Brian France (right) and NASCAR wave the green flag at the bad boys.
CONCORD - The racing is great, said NASCAR chairman Brian France.
"But," he added, "what can we do to make it better?"
It's kind of the NASCAR version of the Preamble to the Constitution, that bit about forming a more perfect union. That is, unless, in the off chance that the quality of the racing is a concern ...
Whatever. NASCAR is on the march. The theme of Thursday's Sprint Media Tour visit to the NASCAR Research and Development Center might as well have been, "Let 'er go, boys!"
At Daytona International Speedway next month, the cars will be fitted with 63/64ths-of-an-inch restrictor plates, meaning that the engines will be roaring in a way they haven't since 1989. The sport's version of the intentional-roughing penalty - "Hey, no bump-drafting, guys! - is no more. NASCAR officials considered doing away with "no driving below the yellow line," but backed off after huddling with the drivers.
In late March, the wings on the backs of the generic cars will be replaced with spoilers again, restoring the bygone method to keep the rear wheels firmly gripped to the pavement. A new Nationwide Series model will debut for an introductory four-race run when NASCAR returns to Daytona in July.
The generic cars have their detractors, but no one questions that the design represents an improvement in safety. Horrendous crashes have frequently occurred, but in every instance, the drivers have walked away safe and sound.
It's one more reason, apparently, to "let 'em go."
One of the more surprising remarks came from competition vice president Robin Pemberton, who said he hopes to move to fuel-injected engines as soon as 2011. Camping World Truck Series director Wayne Auton said a new design may be forthcoming in that series by 2013. The times they are a-changin.'
An interested observer, former Charlotte Motor Speedway president H.A. "Humpy" Wheeler, said the changes may change the balance of competition, at least for a while. NASCAR officials seem willing to let boys be boys again. In fact, there seems to be a market not just for boys, but ... bad boys.
"Having well-behaved, clean-cut guys is great," said Wheeler, "but if they're all like that ... when a cartoon comes out ... just like Walt Disney said. 'If you don't have a bad guy within 60 seconds of the start of the cartoon, the audience loses interest.' Nobody wants to be the bad guy.
"There some things brewing that could really get things cranked up."
What would the Roadrunner be without Wile E. Coyote?