With the first off weekend of the season in the rear view, we head to Thunder Valley this week. The Cup cars are getting some spoiler testing in before they leave for Bristol, and while they do we have more questions and answers for you. 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:
TC, when you are (un)tightening lugs, what is it you look for, feel for, listen for, etc. before you move on to the next?
It’s really all about feel. When you go to your local tire shop, you can hear what an impact sounds like when the lugnuts are really tight. That noise is the gun ratcheting over. For the good changers, you will never hear the gun ratchet over like that. We just want to stay on the nuts long enough that they are just tight. Don’t stay on long enough, and they will be loose, stay on too long, and you won’t be able to get them off on the next stop. After you’ve been doing pitstops for several years, your brain and your hands just know when to move to the next. – T.C.
2. From Lee:
I know that the drivers get to fly in private jets to and from races. What about the crew? Do they fly commercial or ride in the hauler? Do they usually travel together, or are they on their own to make it to the racetrack?
It depends on the team. Some teams have their guys fly commercial, others have private jets they fly their teams on. TC has actually written a couple of posts on the subject here and here (this one includes links to pictures of team planes). Teams like Roush, Hendrick, RCR, etc all have planes (Roush actually has a Boeing 727); teams like Front Row fly commercial. For smaller teams, when the track is within driving distance, they’ll often make their guys drive – this is especially the case in lower series. They don’t ride in the truck though, they take vans. – Journo
3. From djones:
My question is regarding templates. In LV Robby Gordon’s car didn’t fit the template. If he has same at shop, why didn’t it? Same thing happened to JJ Cobb in ATL. Template didn’t fit. BTW, I don’t know which ones they were. Can templates get warped somehow? Does hot/cold affect them? Are any tolerances allowed? Thanks TC & Journo.
Templates are made of aluminum, and while I don’t know the chemical properties of aluminum, I don’t believe they really distort. Whenever cars are run through templates though, they are always in the shade. There are certain areas that NASCAR will let teams slide on if the template doesn’t quite fit. They may pass you, but tell you to fix it for next week. On top of that, NASCAR does allow for some tolerances on templates. If you ever make it to a track like Daytona, where the inspection areas are visible, you will see the officials use a small gauge that measures the tolerance between the template and the body. – T.C.
4. From Rick:
I’m a huge fan of Bill Elliott. Is he very respected in the garage and If given a good car, do you think he could win again?
My answer is yes and probably not. It’s hard not to have a lot of respect for Bill Elliott. He’s a good guy and great race car driver. While he is still pretty good with Wood Brothers (which doesn’t have bad equipment), I have a hard time seeing him make a Mark Martin like return to full-time competition. Remember Mark, even during his part-time seasons, remained very competitive. Bill has been OK, but just hasn’t had that spark since he retired from full-time competition. – Journo
5. From yankeegranny:
I am surprised that crew chiefs don’t do more to see that their drivers lead a lap during the pit stop sequences. A case in point, if JR had lead laps in the second and third races, he would be in the top 12 instead of sitting in 13th, In the first 26 races leading a lap in every race(not likely, but possible,) a driver could accumulate an additional 130 points, Now that is not chump change in anyone’s book. I want to throw something at the tv, everytime JR gets up to 3rd or 4th during pit stops and Lance tells him pit this lap, instead of telling him to lead a lap and then pit.
All of this sounds good, but it doesn’t always work out that a team can lead a lap during pit stops. It really depends on how far the car can go on fuel, and how much time a car is giving up on old tires to a car on new tires. Lance McGrew isn’t going to leave Dale Jr. on track to lead a lap if there is a chance he may run out of fuel. Five bonus points in that situation isn’t worth screwing up the whole race. The reasoning is the same for tires. If Dale Jr. is out front on old tires, and tires fall off a ton, somebody on new tires will be able to make up a ton of track position. When this is the case, when Jr. does finally pit, he will be further behind then he was before the sequence of pit stops. – T.C.
6. From Richard:
Why doesn’t Nascar make the wing or spoiler hinge against a stop so when the car goes backwards it just flips over and has no lift when going backwards.
I’m no engineer, but this sounds like something that wouldn’t be too reliable. I question whether or not it would work every time, or whether it would work like it should. Likewise a fixed wing and spoiler allow NASCAR to ensure equality among the teams; a revolving spoiler or wing would probably leave some room for fudging. It seems to me, having a fixed wing or spoiler is just a whole lot easier. – Journo
7. From Joe:
Can you give us an idea of exactly where the restrictor plate is located, perhaps using a quick diagram of the car? Also, how has the restrictor plate changed this year? What are the restrictor plate tracks? Can you also give us a rough estimate of the speed difference of a car with the restrictor plate and without?
The restrictor plate is located on top of the engine, in between the carburetor and the intake manifold. I found an image that illustrates the location here. NASCAR made the holes in the restrictor plate a little bigger this season, so the engines will have more horsepower. Restrictor plates are only used at Daytona and Talladega. In May of 1987, Bill Elliott sat on the pole at Talladega with an average speed around the 2.66 mile track of 212.809 mph without any restrictions. A year later at Talladega, with a restrictor plate with 1″ holes, Davey Allison sat on the pole with a speed of 198.696 mph. This season at Daytona, Mark Martin sat on the pole with a speed of 191.188 mph. So the restrictor plate does definitely slow the cars down quite a bit. – 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!
Kyle Busch won both races at Bristol last year, but so far this year he hasn't made a top-ten finish.
- Think maybe Carl Edwards enjoyed having an off week after the Atlanta debacle? Had Bristol fallen the next weekend, the feeding frenzy would've been intense. It isn't going to go away completely, but the scrutiny won't be quite so intense.
- Edwards was the first beneficiary of the "have it, boys" era in NASCAR. He got a three-race probation. In NASCAR, probation is a synonym for "nothing."
- Asked where NASCAR would "draw the line" on its hands-off policy, president Mike Helton said "we see it when we see it." Thanks, Mike.
- Edwards and Brad Keselowski are scheduled for what is often referred to as "a come-to-Jesus meeting" with Helton and others at Bristol. What does that mean? See "Days of Thunder."
- Kyle Busch won both Bristol races a year ago. He doesn't have a top-10 finish so far this year.
- One effect of Kurt Busch's Atlanta victory - with his brother's former crew chief, Steve Addington, calling the shots - is additional pressure on Kyle's new crew chief, Dave Rogers.
- Ninety-six races have passed since Juan Pablo Montoya's lone Sprint Cup victory. He was ninth and 25th in the two Bristol races last year.
- Paul Menard is ninth in the Sprint Cup point standings. Scott Speed is 12th. If only there weren't 32 more races, or 22 between now and the Chase.
- It's important to remember that leading the points doesn't really make much difference until the Chase begins. In the regular season, what matters is being 12th or higher.
- Stewart Haas Racing's relatively slow start shouldn't surprise anyone. Tony Stewart is up to eighth in points, but Ryan Newman is only 29th. Guess what? At this point a year ago, he was 32nd ... and he still made the Chase.
Just less than a month after NASCAR veteran Larry Carter joined Robby Gordon Motorsports as a “consultant” we are hearing he has been named crew chief of the #7 team. Carter would take over the spot from Iain Watt who has been in the position since January.
Gordon and his team have struggled this season, averaging just a 34th place finish. On top of that they are in a precarious owner points situation. With one race to go before this season’s points take effect, Gordon sits 38th. Given his average qualifying position (38.8), without the guaranteed starting spot he runs the risk of not making races.
That struggle with performance coupled with RGM’s history of crew chief longevity (or lack thereof) make this move less than surprising.
Over the last few seasons Robby Gordon has had a staggering number of guys on top of the box. Since 2005 Doug Richert, Peter Sospenzo, Kirk Almquist, Frank Kerr, Gene Nead, Walter Giles, Bob Temple and Greg Erwin (in no particular order) have all come and gone.
Many throughout the sport have their opinions about the organization and the reasons for the high turnover. Gordon’s demeanor has been blamed, as has his unrelenting control over the team. Beyond second hand information though I unfortunately can’t give a comprehensive explanation.
Obviously Gordon has a drive and passion for racing that few others around the world of motorsports have. That said, his Cup operation has problems. There is absolutely no reason why any team should go through the number of crew chiefs his has gone through. All of the guys who have held the position are competent team managers (most have wins, one has a championship) so you’d think one of them would have clicked.
At this point the team would be well served to do some self reflection. Without some changes in the very near future I would be willing to bet Larry Carter and Iain Watt won’t be the last guys to hold the title of crew chief at Robby Gordon Motorsports.
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Filed under: Sprint Cup
Charlie Glotzbach with 1968 Dodge Charger.
One of NASCAR's records unlikely to be broken belongs to Charlie Glotzbach, who won the 1971 Volunteer 500 at what is now Bristol Motor Speedway. By today's standards, running a race at Bristol - or anywhere else for that matter - would be considered unimaginable. That's what happened at Bristol on July 11, 1971, when Glotzbach, in a Chevrolet, won by three laps over Bobby Allison, and averaged a record 101.074 mph, one of only two races (the other was won by Cale Yarborough in 1977) ever run at Bristol at an average speed of 100 mph or higher.
The only significant shift in the 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup season is a noticeable difference in the parenting style displayed by NASCAR's officials.
Most of the patterns that defined the 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup season remain in place. Four races into a 36-race season, the competitive balance hasn't shifted notably.
The best driver is still Jimmie Johnson. The best crew chief is still Chad Knaus. The best team is still Hendrick Motorsports. The best manufacturer is still Chevrolet. The prevailing trends haven't changed.
Jamie McMurray's Daytona 500 victory seemed surprising, but, after all, Daytona is a "restrictor-plate" track, and who won the previous plate race, on Nov. 1, 2009 at Talladega? Why, it was McMurray.
Johnson won the next two races. 'Nuf said. Kurt Busch won the March race at Atlanta, where ... Kurt Busch had won the year before.
What's changed? The tone of this season. Imagine NASCAR as parents, and the Sprint Cup Series as children being nurtured. (NASCAR loves this characterization, at least secretly, I imagine.) Where previously NASCAR raised its children strictly, now, all of sudden, they get to run wild and free. Where once they only got to ride their bicycles around the yard, now they get to ride all over town ... and come home after dark. Last year they were taking piano lesions. This year they're starting a garage band.
NASCAR decided to treat the kids like adults. It hopes they will take responsibility. So far, the freedom is too much. They're running wild. Perhaps this is just a stage.
Here's another change. A race (Atlanta) went 16 extra laps. It's the new and improved "green, yellow, green, yellow, green, white, checkered finish." This playoff's death isn't too sudden. On April 10, a 350-mile night race is going to be held at Phoenix International Raceway. It may end on April 11 back east.
In a couple weeks, apparently (official announcement pending), all of the cars are going to get their wings clipped. Or, rather, spoiled. Spoilers are back. In other sports, the terms implies upsets. In NASCAR, it's just a flat plate on the back of the car.
Some think it will spoil the Hendrick edge. Keep dreaming.
When the Cup Series heads to Bristol this weekend, it marks the fifth race on the 2010 schedule. It will be the final race that the top 35 in the owners standings from 2009 will have a guaranteed starting spot. The following weekend at Martinsville, the 2010 owners points will decide who is in and who is out. Bristol will be crucial for those who are floating right around that 35th spot in the standings.
Those who are on the outside looking in right now include Kevin Conway, Boris Said, Robby Gordon, and Max Papis. A good run at Bristol for any of these drivers could mean the difference between racing and going home at Martinsville and beyond. For Said, Gordon, and Papis who all have limited sponsorship, the idea of not having a guaranteed starting spot could drastically affect the health of their race teams and their ability to continue competing.
The drivers who are in currently, but are dangerously close to being out, include Mike Bliss, Travis Kvapil, Brad Keselowski, David Gilliland, Sam Hornish, Bobby Labonte, Ryan Newman, and Marcos Ambrose. A bad finish at Bristol, combined with some good runs by the competition, could knock any of these drivers out of the top 35 and that vital guaranteed starting position.
Two drivers who stand to benefit following Bristol are Mike Bliss and Scott Speed. Speed is very solidly in the top 35 (currently 12th) after a difficult 2009 season left him having to race his way in to the first five of 2010. But his team has rose to the occasion this season, and their performance has improved markedly. Bliss currently sits in the final guaranteed spot in 35th, which, if he could keep it would be a huge boost to his Tommy Baldwin Racing team. This team continues to run severely underfunded, but a locked in spot in every race could help this team secure more sponsorship.
Bristol is always an exciting race anyway, filled with drama from start to finish. And this season’s spring stop in Thunder Valley will be no different. But if the usual story lines don’t grab you, take a look down the leaderboard a ways. You will definitely find a tension filled race for many teams./
Filed under: IRL