Nothing like a little drama to make things interesting. After a very interesting finish to the Pocono weekend, the Trucks and Cup cars head to Michigan this week, while the Nationwide cars take to Kentucky Speedway. This week’s 78th edition of ATIW is a full one, so we’ll get to it. If you don’t know what this post is, we answer any and all reader questions every Wednesday, right here. So if you’ve got one, click on the ”Ask the Insiders” tab at the top of the page and send one to us. On to the questions…
1. From Ric:
With regards to Burton Smith’s $20M offer. I’m wondering if it would be possible, since the Indy winner would not have time to hang around to do interviews, photo shoots, etc. Would the sponsors just say, NO?
I think you could probably work it out to do all of that stuff the following day. That said, I just don’t think it would be feasible to do it. Tony Stewart was the last to do it and he was so dehydrated and exhausted, he was pretty worthless for the Coke 600. If IRL and Cup Series Champion Tony Stewart couldn’t pull it off, I’m not sure who could. – Journo
2. From Kyle:
Is it possible we will ever see tracks such as Rockingham or North Wilkesboro return to NASCAR in either the Nationwide or Truck series? It would help NASCAR with the hardcore fanbase and would provide more standalone dates for the Nationwide series (making it less likely a cup driver would run all the races, plus more races for a nationwide regular to realisticaly have a shot at winning). Is this even a possibility?
Never say never, but I don’t know if NASCAR would be too interested in re-entering those areas. I agree with you, it would be fantastic to see one of those tracks back on a national series schedule, but it’s hard to see what NASCAR would boot from the schedule. You can count out any SMI or ISC tracks. And Wilkesboro is still owned by SMI and in increasingly bad shape. It’s a good idea, I just don’t think it’s on NASCAR’s radar. – Journo
3. From Allen:
What are the 2 small strips on the left front bumper? They are on top of one another, but about 2-3 inches apart. Never noticed them until practice at Pocono on Carl Edwards CHEEZ-IT car.
Those are the part numbers of the nose pieces. The nose on a Cup car is actually two pieces, and NASCAR wants the teams to leave that part number exposed when they paint the car. You should be able to spot those two strips on most of the cars. I know a few paint over it, but if there is ever a question about the nose, the team would have to sand down the paint in that spot. - T.C.
4. From Lost In Texas:
The #7 has a long history in NASCAR, Alan and Geoff to name some of the recent owner/drivers. With the #7 slipping out of the top 35 last week and missing the race this week, do you think that spells the end for one of the last owner/drivers?
Well, after the penalties come down on the #38 team, I think Robby will have a second chance at life. That said, money is going to continue to be a problem for him going forward. Without sponsorship, I don’t know if I think Robby can or will continue for much longer. The points might not necessarily kill off Robby Gordon Motorsports, but lack of sponsorship very well could. – Journo
5. From Brad:
I’m a Huge Mark Martin fan. I just want to know what’s going on with his season this year. After being fairly dominate last season.
I think it’s a mixed bag over there. You can’t say it’s been a terrible season, he hasn’t had any wins, but he’s 11th in points. His average finish is 15.2 just a tick worse than it was last season, he just hasn’t had the consistency. There is still a lot of time left, and plenty of time for the #5 team to start winning races. Don’t count them out yet. – Journo
6. From Kevin:
Hey guys, just read the article about Phil Parsons, and to be honest I didn’t know before this week that he was going to be part of the TNT telecast. Watching the race today, with the included 2 hour delay, I was pleasantly surprised with his contributions. I thought he did an awesome job and was a breath of fresh air compared to the regular guys. I hope he gets to continue. I think people are letting their negative view of start and parkers infringe on him as a TV personality. I mean, the chance that he will ever need to interview one of his teams is slim and none. I don’t see any conflict of interest, its not as though Joe Gibbs is wanting to broadcast.
The problem is, Phil Parsons being part of the broadcast is exactly like Joe Gibbs being part of the broadcast. Phil Parsons is still a team owner in the Cup Series, whether his team start and parks or not. If an issue occurs with one of his teams he will not be able to talk about it impartially. The same issue could occur with team owners Rusty Wallace and Brad Daugherty. It may seem petty, but I believe the fans deserve an honest and fair broadcast and they’re just not going to get every time when one of the reporters has such a financial interest in the sport. Unfortunately, this is a very incestuous business, and ESPN and TNT are only more than happy to feed into it. In my opinion whether you work as a White House correspondent for the New York Times or as a pit reporter for ESPN (and yes TNT too), you need to adhere to professionally recognized ethics standards. In other words, I’m with Daly on this on. These guys need to decide whether they want to be broadcasters or team owners. – Journo
7. From Ella:
This weekend Harvick’s crew prevented Joey from reaching Harvick on pit road. Do crews have practiced responses to driver disputes on the track or do the crews just sort of take it on themselves to intervene in some way? Is the primary goal just to keep the two separated?
There aren’t practiced responses, but there is kind of an unspoken rule that crew guys protect the drivers. It’s fine if there is just talking going on, but when it escalates, you will often see crew guys step in. – T.C.
8. From Foster:
Hey guys. I am a huge fan of the site! I was wondering, could you explain if more rubber on the track means there is more or less grip for the cars?
In most cases, more rubber on the track means better grip for the cars. As the tires wear, the soft rubber will stick to the track and create more grip. -T.C.
9. From AJ:
After watching Denny hit the wall during his burn out got me thinking about NASCAR’s thoughts on it? Will that affect how the car fits the template and if a team has a borderline item on the car could this type of incident help hide it?
Don’t forget, the cars go through tech before the race, and must fit the templates then. It would be VERY difficult for a team to alter a body during the race that would give them an advantage without NASCAR seeing it. In post race inspection, the cars aren’t required to fit the templates again. Car heights, engines, gears, and other mechanical bits are under scrutiny in those inspections. – T.C.
10. From Matt:
Where does NASCAR get all the prize money for each race? I know that sounds completely stupid, but I don’t know how they could possibly make the millions they have to pay out every week just off ticket sales and what not. Also the start and park teams shouldn’t even get any money, or at least have theirs reduced. Seeing 7 cars pull off before Lap 20 is getting really old for us fans who pay to see 43 cars race, not 36.
No, not a stupid question at all. The money comes from the TV contracts (which is the biggest piece of the pie), and sponsorship dollars through contingency programs. Now in order to get money from these contingency programs you actually have to participate in them. It’s a little bit of a complicated process so I’m going to direct to a good article written by Lee Spencer on how the process works. As far as the start and park teams go, the problem is it gets complicated to prove they’re actually doing it. From the surface it’s easy to say who’s doing it, but not worth the process to tear cars down to prove it. NASCAR doesn’t like the teams doing this either, but they’ve created an environment that allows it to happen. – Journo
11. From Ron:
TNT had some excellent incar shots at Pocono . One thing I noticed is Denny Hamlin’s has very limited rollbar padding and doesen’t appear to have the netting or other equipment above the driver that some used in the past . is this part of the current rush to take weight of the cars? And where are they shifting weight to?
Remember that the COT has a lot more room inside the car then the previous car did, and in some cases, a ton of roll bar padding isn’t necessary. Also, the amount of weight saved by removing a little bit of roll bar padding would be minimal. Plus, you don’t sacrifice driver safety for a few ounces of saved weight. NASCAR mandates what the weight distribution is from left to right and front to rear. What teams are trying to do is get the weight as low as possible. – T.C.
12. From Ric:
Saw on TV at Pocono a crew member of the 48 team was putting a left side tire over the wall. As he was putting it out as far away from the wall he could, he over extended himself. To keep from falling over the wall he put his hand (or both) down in the pit stall. My question is when is a person considered over the wall towards counting for one of the 7? What is the penalty for having too many people over the wall?
The rulebook actually makes mention of feet and actually stepping in the stall. I’m sure if the official really wanted to, he could call a penalty on the team for the guys hands being down, but most won’t. In a case like that, it was just an accident that the guy ended up over the wall. No advantage was gained. – T.C.
And that brings yet another “Ask The Insiders Wednesday” to a close. Thanks to everyone who sent in questions. And remember, if you’d like to be a part of next week, click on the ”Ask the Insiders” tab at the top of the page and send your question in!
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The Dayonta test for the new Nationwide Series COT is complete. Teams took to the 2.5 mile track on Tuesday and Wednesday to get familiar with the new car and to help NASCAR gather data ahead of it’s debut on July 2nd at the Subway Jalapeno 250. Most of the drivers who participated said the car must be driven differently then the old car, but that it would lead to more exciting racing. Those battles at the front of the NNS fields however, will probably feature more Cup drivers then ever before.
The redesigned car features many of the safety measures that were first implemented with the Cup Series COT. The Nationwide versions also have bodies that more closely resemble their stock brethren. The new Mustang, Challenger, Impala, and Camry bodies have been lauded by the drivers and the fans. With the exception of the sheet metal though, much is the same between the Cup and Nationwide cars now. The two COTs are so similar in fact, that they share the same chassis, wheelbase, and other components. And it’s those similarities that will widen the gap between the Nationwide only guys and the Cup “Busch-Whackers.” (I will never let it die!)
Think about it. While younger drivers have been coming up and learning on cars that are not too different then the current Nationwide car, Cup drivers have had the last few years to learn what it takes to drive and setup a COT car. They will now be able to use that COT knowledge on Saturdays as well. The younger, Nationwide only guys who don’t have that experience will suffer.
Having the cars be so markedly different at least gave some of the younger drivers a fighting chance. And by fighting chance, I mean Cup drivers who still dominate the series and win every race. Before, information couldn’t really be shared between the two series, and having to constantly be transitioning from car to car at least made things interesting. Now we don’t even have that.
Don’t get me wrong though, I certainly don’t think NASCAR should scrap the new COT. In fact, I’m a big proponent of the introduction. The safety innovations are certainly needed, and transitioning back to cars that appear more stock will do wonders with the fans. I just wish we could find a way to fairly limit participation among the Cup crowd.
It isn’t all bad news though.
Among my doom and gloom there is a silver lining. While these younger drivers might struggle now, their transition to Cup rides in the future will be much smoother and much shorter. The skill-set necessary to make an NNS COT go fast won’t be too different then what they will need on Sundays. And that will be good for the future of the sport and everyone involved.
Let’s just hope the Nationwide Series owners have enough patience to let these kids learn.
I don’t know about you, but I can’t wait for this weekend! Both the Nationwide Series and Cup Series are headed to Darlington, and if you are like me, you can’t get enough of the “Track Too Tough To Tame.” Don’t worry though, this week’s round of reader questions shouldn’t be too tough to tame. If you don’t know what this post is, we answer any and all reader questions every Wednesday, right here. So if you’ve got one, click on the ”Ask the Insiders” tab at the top of the page and send one to us. On to the questions…
1. From Ella:
What has happened to Carl Edwards and his team this year? Seems he has been lagging behind his teammates as well as other top drivers. Will he stay with the same crew chief?
Jack Roush is a big fan of moving crew chiefs when things aren’t going right. I’m not saying I’ve heard anything, but if Bob Osborne doesn’t turn things around soon he may very well be out of a job. Roush as a whole had performance issues last season and Carl just hasn’t overcome his slump. It’s hard to say exactly what the issue/s is/are, but something is wrong. If their performance doesn’t improve soon, expect changes on that team. – Journo
2. From Kevin:
TC, regarding Woogeroo’s question about impound races, is Richmond (my favorite track – bit biased on that) an impound race too. If so, why? I guess I will find out in a couple of days.
I don’t know if you found out during the race broadcast or not, but Richmond is not an impound race. I believe only the Talladega races and the July Daytona races are impound races. – T.C.
3. From Mike:
I’m wondering if you can tell me if Marcos Ambrose will be back in the #47 car next year, 2011?
I don’t see him going anywhere. JTG and Waltrip are certainly pleased with him and there aren’t really any open rides for him to go to, so I’d expect him back there next season. – Journo
4. From Brad:
Any discussion of the Dale Jr. story in the National Enquirer? I’m interested to know if you guys have any scoop….
We don’t know anything more than what was reported. While it certainly could be classified as “inside” info, even if we did know something more, we wouldn’t share it. Both myself and my partner leave that type of stuff alone when it comes to writing for the site. Want rumors and info about the sport and the competition? We are the right place to stop by. Rumors and gossip about people’s personal lives is probably best left alone. – T.C.
5. From Allen:
Do you think the Camping World Truck Series is going to eventually become the IROC Series? (i.e disappear)
I don’t think NASCAR will abandon the series, but I do think they need to consider making changes to it. If you remember 10 years ago the stands would be packed at races (that was partly because they were racing at smaller venues in smaller markets), not the case today. The TV audience is good, but the series has its issues. It’ll be interesting to see if NASCAR is willing to try and breath new life into it. – Journo
6. From Marcus:
Is the Air National Guard really sponsoring the #26 Latitude 43 Motorsports car driven by David Stremme? I remember when they 1st ran it at Bristol they said it was for showing what the Air National Guard can do. But 5 races later the decals are still on the car and they have pit suits and everything. Also they are starting to run full races. Just wondering if you guys know because i’m curious. Thanks!
As far as I know, the Latitude 43 team is still not being sponsored by the ANG. The “tribute” that was run at Bristol was officially extended to include Martinsville as well, but no further announcement has come out regarding their involvement. You would think that if the ANG did in fact come on board as a sponsor that the team would put out some sort of release, and they haven’t done so. Maybe they are hoping that by showing some good will towards the ANG that eventually they will help out. – T.C.
7. From BJ:
Watching the truck race on Sunday, with Johnny Benson & his glasses, got me wondering if any other drivers in the big 3 NASCAR divisions have less than 20/20 eyesight. Are there drivers there with contact lenses or laser-corrected vision? What about other kinds of everyday impairments that they have to deal with like diabetes, severe allergies, hearing loss? (I’m not asking you to ‘out’ anybody; just curious if things like that tend to winnow down the talent pool.)
The two examples that come immediately to mind in terms of any kind of impairments are John Wes Townley and Steve Wallace. Townley used to wear glasses when he drove, but doesn’t anymore. I believe he has had laser surgery. And Wallace suffers from Tourrette’s Syndrome. I’m sure there are many others, but as you might imagine, making that kind of info public would be a tough thing to do. When it comes to these types of conditions, if it’s something that severely limited a driver’s ability to perform, or could potentially be life threatening, I doubt they would have made it to this level. - T.C.
8. From Michael:
Two questions for you guys: 1) Why do the COTs sometimes have white plastic pieces sticking up from the splitter at times, mostly during practice? What purpose do these plastic pieces serve? 2) Why does Darlington have two pit roads? Thanks TC & Journo!
Those white plastic pieces you see are wear indicators. It helps the team figure out how low the nose of the car is getting in the corners. Teams will also spray paint the bottoms of the splitters, so they can see if and where it’s rubbing through the turn. And Darlington used to be like Bristol is today. Some cars would pit on the frontstretch, and some on the back. But in between the 1999 and 2000 seasons, the track extended the frontstretch pit road to include all 43 stalls. When they did that, they just didn’t take out the old pit road. – T.C.
9. From windowlicker:
As we get close to our first Hall of Fame induction ceremony, I wonder about some of the inductees. In baseball there are tons of Hall of Famers who are considered to be jerks. What do people in racing think of Richard Petty? Is he a nice guy? Good to work for?
I’ll say this, there are people that love Richard Petty and there are people that don’t. I’ve never worked for the man, so I can’t say how that is. He’s certainly a fan favorite, and very good at glad handing. I think it’s important to point out though that Richard Petty isn’t getting into the Hall of Fame because he is universally liked; he’s there because of what he has done in the sport and done for the sport. I don’t think you’ll find anybody who’ll disagree with his inclusion in the first class. – Journo
10. From BJ:
Everyone at my workplace knows who my driver is. I am definitely not a neutral observer of NASCAR. My question is: Do the journalists who cover NASCAR have favorites? I don’t mean does a writer skew his/her pieces to favor a particular team. I mean that with 10 laps to go and a GWC looming do journalists turn into fans? What’s it like to walk that line between remaining an unbiased reporter & secretly needing to stand and cheer for your guy to take the checkers? Without blowing your cover, Journo, can you share any anecdotes of your experiences in balancing work vs. being a fan.
After you’ve been in this sport, or any sport for any length of time athletes lose their luster. In reality they’re pretty normal people. Personally I love NASCAR, and racing in general, so I like a good show and a good story. I can’t speak for everyone, but I think that’s pretty universal. Certainly there are teams and drivers that are more pleasant to work with, but as far as people rooting for someone in particular, that kind of goes out the window. As a result I can’t say I personally have any anecdotes. Sorry. – Journo
11. Neon:
How many more TNI followers were hatched after the Mike Joy plug?
You know, that’s a tough question to answer. We definitely saw a traffic spike after the mention, and we’ve had several folks send emails and leave comments saying they came to the site because of the mention, but it would be difficult to put a number on it. Even if it’s only one or two, we’re glad they are here! – T.C.
The teams have a short trip this weekend, as the Truck and Cup Series head to Martinsville, VA. The teams are also spending the week getting some spoiler testing done at Charlotte Motor Speedway. And while they work, we’ve got another round of questions and answers. If you don’t know what this post is, we answer any and all reader questions every Wednesday, right here. So if you’ve got one, click on the ”Ask the Insiders” tab at the top of the page and send one to us. On to the questions…
1. From Lee:
It is my understanding that Goodyear brings the tires that will be used for that race to the track. Do the teams get the tires from Goodyear at the track, then take them and mount and balance them on their own? Or do they bring their rims to Goodyear, and they mount and balance the tires for the team?
A company called Champion Tire & Wheel hauls all the wheels to the track. Once there, Goodyear takes them and mounts and balances all the tires for the teams. After the race, all the tires are returned to Goodyear. They are then broken down and loaded back up. Champion checks the wheels for damage, cleans them, and hauls them to the next race. – T.C.
2. From Ric:
Do crew members and drivers travel together or separate? I know it various from team to team, race to race. Just looking for in general.
Generally crew members travel together. Of course most teams have A team and B team guys that come into the race track different times during the weekend, but those groups do travel together. Drivers generally come in to the race track by themselves, but that’s not always the case; especially for the ones who don’t have private planes, or access to a private plane. – Journo
3. From Eddie:
With the 12 Hrs at Sebring this weekend, is it possible in the future for a NASCAR driver to race that event and still race the Sprint Cup event on Sunday? Also have any NASCAR drivers raced in the ALMS series before?
Probably not. The reason I say that is because the weekends don’t really work well together. Running in the 12 hours would screw up practice and qualifying on the Cup side, which would require teams to find someone to fill in. This is something a team owner wouldn’t be too keen to do. The 24 Hours of Daytona works because it’s out of season and Indy and the 600 were able to work because of how spread out things were. I don’t see this working though. To your second question the answer is yes. IMSA (the current sanctioning body of the ALMS which was formed in 1999) ran the 24 Hours of Daytona for many years until the creation of Grand Am. I can’t think of anybody driving in it recently, but Roger Penske had an ALMS team until 2008 (they ran Grand-Am in 2009). – Journo
4. From Ray in NJ:
Hey TC, I have a question regarding the spoiler change for Martinsville etc. If I remember correctly when the COT was first created the drivers were complaining about not enough downforce on the car and handling extremely poor…remember Kyle Busch complaining each time he won…..as a result NASCAR decided to add the wing and then during testing the drivers commented it was much better…..now people are saying the wing is causing or enticing the car to go airborne when turned around…so it makes me think we are going to keep the car on the track…but handling and downforce could be a problem again…what do you think?
During some of the initial COT testing, the car had a spoiler. But the COT was never actually raced in competition with a spoiler. It always had the wing. So saying the car is going to revert back to how it handled in the beginning isn’t necessarily accurate. The teams are definitely going to have to relearn how to set these cars up, but I don’t foresee huge problems with handling and downforce. – T.C.
5. From Michele:
Hi T.C. and Journo! Hearing lots about the Legend race @ Bristol running “faster more dangerous” cars than current Sprint & N’wide drivers. Is there anything to that or just ‘Hot Air’? Thanks for a great column!
I believe that the Legends race at Bristol had the drivers just running crate motor late models. The cars don’t have as much horsepower and are lighter then a Cup or Nationwide car, but their setup makes them easier to drive. I believe that is why we saw lap times that were as fast or faster then the other series. On a short track they are fast, but I don’t know if we can call them more dangerous. The incident with Pearson and Glotzbach was just an unfortunate accident I believe. - T.C.
Remember too this race wasn’t sanctioned by NASCAR. The race was put on by BMS. – Journo
6. From Mike:
How does the payout system work? I see at Bristol that Truex finished 12th with 500 laps earning $89,475 whereas Kahne finished 34th with 432 laps earning $123,390. Neither driver led a lap.
The reason some drivers make more then others depends on what contingency programs a team is involved in, and in what payout plan a team is in. I believe NASCAR has four different plans setup, and each team fits into one of those plans. I don’t know specific details, but the plans award prize money based on not only where you finish, but also past performance and longevity. – T.C.
7. From djones:
Hi TC & Journo, Two questions if OK. Regarding tire tests. If Goodyear brings tire ABC to test , why do they bring tire XYZ to run the race at the track they tested at? I am referring to comments made by Regan Smith at Bristol. Also, why use an Indy tire (flat track) at Bristol (high banked)? Why don’t the tire changers where some kind of dust mask? Doesn’t that brake dust cause health problems? Thanks guys. Read you every week.
Goodyear uses tire tests to try different compounds and combinations. Their data from the test will tell them what they need to know to select a tire. They may bring ABC to the test, but realize later that XYZ will be better for the race. And just because a tire is used at Indy doesn’t mean it won’t work for Bristol. Goodyear decided that the conditions the Indy tire was built for would also work at Bristol. There are a ton of factors that go into selecting a tire. And I don’t really know why changers don’t wear dust masks. You will see some front changers wearing full face helmets because of the brake dust. I’m sure inhaling the dust isn’t good for you, but I’ve never heard of specific health problems caused by it. – T.C.
Following Sunday’s race in Atlanta the Cup Series will enter its first off week of the season. While there won’t be any racing, teams will still be hard at work preparing for the impending switch over to a spoiler.
The upcoming test at the Charlotte Motor Speedway will be the first chance many of these teams have had to try out the new configuration at a track on the Cup schedule. With limited testing and existing notes and information that will soon become (at least somewhat) out of date could this spoiler become a game changer for the season?
The opinions among the drivers are mixed as we have seen over the last few months. Some say 2010 will be split down the middle, while others think the change won’t make much of a difference.
Thanks to the engineers, and NASCAR and team testing we have some idea what this move will do to the downforce of the car. The real test though will come when we have a full field at a place like Texas or Charlotte.
It’s only been since January that teams have known about this and with time ticking away until NASCAR takes the track with the new spoiler, it’s got to be an interesting time to be an engineer at one of these teams. For some organizations, like Richard Childress Racing, that are just getting back on track with their performance the overwhelming question is, ‘will this throw a wrench into our improvement.’ If you’re over at Hendrick, the question is, ‘are we going to be able to maintain our dominance.’
Despite questions they may be asking about what this means for them, they’re not alone in their uncertainty. As those in charge at NASCAR have noted it will take some time to see how this will change things. What happens if this move has no effect, or things actually gets worse? Without the benefit of a lot of on track testing this is a bit of a craps shoot.
Personally I don’t have a clue what’s going to happen. I believe there will be some effect, but given the talk from all parties involved I don’t necessarily believe the impact will be huge.
Change or no change, I can’t say I’m a fan of making a move like this several races in (though I applaud NASCAR for identifying and remedying a problem in a timely manner). However this plays out, it will no doubt be interesting to see how this testing goes and how well this change is received by drivers and fans alike.
So what do you think? Will the spoiler make a difference in the racing or is all this much ado about nothing?
I know this is getting beat to death around the NASCAR world, but I think it’s a worthy subject. I’m talking about NASCAR, at least preliminarily, relenting on changes to the COT.
As of right now nothing has been done and nothing has been announced and all we’ve got from NASCAR is “maybe talk,” but truly it’s a great start. Throughout the season we saw a sanctioning body more engaged with drivers and team owners, holding town hall style meetings and asking their opinions on a wide number of subjects.
In addition the sanctioning body is utilizing the Fan Council and tapping into the sentiments of the most important people involved in the sport. While they’re only occasional surveys, I promise NASCAR is listening. You screamed about Digger and they brought it to David Hill; he unfortunately didn’t listen.
Back to the COT though, this is something NASCAR has consistently refused to make changes to in the years since its introduction; and honestly that probably wasn’t a bad thing. Can you imagine being a crew chief or driver and trying to figure out a car they were constantly making changes to? It would have been a disaster.
Now they’re talking to drivers and owners and looking at making a change to the car. A wing or a spoiler? It makes no difference to me. I’m not offended by the aesthetics of the car (and certainly don’t have to drive one), but I know I’m in the minority on that. What effect will it have? I honestly have no idea. The reaction to it is clearly mixed throughout the garage. We’ll see how it works on track.
The point is NASCAR is listening; and they’re actually considering changes based on what people are saying. This really is huge. In addition to the possible changes to the COT, they’re expected to make some rule changes. The media tour is next week; NASCAR’s turn is Thursday, so expect some announcements from them.
I know this is hard to believe sometimes, but the folks at NASCAR really do want you to be happy. Happy fans, make for good bottom lines. And as we say here so often, this is a business.
A Clarification on the #26 Points Situation
We had a question in Ask the Insiders this week about the points situation of the #26. Here was my response:
I honestly haven’t heard anything about this deal, but it’s my understanding from the way NASCAR has done things in the past that they won’t be allowed to sell owner points. The problem arises because the past team owner would be listed as the owner. As Jack Roush already has four teams he can’t be listed as an owner on another car (this would be the same issue for RPM). This is very similar to the DEI-Ginn points situation (they would have exceeded the car limit). NASCAR allowed DEI to sell the points to RCR and Front Row last year because they didn’t exceed the car limit. You’ll notice Teresa Earnhardt is listed as the owner on the #34 and Bobby Ginn as owner of the #33. If NASCAR operates like they did in the past I would expect the points to disappear.
Well NASCAR didn’t operate like they did in the past and allowed Roush to essentially sell the points through a “comprehensive services agreement” to a new team owner. NASCAR clarified today (story here and here), saying this was a ONE TIME deal that they were allowing because they were forcing Roush’s downsizing. Fair enough.
In these situations in the past NASCAR has required the team owner transferring the points to somehow be involved in the team. That’s why you see Bobby Ginn listed as a team owner at RCR and why Smith Ganassi Racing has Ganassi in its name (and why Ganassi is listed as the team owner of the #42). Obviously neither of these men has anything to do with the teams that took their points, but it placates NASCAR so that’s what’s done. For all intents and purposes, while they don’t technically allow it, the points are sold.
It’s our last Ask The Insiders Wednesday of 2009! It’s been a great year of reader questions, and we hope you continue coming back and asking questions in 2010. If you don’t know what this post is, we answer any and all reader questions every Wednesday, right here. So if you’ve got one, click on the ”Ask the Insiders” tab at the top of the page and send one to us. On to the questions…
1. From mangopants:
Hey all, Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! Hope this hasn’t already been asked (I’ve tried to search on your site) – can you talk a little bit about what kind of training drivers get? I’m sure only “experienced drivers with talent” get hired on, but once the contract is signed – what other training do they get? Media coaching? Partnered with an experienced driver? Watching the replays and breaking down what went right and wrong? What works and what doesn’t? Appreciate your site and knowledge!!!
From the competition side, if a veteran teammate is available, a young driver will be paired with them to aid in development. Also, in recent years, we’ve seen guys like David Green get hired by teams with young drivers to both serve as a spotter and driver coach. And some drivers will watch race replays if they haven’t been to a track before, but once they get to a certain point, watching race replays isn’t really relevant. – T.C.
Professional media coaching in the sport is a hit and miss thing. Some bigger name guys with more carefully crafted images have certainly done some, but it just depends. It all comes down to having the capability to do it (i.e. the money) and not everybody does. - Journo
2. From Steve:
I have a multi-part, rambling, question about the cars. How many cars generally comprises “one” car? Does it vary widely from the big teams to the small teams? Or does every team at the Sprint Cup level have approximately the same inventory? Also, how many of the different categories of car do those (say 20) cars fit into? 4 for superspeedways? 10 for 1.5 milers? 6-8 for short tracks? 4 road course? Etc? I assume there is a plan laid out before the season starts that maps out which 2 cars are going to be taken to each race for the whole season? (Barring wrecks or desire to build a new car superseding the original plan?) Then about paint; If a car is going to run more than once in a season, do the teams try to ensure they will be 2 races that are supposed to run with the same sponsor/paint scheme? Or, is paint not even a factor, and they’ll just strip/repaint one car (with different schemes) within a season because (obviously) the car itself is more important than what it looks like.
Bigger teams definitely have more of a car inventory then the small teams. One team may have as many as ten or twelve cars. The COT has helped some with not having so many specialized cars. Cars are more interchangeable between track types. Teams will usually have a few cars (2-4 usually) dedicated to one type of track. Also, the teams try and map out which cars will go to which races as early as possible, but wrecks, building new cars, and other changes will dictate the schedule. In terms of paint, you don’t want to obviously be constantly re-doing graphics, because it can be costly, but with that said, paint schemes aren’t saved. Cars run where they need to be run and are painted accordingly. – T.C.
3. From Savannah:
Hi Guys, I have a curious question this week. Have either of you ever almost exposed your real idenitites by accident? Or, haveyou ever signed an email by your alias to a friend/co-worker/ or relative?
Honestly we are both so conscious of it, it has never been an issue (knock on wood). I’ve had dreams where I’ve accidently sent someone an e-mail with my actual name signed to it and then woke up and frantically made sure I hadn’t. TC is the same way. I know personally I get into TNI modes when I’m doing stuff for the site and then as soon as I’m done it’s pushed to the back of my mind. The only people we talk to about the site are each other, so it coming up in conversation is never a problem. – Journo
All three series have one more trip out West for the year. While the haulers make the long trek to Phoenix, we’ve got another question and answer post for you. If you don’t know what this post is, until further notice, we will be answering any and all reader questions every Wednesday, right here. So if you’ve got one, click on the ”Ask the Insiders” tab at the top of the page and send one to us. On to the questions…
1. From Savannah:
Hey Guys, does the COT become airborne in accidents more than the old style car? In several wrecks, the cars seem to be flipping more than the older car. Does the wing on the back of the car cause it to loose the downforce and then the flipping starts? I am just curious. I apologize if you have already responded to this type of question in the past.
I’ll be honest with you, I can’t really give you a great explanation of this. Diandra over at Stock Car Science though does have a good explanation of why this is occurring with seemingly more frequency. By the way Stock Car Science is a great blog; the woman who writes it, wrote The Physics of NASCAR. – Journo
2. From Doug in CA:
I was reading about tire testing at Daytona. How much tire testing goes on? Do Cup drivers participate in most? Very little? It seems to me that there are plenty of drivers out there who don’t have rides (Blaney, Riggs, Raines etc.) who would appreciate picking up a few bucks for running laps for Goodyear. Why do busy guys like Johnson or Busch do this job?
It happens a few times a year. Goodyear will pick certain tracks they need to work on, and go from there. Tire testing happens for the Cup cars the most, but it does happen for the other series too. The thing to remember about driver participation, is that Goodyear doesn’t supply the cars. Teams show up with all of their own equipment, So out of work guys wouldn’t really do Goodyear any good. Guys like Jimmie and Kyle will do it because it allows them to learn, and to help their teams learn. Especially now with the testing ban, any extra track time is a huge positive for a team and driver. – T.C.
3. From Blair:
Sitting here watching the race and though I’m a little tickled at the fact that Jimmie Johnson is stuck in the garage it has made me wonder. As far as the car goes, what all can be changed during the race as far as engine pieces and all that? Obviously you can’t change the original chassis but what all can you change? Or maybe the easier list would be what can’t you change? Thanks guys! Love reading your blogs!
Outside of replacing the car (chassis) and engine, everything is pretty much fair game. Rear ends, suspension, body, really anything else is okay to work on. – T.C.
4. From Scott:
Hey Guys, following Jimmy Johnson’s big wreck on Sunday his crew really pulled together and did great work to get his car back out there. Clearly this shows part of the reason that he is in position to win another championship and highlights the team aspect of NASCAR, which I don’t think gets enough coverage. However, with all the parts being changed I was wondering about a couple of things. I heard during the race that you can change just about everything except the motor and NASCAR lets you back on the track for your attempt to get back up to speed. What I’m wondering is this, what allowances does NASCAR provide for how the car measures up in post race testing? While its doubtful that after that type of crash a car would havea competitive downforce advantage is this something NASCAR checks? As always, great website, great columns and commentaries, love Ask Wednesdays, keep up the great work!
Post race inspection usually only happens to the top five (I think) and a random. So unless NASCAR decided to be ridiculous, a team in a situation like Jimmie’s won’t have to go through tech after the race. There is no point in checking a team for cheating when they were a few seconds off the pace, 120 laps down. – T.C.
5. From windowlicker:
Hey guys. During the Busch race at Texas, a car (I think it was Justin Allgaier) came out after a wreck with no front end. NASCAR black flagged him for not maintaining minimum speed. He went back in they did something & he came back out & finished the race. I thought once you got black flagged for not maintaining speed, NASCAR parked you. You didn’t get a second chance.
I think that was his one chance. The car comes out of the garage, NASCAR sees it doesn’t make minimum speed, then you are allowed one chance to make it right. That is how I always understood it. When a car is wrecked and comes out of the garage, the team doesn’t really know what it has to work with. If the rule is as I understand it, NASCAR gives the driver and team one chance to feel it out and make the car better. – T.C.
6. From J and D:
After seeing some of the recent wrecks in NASCAR races, we got to wondering: when a car is torn up badly but still able to finish a race, how on Earth do they pass post-race inspection? We’ve seen some cars with no front ends, jacked-up rears and much more. What’s left to measure?
Like I said above, unless a wrecked car finishes top five, they won’t be inspected after the race. Once a car is wrecked and goes many laps down, there really is no point in inspecting them. – T.C.
7. From Red Kneck:
Why does Marcos Ambrose’s 47 car have yellow rookie stripes but is not listed in the Rookie of the Year Standings?
It’s because he ran too many races last season to run for the Rookie of the Year Award (11 in 2008), but he is still considered a rookie (hence the rookie stripe). – Journo
I know racing in general money is money no matter the funding entity. However, do guys like Conway, Nemechek (Extenze) & Martin (when he was sponsored by Viagra) face much ribbing in the garage area?
Yes, absolutely. I would say the crew guys are the ones that face the majority of the ribbing though. Can you imagine walking around the garage with Extenze or Viagra on your chest? I’m just glad it’s not me. – Journo
9. From Christopher:
During the Texas Sprint Cup race, we all saw the shots from the hour or so the 48 team was re-building Johnson’s car. It seemed that Jimmy stayed in the car the entire time. Is this normal? Is there any reason- knowing it was going to take awhile- that Jimmy wouldn’t have gotten out? Maybe to help- or at least take a stretch?
In this situation I think Jimmie was trying to make a point that he was committed to going back out. Likewise he was still very much in that zone, so I think he wanted to avoid distractions like the media. Generally, I would say whether or not a driver stays in the car depends on the driver and the situation. -Journo
After years of complaints from fans (and drivers for that matter) over the looks of the Cup Series COT, NASCAR undoubtedly didn’t want a repeat as they developed the Nationwide COT.
This weekend we got our first glimpse of all four stickered up Nationwide COT’s. I don’t know how you feel about the cars, but in my opinion the manufacturers and teams (of course with NASCAR) did a good job making the cars look more like a production model.
I was fortunate enough to see a Challenger COT early in development and I was happy to see through the process there weren’t any major changes to it’s overall look. By far I think it’s the best looking of the new cars. The Mustang turned out well too.
I think Chevrolet missed out here though in not bringing the Camaro into the sport; though I understand their position. Mark Kent, Director of GM Racing said earlier this year:
“At the end of the day, because of the quest for very close competition and the need to have templated bodies in that series, we felt that by forcing the Camaro into the Nationwide templates that we were compromising the body lines of an iconic car. So at the end of the day we just could not get the Camaro in the Nationwide series to satisfy our requirements.”
It’s understandable they didn’t want to murder the body lines of a car they’ve been working on for many years. Still how cool would that have been?
I digress. NASCAR though now has a problem on its hands. They have visually attractive and realistic looking Nationwide cars competing with the less than handsome Cup Series COT.
After meetings this past week with drivers and team officials, NASCAR said they would make changes in 2011 to the front fascia of the Cup Series COT, presumably to make them look a little better up against the Nationwide COT. Let’s hope the changes are enough.
Now I know many of you aren’t fans of the COT and from the comments I have read elsewhere people are still complaining that this new car is still “cookie cutter”. In NASCAR’s and the team’s defense though these things could help bring down costs and will certainly make the racing safer; the hope of course is that racing will be better. Whatever the case, it’s hard to complain about the looks of the car; this is the closest we’ve seen to a production model (in my opinion) since the late-80s or early-90s.
With these new good looking cars though, let’s just hope competition isn’t the cost we all pay.
So any thoughts on the new Nationwide COT? Anything you would have liked to have seen done differently? Any hopes for the Cup Series COT? Talk amongst yourselves.
Apparently everyone is in a question asking mood, because we have (I believe) the largest ATIW post ever. So we’ll just get right to it. If you don’t know what this post is, until further notice, we will be answering any and all reader questions every Wednesday, right here. So if you’ve got one, click on the ”Ask the Insiders” tab at the top of the page and send one to us. On to the questions…
1. From Patrick:
This popped up the other day when I was watching Happy Hour, the #38 team was having trouble with the placement of pedals, specifically the steering column rubbing against the brake. It got me to wondering, how closely – if at all – does NASCAR monitor seat placement? By moving the seat a few inches around it seems teams could change the cars balance. Is there a mandated location for the seat?
NASCAR mandates how the seats are built and also how they are mounted, but there really isn’t a whole lot in the rulebook about where the seat is mounted. It would be tough for NASCAR to do, because every driver is a different size and they all have certain preferences for seat placement due to comfort. – T.C.
As to the difference between the 48 and the 24, during an episode of NASCAR Now, one of the panelists said a difference between Jimmy Johnson and Jeff Gordon is that Gordon steers (or maybe it was drives) with the steering wheel while Johnson prefers to use the gas pedal. First, please explain the difference. Second, why and when would there be an advantage to one style over the other? Is there something about the COT that makes it more amenable to Johnson’s style?
Often times guys that came up on asphalt will do more with the wheel, and guys that came up on dirt will do more with the throttle. On dirt, car control is based off throttle modulation because for so much of the track the car is in a slide. Drivers can’t do a whole lot with the wheel in a slide. These types of drivers who control the car with throttle are successful with the COT because the only way to be fast is to set the car up loose. This certainly isn’t a rule, but it is very common. – T.C.
3. From Tom:
Hey guys, I’m a relatively new NASCAR fan watching from the UK. I was wondering if you could answer a quick question. I watch a lot of F1 and while the casual observer might think that the cars all look the same, they are actually all different and with different engines etc. How does this work in NASCAR…obviously there are different manufacturers, but it also seems like different teams using the same manufacturer have different cars. Is this correct? And what does the Car of Tomorrow actually mean?
First, there are some small differences between the cars, but not many. The chassis for the COTs are all generally the same. The bodies have some minor differences, and the engines differ between manufacturers. Nobody uses different models within the same manufacturer. The Dodge is a Charger, the Chevrolet an Impala, the Ford a Fusion, and the Toyota a Camry. A few years back, Cup cars resembled what is currently used in the Nationwide Series. After a few driver deaths, in order to improve safety, NASCAR redesigned the Cup cars and this new version is referred to as the COT (or Car of Tomorrow). – T.C.
4. From Thomas:
I just read an interview with Jimmie Spencer & Kyle Petty & they both blame the COT and it being so sensitive that a 1/8″ change will mess it up. However, every week we hear Knaus talk about “we kept making changes till we got it better.” How can #48 make all these changes & the others cannot? I think it is because JJ wants a very loose car which gives them more leeway for changes. HHmmmmm!!!
They’re certainly a lot more sensitive, but there are a lot of different changes that can be made in different areas. Certainly Chad Knaus isn’t the only one playing with the car; everyone is doing it. He’s just having a little more success with it than other teams, so he and the #48 are the ones that get talked about.- Journo
5. From Barry:
Any news on where Bobby Labonte might end up next yr? And, any news on the state of Motorsports Authentics? Will they stave off bankruptcy?
Bobby’s been rumored to TRG and EGR. TRG has actually expressed interest in him, and I do know he was talked about for the #1 car. I don’t think the #1 car is as likely as TRG though. As far Motorsports Authentics goes, I haven’t heard anything more since their SEC filing a couple of weeks ago. They’re in trouble whatever the case. With NASCAR looking to combine licensing efforts, it’ll be interesting to see what happens there. – Journo
6. From Savannah:
Hey guys! How closely does NASCAR monitor the driving history & violations of drivers off the track? Can a driver face disciplinary action by NASCAR if they have too many speeding tickets? In the recent Michael Waltrip accident, the police reported alcohol was a contributing factor in the wreck, although Waltrip was barely under the legal limit. Would NASCAR force him into rehab since this does cause some embarrassment for the sport (and it is not his first accident- the telephone pole incident of 2007)? Driving drunk or buzzed is something that is totally avoidable and just plain stupid, especially when you are a high profile person. Kurt Busch was sidelined by Roush for just being issued a ticket. I can’t wait to hear what excuse Waltrip’s camp will issue after this latest incident. I hope that all drivers will take notice and be sure to have a sober driver behind the wheel after they have been partying/drinking/ carousing.
I can’t think off the top of my head of a situation where this has happened, but I would guess NASCAR would be inclined to dole out a penalty if a driver were legally drunk and driving. Remember Waltrip was within the law. In the situation of Kurt Busch the incident occurred at the end of the season, one in which Kurt was jumping ship and he was not well liked around Roush. It wasn’t a difficult decision for them to suspend him for the remainder of the season. Obviously I contradict myself because NASCAR didn’t do anything with Kurt Busch, but I would guess they could slap a driver with “actions detrimental” if they wanted. I agree with you though, this situation should be an eye-opener. – Journo
7. From Tom:
Why do the NNS cars look so jacked up on one side when looking at them from the rear?
It’s the way the bodies are hung on them. In order to take full advantage of the aerodynamics of the cars and the spoilers, the teams twist the bodies. That way, when the cars are in the corner, they are getting maximum downforce, and hopefully maximum grip. I’m not an aerodynamics expert, but the idea is to get the spoiler as far out into the air as possible when the car is in yaw. - T.C.
8. From Woogeroo:
Howdy folks. At each race weekend, is the same pace car used? Does each series have it’s own or is it a track by track deal the track operators have with whatever manufacturer?
It depends on the contract the track has. For instance Martinsville is a Toyota track while I believe Homestead is a Ford track. – Journo
9. From Marc:
With Silly Season in full swing, I am trying to get a handle on who controls the points in some of the top-35-points-related team “mergers” from this past year. I assume, for example, that Penske will keep control the points of the 77 team, having “acquired” the 2008 points from Bill Davis and his old 22 team. And, Childress will keep the points from the 33 (which got the 2008 points of the old 01 team). But, what about the 34 team? Will Front Row Motorsports keep the points for the team or do they go back to DEI/EGR? Will Yates keep the points from the 96 team or will they go wherever HOF racing partners next year? Does JTG Daugherty keep the 47’s points they got from the old 00 points through a “technical alliance” with MWR? I have not seen press about contractual situations surrounding these deals and was hoping you guys knew something more. Thanks for all of the great work here.
The points will remain with the organizations that purchased them. They’ll just roll over to next season. Remember they more or less bought a position in the top-35, but the points they have amassed over the season are theirs. In the case of HOF, I don’t believe Yates ever actually owned the points, so those will likely remain with HOF; that was just a technical alliance. – Journo
10. From Allen:
I’ve been to many races and always notice on the flag stand they hang a black, white, and orange box on the side of the flag stand before each race, any idea what that is for?
What I believe you are referring to is the display NASCAR hangs from the flag stand to be used when a car is black flagged. When this happens, NASCAR will wave the black flag at the car as it passes, announce it over their radio frequency, and post the car’s number on this display. You will sometimes hear this referred to as a team was “posted.” – T.C.
11. From Kim:
I heard something odd during the telecast from Martinsville. It looked like Johnson was speeding on pit road, as he came out of his box; I distinctly heard an announcer (DJ?) mention something about an “average” on pit road, that there are eight timing sections and that you can actually go OVER pit road speed as long as when you hit one of the speed lines, you are going the correct speed (I hope I’m describing it correctly). My friend heard it, too and we were aghast as we had never heard that pit road speeding penalties were based on an “average”. The same term was used again later in the race. Is this true or did I hallucinate/misunderstand he comment?
As I understand it (and I may be wrong) NASCAR uses the scoring loops on pit road to measure how long it takes a car to travel through that specific segment. It has nothing to do with a measured speed. With some simple math, NASCAR can figure out how long it will take a car to travel through the segment within the legal speed limits. What teams have started figuring out, is that they can pick certain pit boxes on pit road, depending on the placement of the loops, and actually speed. It allows the drivers to be able to speed into their pit boxes, and out of them; before they cross the next scoring loop. They can do this, because that measured time between loops will be much greater because of the time it takes to complete the pit stop. Hopefully that makes sense. – T.C.
12. From Robyn:
If the 4 car limit only for the Cup Series? If not, why does Roush keep saying that they will run 5 Nationwide cars in 2010? What does NASCAR (or those in the garage) think about teams (especially in NW), for all intents, selling thier owner points for a race?
There is no car limit in the Nationwide Series. So Roush (or any other organizations) could have as many teams as they want. As far as I know NASCAR doesn’t have any problems with the teams selling their points. In some situations, it means they’ll have fewer start and parks, so I would imagine they’re fine with it. – Journo
13. From Dan:
Wow! Are we seeing the birth of a new “Intimidator”? Sounds as if JPM has some people worried. Gordon’s comments after the race got my attention and Chad Knaus cautioned his driver of Montoya’s antics during the race. Maybe this just what NASCAR needs to fill all those empty seats on race day. Your thoughts.
I think JPM certainly has that killer spirit. Part of the mystique of Dale Earnhardt and part of his role as the intimidator though was his success, which Montoya hasn’t had. Drivers knew they were going to have a fight on their hands with him in the rear view mirror, I don’t think Montoya is there yet. Certainly he has a ton of potential and the other drivers are starting to take notice, but I think he has a ways to go before we can say we have a new intimidator. – Journo
14. From Amy:
Approximately how many helmets does a driver go through in a given season? What about the crew?
Unless a helmet is damaged in an incident, they don’t usually need to be replaced. Drivers will usually have multiple helmets because of different sponsor commitments and paint schemes. The same goes for pit crew guys. I’ve been using the same helmet(s) all season. – T.C.
15. From Ric:
How much notice does the crew need for various changes; Air Pressure, Wedge, Track Bar, Spring Rubber, etc.
Not much, unfortunately. Air pressure changes probably need the most warning, because the tire guy needs to run around and change the pressures before the tires can be taken over the wall. Wedge and track bar adjustments can be called pretty late before the car enters the stall, as long as the crew guys have enough time to grab wrenches. Spring rubbers can be called late, but usually there is plenty of warning because they take more time to get out. A spring rubber, because of the weight of the adjustment usually isn’t called last minute. – T.C.
16. From Ric:
When drivers help anther driver (debris on a radiator, lead a lap, push from behind, drafting, etc) is this $$$, kindness of their heart, instructions from the boss (same team), other?
Most of the time you’ll only see teammates letting each other lead laps or helping with debris. I guess in rare circumstances a driver who is friendly with another driver might be willing to help him out when it comes to debris (an if you scratch my back, i’ll scratch your’s situation). As far as drafting goes, that is something that just happens out on track. A driver might be more reluctant to draft with certain guys, but it’s not like letting a guy lead or helping him with debris. – Journo
17. From Jeff in SoCal:
What can we expect to see from the new Ford engine being ran by Roush Fenway at Talladega next week? Do you guys think it is going to be a major improvement?
I’m sure the new Ford engine probably makes better numbers, but don’t expect to see a huge improvement over the previous version. Doug Yates and his guys do a good job, but they aren’t going to magically find huge numbers. The rules haven’t changed for engines. – T.C.
18. From Carole:
Jr had 3 flat tires and brake problems this weekend. My husband says he probably unconsciously rides the brake with his left foot. What do you think was his problem?
From what I know about the situation, Jr. told Lance McGrew several times that he was not riding the brakes. He usually runs very good at Martinsville, and you don’t do that unless you know how to take care of your brakes. Plus, I don’t believe Jr. is a left foot braker, which can often lead to a driver riding the brakes because they rest their foot on the pedal. – T.C.
19. From Amy:
Wow…I am totally shocked about Steve Addington being relieved of his crew chief position for Kyle Busch. Yeah Kyle hasn’t had the best of seasons this year…but seems to me all drivers have the occasional crappy season. Why replace Addington? Any thoughts?
I can’t say I’m surprised they made this decision, but I also can’t say it’s something I would have done. It’s hard to reconcile removing the guy who led your driver to 12 wins over two seasons. That said I think the issue here comes down to consistency, something Kyle has struggled with, even while having a lot of success. Obviously the folks at Gibbs think Dave Rogers will do a better job of achieving that consistency than Addington. Time will tell. – Journo
20. From bb:
Hi Guys. Firstly, your website is a great combination of information, news and editorial content that has a lot more meaningful depth than most others, so please don’t change it too much…….Second, I was wondering what the feeling in the garage is about the future/stability of MWR. Will they be likely to get sponsorship to be able to run the 00 full time? It seems like they are pretty close to breaking through to being able to field contending cars on a consistent basis. Also, does a full time nationwide ride for Mikey look likely?
Well thank you. I think Waltrip is in just as good a shape as any other organization. Certainly sponsorship is difficult to come by, but RCR, EGR, Hendrick all have (or have had) sponsorship issues going into next season. As far as Reutimann goes, I don’t think you have to worry about him running a part time schedule next season. I’m sure they’ll fill the gaps, which I believe is somewhere around 12 races. I haven’t heard anything more about Michael in the Nationwide Series next season. Like anything I’m sure that’ll be determined on whether or not they can secure funding for a team. – Journo
21. From Robyn:
Looking at the other competition caution – the one called for before the race begins. This past week when it rained in Martinsville, I don’t recall a competition caution being called for the truck race. That series raced on a green track. I don’t recall hearing about rain on Saturday night, so there was rubber on the track. Why was there a planned competition caution in the Cup race (Waltrip negated it with his lap 40-something spin)? These teams are supposed to be the best of the best. They should know how their tires will wear without making a race run, which some teams did on Friday anyway.
The only thing I can think of here, is that NASCAR was concerned because the Cup cars hadn’t been on track since Friday. Other than that, I’m not really sure what to tell you. In any case though, it’s usually better to be safe then sorry. – T.C.
22. From Harold:
Are the tires used in NASCAR races provides free or do they have to pay for them?
Teams technically lease tires for competition, and they are not free. They cost about $1,500 a set. – T.C.