Sep 9th, 2010 by T.C.
Now that the Chase is all but set, and will officially be after this weekend, teams who are on the outside looking in have the opportunity to start working towards next season. With no championship left to fight for, teams can start experimenting and thinking outside the box to find some way to both fight for wins this season and learn for 2011.
Since NASCAR effectively banned testing a few seasons ago in the name of cost savings, teams have had to get creative to find ways to improve their cars and setups. They use everything from wind tunnel time, shaker rigs, non-sanctioned tracks, and computer simulations. What being out of the Chase means, is that teams now have ten or eleven race weekends they can use almost as mini test sessions. They can try different engine configurations, aerodynamic changes, and chassis setups. It will allow them to experiment and make those notebooks full of information a little bigger. While the Chasers are focusing on being fast now, everyone else can gather data for next season.
Another area in which teams can (and some have already started doing) is throwing in some different pit crew guys. Teams are always looking for that right combination of guys that will consistently be quick on pit road, and with less on the line, taking some chances in this area over the final few races of the season can help. Instead of just watching guys work together in a practice setting, putting new guys together during actual race conditions can give crew chiefs and pit crew coaches a much more accurate view of what a guy and a team are capable of. It can also be a great opportunity for teams to get some younger guys some valuable race experience.
Especially for those teams that have struggled over the course of the season, there really aren’t a ton of reasons why they shouldn’t spend then next several weeks trying to learn for 2011. Without chances to win the title or races, there really isn’t much else to lose. And who knows, maybe they will hit on one or two small things that could push them over the hump for next season.
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