Has the Return of the Spoiler Improved NASCAR Sprint Cup Competition?

Photo Credit: Undefined/NASCAR Media

Seven Sprint Cup races ago, NASCAR rules reverted the current spec stock cars to replace the rear deck wing with a rear spoiler blade. A welcomed change for Sprint Cup competition, the action was seen as NASCAR swallowing their pride as they were now willing to improve a highly critical aspect of the so-called COT car.

Since the COT(Car of Tomorrow) introduction, NASCAR's choice of a rear wing over the more conventional spoiler blade was scolded immediately. Fingering the wing as causing instability problems for the race vehicles, some alleged the wing caused at least two Sprint Cup cars to go violently airborne. The first coming at the 2009 spring Talladega race where Carl Edwards' #99 Ford sailed dangerously into the track's catch fence, a more recent incident involved a flip at Atlanta Motor Speedway's Kobalt Tools 500 this past March. At Atlanta, the #12 Dodge of Brad Keselowski was tagged by a disgruntled Carl Edwards.

Overall, the chief complaint of the wing was that the device discouraged passing. After 7 races, some on-track conclusions be now be made whether the fixed rear spoiler could improve Sprint Cup race competition. A quick way to evaluate the change is comparing the lead change count from the last 7 events of 2010. The following list compares the spoiler to the past 3 average race lead changes (past 2 races for Talladega Superspeedway and Texas Motor Speedway). The chart also compares the races with the new spec Sprint Cup car to the old spec vehicle which last ran in 2007.


Martinsville (Change: +8.33)

Spoiler: 24
Wing: 15.667
Year before COT: 12


Texas (Change: +12)

Spoiler: 29
Wing: 17
Year before COT: 13


Phoenix (Change: +8)

Spoiler: 20*
Wing: 12
Year before COT: 20

* 2010 Phoenix race was extended in length by 63 laps to 375 for the event.


Talladega (Change: +33.5)

Spoiler: 88
Wing: 54.5
Year before COT: 42


Richmond (Change: -3.66)

Spoiler: 12
Wing: 16.33
Year before COT: 12

Darlington (Change: -8.667)

Spoiler: 20
Wing: 28.667
Year before COT: 25


Dover (Change: +0.667)

Spoiler: 20
Wing: 19.33
Year before COT: 23


Judging the lead change data, the rear wing apparently triumphed in aiding an increase in 1st place with only Richmond and Darlington races showing a drop in lead passes. Of course these results are far from conclusive as other factors such as double-file restarts, green-flag pit stops or basic competitiveness of each race weigh in the compilation. However, it does seem to support the argument that the rear spoiler is the right move for the NASCAR Sprint Cup series. As the 2010 season continues, it remains to be seen if the lead change improvements will run deeper into the schedule.

Spoiling the Surprise: Rear Spoiler back on NASCAR Sprint Cup cars after Bristol

Photo Credit: Rusty Jarrett/Getty Images for NASCAR

For NASCAR fans who loathed the look of the Sprint Cup series' Car of Tomorrow platform, prepare to rejoice after this weekend's Food City 500 race at Bristol Motor Speedway. NASCAR confirmed in a statement on Thursday that a rear spoiler will permanently replace the infamous rear wing. Rear downforce will once again be doubt with by a spoiler blade starting at the Martinsville Speedway next week.

When the Car of Tomorrow was in development, a spoiler was in consideration as an option but NASCAR selected the rear wing. NASCAR stated at that time the rear wing was chosen for its easier adjustably and was said to provide better control in traffic. It was believed that the wing on the deck lid would reduce the amount of turbulence acting on following cars causing a sensation called Aero-push. Besides functionality, it seemed NASCAR might have been trying to differentiate the new Sprint Cup car from the old car in effort to visually tout their engineering of this future race stock car.

However, as time went on, the Sprint Cup's new car was being seen as more of a competitive burden as the refined design made little-to-no difference in correcting Aero-push issues. On the fans' front, the out-of-place rear wing was seen as more of an attack against the purity of stock car racing. It came as a relieve to many earlier this year when NASCAR announced a phase-in plan to replace the wing with the spoiler.

With this weekend's Food City 500 serving as the last event for the rear wing, the chapter ends where it began three years ago. Coincidentally in 2007, Bristol Motor Speedway was the debut for the Sprint Cup series Car of Tomorrow platform.



Photo Credit: Rusty Jarrett/Getty Images for NASCAR


With 24 NASCAR Sprint Cup series teams participating in a major spoiler test at Talladega Superspeedway this past week, NASCAR has also scheduled an upcoming two-day test for Sprint Cup teams at Charlotte Motor Speedway for March 23rd and 24th where additional work will be done to orientate drivers to the return of the spoiler.

Starting at Martinsville Speedway, NASCAR officials, competitors and fans will discover if the rear wing was the reason for complaint or just a Car of Tomorrow scapegoat.

NASCAR Issues Rule Changes for 2010 Sprint Cup Series

Photo Credit: Jason Smith/Getty Images

Emphasized as a 'back to basics' approach, the NASCAR press conference confirmed some of the growing rumours which had been surfacing the past week in auto racing media.

The headlining announcement regarded a monumental rule change to the Car of Tomorrow-style Sprint Cup stock car. In the 2010 season, the older-style rear spoiler will replace the symbolic wing which had adorned the truck lid since the vehicle debuted part-time in 2007. While the rear wing is remaining in place for the Daytona 500 as well as for many of the first races of the 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup season, some speculation had pointed at the short track of Bristol Motor Speedway being the launch pad for the reintroduction of the spoiler. However, NASCAR indirectly dispelled that rumour since a test date for the rear spoiler is set three days after the Bristol race on March 23 and 24th at Charlotte. "Over the last couple of years, there have been dozens of changes to this car, with this being the most visible change," said NASCAR's Vice President of Competition Robin Pemberton. While Pemberton acknowledges the COT was a work in progress even after two seasons of full season competition, this recent change goes against the grain of the leadership of NASCAR which had remained stubborn to making adjustments to the new Sprint Cup vehicle. In fact NASCAR Chairman Brian France, in a November 2008 interview, had once commended their stance than saying "..we got a lot of pressure back in May to make changes on the Car of Tomorrow because it wasn't driving as well as it could and all those things. And we're very pleased that we didn't cave to that pressure..". Concerned with adding additional cost to the Sprint Cup teams in adapting their race vehicles to new rules, NASCAR's more recent intervention into improving the competition on-track has likely caused the sanctioning body to reexamine the criticized Car of Tomorrow.

Another rule change dealing with the mechanical aspect of the Sprint Cup cars see a larger restrictor plate between the carburetor and intake manifold of the engines at Daytona and Talladega. Propping up horsepower, this move is also going to allow drivers to gain throttle response which translates to better acceleration control by drivers.

In the final issues of NASCAR's press conference about the Sprint Cup series of 2010, the division will no longer institute special driving rules at the restrictor plate races starting with the season premiere Daytona 500. For Daytona International Speedway and Talladega Superspeedway, NASCAR had for years set measures meant to tone-down aggressive bump-drafting and passes made in potentially risky areas of the race track. For many years, the yellow lane running along the lower part of the speedway of those two ovals were also considered the "Out-of-bounds Line" or "No Passing Zone" by NASCAR. Aimed to prevent cars from racing and potentially losing control on flat, slippery parts of race tracks, cars passing another competitor below that line were subjected to penalties.

One of the most popular incidents relating to this line occurred in the fall Talladega race of 2008 where Regan Smith ran his vehicle just under the line to pass Tony Stewart before the start/finish line. Smith was penalized in the end results falling to 18th place for the pass deemed illegal by NASCAR Sprint Cup officials. Smith protested his penalty after the race saying that he was forced down because of Stewart cutting off the legal race line. Whether Stewart had forced Smith below the yellow line, leaders of restrictor plate races often used the yellow line rule out of the spirit of the initiate in protecting their position. In the spring race at Talladega this past season, the yellow lane rule actually demonstrated itself as a liability when Carl Edwards protected the bottom of the legal racing zone. Brad Keselowski, running second and full of momentum thanks to a push from Earnhardt Jr, chose to go through the #99 Ford Fusion. The result was a dangerous crash which saw Edward's go airborne and crash down the front stretch. Catching some other cars including Ryan Newman, a NASCAR spectator also required medical attention cause of flying debris. This incident repeated again at the July race at Daytona as Kyle Busch led to the checkered flag before receiving a punt from the #14 Chevrolet of Tony Stewart. Stewart came out the victor while Busch received a rough ride and a hard shot from the #9 Dodge of Kasey Kahne. In effect, the No Passing Zone had created accidents.


Photo Credit: Jerry Markland/Getty Images for NASCAR

More recent and even less popular driving rules had NASCAR policing where bump-drafting could take place on the racetrack. Acknowledging NASCAR as a contact sport, Chairman Brian France removed the no passing zones and no bump-drafting zones from being concerns for the drivers. Regaining full movement on the track, drivers new freedom comes with responsibility racing with some common sense. NASCAR Sprint Cup officials will wisely remind every competitor that while some restrictor plate racing rules have been relaxed, racing at 200 miles per hour is no reason for drivers to relax their responsibility to themselves and 42 other drivers.

As the 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup season nears, fans can almost hear the push rod-driven V8 engines circulating the 2.5 mile of Daytona International Speedway promising to be the first of 36 unique races. NASCAR's new rules could become a game changer to conventional wisdom which had guided us through 2009 Sprint Cup season.

Should the Sprint Cup's Car of Tomorrow be revised today?

A combination of years of study into improved safety and for fostering a healthy competitive atmosphere created the so-called Car of Tommorrow (COT) race car to replace an older style race vehicle which was being used since the purpose-built stock cars of the 1960s. While seen as a safer vehicle in its limited introduction to the 2007 Sprint Cup schedule, the COT's effectiveness in advancing NASCAR's record for close competition remains debated.

Running for its 75th time in the NASCAR Sprint Cup series at the Michigan International Speedway the COT car continues to be daunted by questions on the performance of this race vehicle. Drivers have also been vocal about the bulky, uneasy handling of the car. When Kyle Busch won the first COT car race at Bristol, his victory lane comments were far from flattering about the car's driveability describing it as "sucks". Most recently, fan favourite driver Dale Earnhardt Jr diplomatically commented through media sources on the COT car saying "I think NASCAR could probably be a little more urgent in improving our product." In almost direct response to Earnhardt's statement, NASCAR's president Mike Helton comments a day later reiterated the sanctioning bodies' policy not make any major rule changes which may open up the performance potential of the COT. Though the COT is far from deserving a critical panning, Earnhardt's proposition of an easier to drive new car could work miracles in filling the grandstands which appeared less populated in recent years as race fans must consider there limited entertainment dollars. NASCAR's reluctance to make changes to the car is on the belief that by leaving the rules unchanged Sprint Cup teams would have a consistent baseline for developing the car. Cost of these proposed changes to teams has also been mentioned an obstacle.

The main basis of the COT was to increase the aerodynamic drag on the competition cars by increasing the vehicle's size and through implementing special drag-inducing features such as an adjustable front splitter. Through actual racing, this splitter has been proving to be an Achilles heel to the Sprint Cup drivers as continuous rubbing along the ground and trip off-track would wear out the splitter's retaining brackets or even the bulletproof material itself. A component of a less aerodynamic front end than compared to the previous car, the splitter contributed also to the vehicle's long held compliant of aero tightness called understeer. While the understeer concern has been a constantly addressed issue by Sprint Cup crews, the problem is far from being completely solved. However, the new car is proving quite entertaining at restrictor plate races as the aerodynamically deficient shape meant more horsepower from engine was needed in maintaining near 200 MPH speed, This provided near normal throttle response. The COT's shape was also more catering to straight line bump drafting since NASCAR aligned the bumpers. This proved to be the best design feature of the COT. The rear of the COT as well holds a rear wing replacing the long used spoiler on the Cup car. Though NASCAR argued that this aerodynamic device was suited to the Sprint Cup COT, planning for the anticipated Nationwide COT vehicle intends to carryover the spoiler in a slight twist.

When building the COT car, one of the objectives was to reduce the cost of racing in the NASCAR Sprint Cup series. By standardizing measurements once left up to the teams to spend countless time and resources to enhance to specific tracks, NASCAR wanted to minimize the number of cars a team had to build to be competitive throughout the full Sprint Cup schedule. In the early stages of the COT in racing, Sprint Cup teams were seemingly able to exploit this advantage with cars raced at the Martinsville short track would also appear at the road course of Infineon Raceway. As could be expected, even the well-funded teams complained about the initial investment into building cars to all-new specifications. However, what those teams would rarely convey is that many major teams would be building new cars regardless to rule changes. In this aspect, NASCAR's Sprint Cup COT provided little to no savings as the superteam's stables grew equally as robust with cars as before 2008.

In opinion, is NASCAR truly happy with the performance of the Sprint Cup COT? NASCAR may be listening to the car owners about expenses to comply to new rules, but if the show improves, the investment may pay back as COT teething problems are now eliminated within teams and as concerns in the media.

Rain washes out Sprint Cup race at Waltkins Glen. Where are the rain tires?

Photo provided by Ford Media


For the second week in a row, the Sunday feature race for NASCAR will be running on the first day of the work week. The Heluva Good! at the Glen road course race at Watkins Glen for the NASCAR Sprint Cup series will start Monday at noon. With Watkins Glen being a road course, the delay for the race is highlighted by the fact that NASCAR had rain tires available for several previous years. As we would learn watching the ESPN broadcast of the Nationwide race on Saturday, Goodyear did bring rain tires but only for the Nationwide series cars. In the television booth, NASCAR's president Mike Helton took a few minutes to explain that it was "a business decision" not to use Goodyear rain tires during the NASCAR Sprint Cup series race activities. He did not elaborate specifically but it left me wondering what resulted in that business decision.

One of the more plausible thoughts relates to Goodyear's logistical abilities to provide an sufficient tires for the longer Cup series race. However, road course race strategy would justify that only one more set of rain tires per car would be needed (if even that many). The Sprint Cup cars run only 8 scheduled laps more than the Nationwide series variants. However, with the Nationwide series race run under dry conditions, the question is whether those Nationwide tires could be been converted to run on the Sprint Cup cars. For the steel wheels themselves, wheel size and stud patterns are identical. For many race tracks, in attempt to save time and money needed developing proper rubber compounds for NASCAR, Goodyear would frequently arrive with the same race tire for Nationwide and Sprint Cup series for race weekend at a single track. This was even allowed to continue with the Sprint Cup's fundamentally different Car of Tomorrow (COT) for multiple oval races. Therefore, it should be feasible to fit rain tires to the Sprint Cup series machines. Goodyear spokesperson has commented on the Nascar.com that the company is confident that the current package would work if NASCAR would elect to employ them in the top series.

The Montreal race at Circuit de Gilles Villeneuve was one of the most exciting Nationwide events in 2008. On that day, NASCAR was initially hesitant to drop the green flag but found that those fears were largely without basis. Of course there were a few cars that lost traction but that is common even during dry weather road races. In fact, many of the NASCAR oval track regulars were surprised at the minimal learning curve needed to run these heavy Nationwide stock cars in the rain. While the rain was halted past the halfway point when the rain turned to a monsoon, cars raced skillfully through a steady downpour for more than an hour. Canadian Ron Fellows won a thrilling home soil victory that year in his GoDaddy.com Chevrolet as fellow Canadian and open wheel transplant Patrick Carpentier came home second. A big race for Canada in NASCAR, it was also a significant event for road course specialists (so-called Road course ringers) as they snatched four of the five top finishing positions. While this point may be resulting in a very thin conspiracy theory, might NASCAR and regular championship contending teams fear rain tires could allow important Sprint Cup series races to fall in the hands of road course ringers? It should be noted that NASCAR regulars such as Juan Pablo Monytona and Marcus Ambrose (who came close to winning the rain-soaked Montreal race) came from road racing backgrounds, favoured for victory as much as dry weather. Also, the one conclusion that could be drawn from the splendid Nationwide race at Montreal last year was that race car drivers throughout NASCAR are capable to almost instantly adapting to the unique wet weather race. Camping World Truck series driver Ron Hornaday as well as young oval track ace Carl Edwards placed fourth and sixth on the final running order.

As a third thought, perhaps the Sprint Cup's COT car isn't prepared for racing in the rain. The older style Sprint Cup cars were fitted with wet weather racing equipment (treaded tires, windshield wiper, rear signal light, and defogger system) since Suzuka, Japan exhibition of 1996. The closest this package came to racing in the NASCAR Cup series came in 1997 when the non-points race on the Suzuka road course ran almost completely in the rain. With exception to one practice session held at Watkins Glen ages ago, Cup cars never ran a competitive lap in wet weather on North American soil. This historical lack of demand for rain tires and the costly addition of rain equipment has likely contributed to its exclusion for 2009 COT vehicles.

Back to the 2009 running of the Heluva Good! at the Glen, the weather forecast for Watkins Glen, New York hints strongly at the same rain and thunderstorms which postponed Sunday's planned running. With this likely not to be the only fan voice to urge the usage of rain tires for the Sprint Cup road course races, we shouldn't be surprised if NASCAR, ever desperate to remain on the fan's side, might provide some requirements to the Sprint Cup COT cars for 2010.