is still not finished, according to multiple sources in the NASCAR Nextel Cup garage. Within the next two weeks, General Motors will be wind-tunnel testing a new version of the COT, with different sides and new tail section. Some manufacturers had complained that the radical design does not look enough like existing production cars, which may be responsible for the change. Sources said the COT’S chassis specs will not be changed, just the body. But that likely will mean substantial additional testing is needed prior to the design being finalized. The ongoing development work on the car means that NASCAR will push back its submission date for the car, sources told SPEEDTV.com. Typically, the final design date for any new car is July 1, so teams ordinarily would have to submit their 2007 Nextel Cup cars by July 1, 2006. (Speedtv.com)
May 25, 2006:
New head and neck restraint device awaiting approval: NASCAR has not approved a hybrid of the Hutchens device – a form of head and neck restraint – submitted by Safety Solutions this week for competition in NASCAR. Currently the only head and neck restraint approved for NASCAR’s top three series is the HANS device. In a news release, the company said testing of the new Hutchens Hybrid was witnessed by Dr. John Melvin, a member of the NASCAR Head and Neck Restraint Committee. (ThatsRacin.com)
May 4, 2006:
COT tested in Wind Tunnel Tuesday: Representatives of Ford, Chevrolet, Dodge and Toyota joined NASCAR officials for a wind-tunnel session Tuesday in Marietta, Ga., in which each manufacturer's proposed nose for the "car of tomorrow" was tested. One person present for the test said the results left the manufacturers encouraged they could get more room to give each nose more features that distinguish between models without creating competitive disparity. (ThatsRacin.com)
April 22, 2006:
New Inspection tool: NASCAR has a new inspection contraption to inspect engine intake manifolds, in response to a manifold confiscated at Texas. (Salem-Journal)
March 27, 2006:
COT testing today: The clock is officially ticking on NASCAR's "Car of Tomorrow" that is scheduled to make its racing debut one year from now at Bristol Motor Speedway. Four teams will send drivers - Jeff Burton, Reed Sorenson, Carl Edwards and Penske Racing South development driver Billy Wease - to the open test today. It's the fourth test of the car, which will be used in 16 races next season as NASCAR slowly phases it in. "We're just trying to get track time, get teams acquainted with the vehicles and give them a chance to get drivers in them," said NASCAR's Brett Bodine, who is overseeing the test. "This will give them an opportunity to see the differences of what in what they used in today's car against the Car of Tomorrow on back-to-back days. It's nothing more than a learning day." (Macon Telegram)
March 25, 2006:
COT rule book coming next week: The first rulebook for the Car of Tomorrow is expected to be in teams' hands next week, said NASCAR's director of cost research Brett Bodine, who's been NASCAR's lead test driver for the project. "We're real close to the final version of the car -- we're down to aerodynamic tuning," Bodine said. "All of the other chassis dimensions are set and the rulebook will be out the first part of next week." The Car of Tomorrow is scheduled to be phased into full use in the Nextel Cup Series over the next three seasons. (NASCAR.com)
March 21, 2006:
Dodge tells teams only Charger after Texas: Don Miller, the president of Penske Racing South, said that corporate headquarters informed his organization that the Intrepid can't be used after the April 9 Nextel Cup race at Texas Motor Speedway. At least one of Penske Racing's two drivers -- Ryan Newman and Kurt Busch -- has used the Intrepid since the Daytona 500. There were plans to use the car on most 1.5- mile and 2-mile tracks the remainder of the season. "Texas will be the last time we race them,'' Miller said of the Intrepid. "They said this is what we're advertising, so this is what we're running. That's OK. We're learning something all along the way.'' (NASCAR.com)
March 13, 2006:
Dodge to lobby NASCAR for rules change: Dodge plans to lobby NASCAR officials for help with its cars by the Texas race in April, said John Fernandez, director of Dodge Motorsports Operations. The Dodge Charger has struggled since its 2005 debut. Teams and drivers complain that it doesn't handle well in traffic and prevents them from getting to the front. NASCAR rejected Dodge's request for a rule change last season to help the Charger. Dodge won three races last year with only one victory at a track larger than a mile and that came on a fuel-mileage gamble. Unsatisfied with the new cars, Penske Racing South put Ryan Newman and Kurt Busch in 2004 Intrepids at California last month and Sunday at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Fernandez said Sunday morning before the race that Las Vegas was a critical test for his teams. He says that he and other Dodge officials are trying to figure which front end is better, the Charger or the Intrepid. The key area is between where the headlights would be. "Inherently, the [Charger] is what we thought it was,'' Fernandez said. "The question is we've got a little aerodynamic imbalance ... in traffic in the Cup conditions. We've come a long way. If we got a little bit of help from NASCAR, I think we'd get over the hump on that.'' Fernandez said that he could lobby NASCAR for a rule change to help the Dodge before the Texas race if officials know what they want to request. (Roanoke Times)
Feb. 17, 2006:
New bumper for 'Dega? NASCAR is working on a new front bumper for its race cars it hopes will be ready by the April race at Talladega. The bumper would be softer and deprive the drivers of the ability to bump or slam draft without harming the bumper and the car's aerodynamics. (Florida Today)
Feb. 11, 2006:
Dodge looking for better nose: Dodge teams are expected to test later this month or early next month at Kentucky Speedway to find a more effective nose configuration after bad weather canceled a planned test session. The nose of the Dodge Charger hurts the car’s aerodynamics, and teams are searching for a solution NASCAR will approve. Ryan Newman said Penske Racing South has decided to run the 2004 Intrepid at California and Las Vegas — the next two races after the Daytona 500. Other Dodge teams plan to use the Charger. So, why can’t these teams work together? “You have a bunch of guys there that think they know exactly what the cars need,” Newman said of dueling Dodge teams. “That’s a tough situation because you mix in opinions and knowledge or lack of knowledge and you end up spinning your wheels.’’ John Fernandez, director of Dodge Motorsports operations, said Dodge has allowed its teams to try different solutions so that everyone is not doing the same thing. (Virginian Pilot)
Jan. 24, 2006:
Car of Tomorrow to roll out in 2007:
NASCAR announced today the Car of Tomorrow will begin competition in 2007. Teams will use the newly-designed race car for 16 events next season, beginning with the spring race at Bristol Motor Speedway – currently the fifth event on the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series schedule.
A five-year project overseen by NASCAR Vice President for Research and Development Gary Nelson, the Car of Tomorrow offers important safety and performance upgrades. It also addresses cost reduction, providing teams with a more efficient car to produce and tune.
“The Car of Tomorrow represents one of the sport’s most significant innovations, and we feel everyone involved in NASCAR will experience the benefits,” said NASCAR President Mike Helton. “No subject is more important than safety, and while the Car of Tomorrow was built around safety considerations, the competition and cost improvements will prove vital as well.”
Aside from Bristol events, teams will use the Car of Tomorrow in 2007 events at Phoenix International Raceway, Martinsville Speedway, Richmond International Raceway, Dover International Speedway and New Hampshire International Speedway.
It also will see action at Darlington Raceway, the fall event at Talladega Superspeedway and road-course events at Infineon Raceway and Watkins Glen International.
With the exception of the 2.66-mile Talladega track and the two road courses, all tracks where the Car of Tomorrow will debut in 2007 are short tracks.
The 2008 Car of Tomorrow implementation schedule includes 26 events – adding both races at Daytona International Speedway, California Speedway, Pocono Raceway, Michigan International Speedway, the spring event at Talladega and Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Teams will run the entire 2009 schedule with the Car of Tomorrow, adding both events at Atlanta Motor Speedway, Lowe’s Motor Speedway and Texas Motor Speedway, plus events at Chicagoland Speedway, Kansas Speedway, Las Vegas Motor Speedway and Homestead-Miami Speedway. The rollout schedule could be sooner.
“All of our engineering staff and each of the teams and manufacturers that contributed will now be able see the product of their hard work in competition,” Nelson said. “Many of the obvious safety and competition benefits have been a topic since the beginning of this project. We think one of the major benefits is yet to be realized as the car owners begin to build a more cost-efficient race car.”
The next round of Car of Tomorrow on-track testing will be scheduled following Speedweeks in Daytona, with officials from the NASCAR Research and Development Center in Concord, N.C., refining car components and performance baselines.
The Car of Tomorrow is a collaborative effort, with Nelson’s team leading the way. Manufacturers, teams and industry suppliers all contributed during the design phase, with NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series teams and drivers offering important feedback during the latest round of on-track testing.
NASCAR’s prototype car, built by the Research and Development staff, is driven by Director of Cost Research Brett Bodine, a former NASCAR NEXTEL Cup competitor and team owner.
The Car of Tomorrow began as a design five years ago, progressing through simulation, laboratory and wind tunnel tests. Of primary significance are the safety innovations: the Car of Tomorrow is four inches wider and two inches taller than current NASCAR race cars. The driver compartment, or “roll cage,” has been shifted three inches to the rear. The driver’s seat has been shifted four inches to the right, allowing more protection from a driver’s side impact. More “crush-ability” is built into the car on both sides, ensuring even more protection.
The Car of Tomorrow exhaust system is another safety innovation. It runs through the body, diverting heat away from the driver and exiting on the right side.
Another important Car of Tomorrow feature is performance – how the car handles in traffic and reacts to downforce. The project represents the latest move by NASCAR to reduce current cars’ aerodynamic dependence, and several innovations have addressed it:
- The windshield is more upright, designed to increase the amount of drag, thereby slowing the cars.
- The more box-like front bumper, which is three inches higher and thicker, catches air rather than deflecting it, another way to slow the car.
- The air intake is below the front bumper, which eliminates the problem of overheating. Wind-blown trash can cover current car grilles, blocking air flow.
Several components – both those built into the Car of Tomorrow and those being tested – will make the car easier to drive in traffic. Some of those components also are bolt-on, bolt-off pieces that teams can use to tune their cars, making them cost-efficient as well. Those include:
- The “splitter,” a flat shelf below the front bumper that can be adjusted.
- A wing, like those commonly used in sports car series, also is a possibility. It fits on the car’s rear deck lid, in the same spot where the spoiler is bolted.
- The spoiler, a NASCAR staple, is a straight line on the Car of Tomorrow, rather than curved, as on current cars. A straight spoiler yields more stability in traffic.
“We designed this car to run for a long time, at road courses, short tracks, intermediate-sized tracks all the way to Daytona,” Nelson said. “You would be able to run the same foundation car, the frame, the cage, the body, all of the components that today are being swapped around as the cars are purpose-built for certain types of tracks. We're eliminating that with this car.” (NASCAR PR)
Jan. 13, 2006:
Car of Tomorrow tested at Daytona: NASCAR's "Car of Tomorrow" turned its first laps at Daytona on Thursday. NASCAR vice president for research and development Gary Nelson and his group began the latest round of on-track data acquisition for the car using the prototype produced by the research center and driven by Brett Bodine, director of cost research. Previous on-track sessions at Talladega Superspeedway and Atlanta Motor Speedway set performance baselines. Now, the quest to fine-tune those baselines begins at Daytona. The car, which is 2 inches taller and 4 inches wider than current NASCAR cars, represents a major step in safety and competition enhancements, as well as cost reductions. NASCAR is in the final stages of the five-year project. "The last part of the Car of Tomorrow is, 'How does it run in traffic,' " Nelson said. "The only way you can do that is in traffic." Teams that have built the new prototypes are scheduled to test Jan. 19 with NASCAR at Daytona. (USA Today)
Jan. 12, 2006:
The future of Car of Tomorrow? NASCAR's proposed "car of the future" appears to be dead in the water for the moment. Detroit car makers are putting on hold their own operations for the time being, saying that NASCAR executives aren't offering any clear directions on body configurations or timetables. NASCAR has planned an exhibition here today of its own in-house built version of the car, which was originally set to debut this fall at Talladega. But it appears no other stock-car teams will be participating. (Salem-Journal)
Jan. 11, 2006:
Don't expect new Charger nose: While Dodge teams are lobbying for concessions to make the one-year-old Dodge Charger more competitive, Nextel Cup Series Director John Darby said Jan. 10 that it is unlikely they will get them. "We'll continue to watch the Dodge, but there are no changes on the table," Darby said. Dodge teams, which won only two races in 2005, still have the option of using the 2004 Intrepid, which two teams used at Homestead-Miami Speedway last season. (NASCAR Scene Daily Newsletter)
Dec. 20, 2005:
Impound rules at cut-back: The impound rule is not dead yet, but the number of races where it will be used will be drastically reduced for 2006. NASCAR will impound the Nextel Cup cars at five races in 2006: Both Talladega events, both Richmond events, and the Pepsi 400 at Daytona, according to a memo sent to teams last week. NASCAR used the impound rule at 21 of the 36 races in 2005. (NASCAR.com
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