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.

Cup Series Reunited with the Rear Spoiler

Rusty Jarrett/Getty Images for NASCAR

Through the past two weeks of coverage for the NASCAR Sprint Cup series, it's interesting how much attention a slightly-contoured 64.5 x 3.5 inch piece of sheetmetal can receive within the NASCAR press. The Goody's Fast Pain Relief 500 at Martinsville Speedway will be the first competition since 2007 where a spoiler will adorn the rear deck lid of NASCAR Sprint Cup cars.

The rear spoiler will of course replace the carbon-fiber rear wing as an aerodynamic enhancer to the tricky handling COT design Sprint Cup car. Under belief that the rear spoiler will restore some more needed downforce to the NASCAR vehicle, the spoiler blade will also be set at a fixed 70 degree angle to eliminate the adjustability option that the rear wing presented race teams. Regardless of the aerodynamic performance potential, the vanquishing of the notorious rear wing will immediately be greeted as a welcoming site on appearance alone.

Through a high-profile, two-day open test for Sprint Cup series teams at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Jeff Burton driving his #31 Richard Childress Racing (RCR) Chevrolet set the fastest lap. Clocked at 28.539 seconds with an average speed of 189.215 miles per hour, Burton's speed was more than 7/10ths of a mile of hour faster than Ryan Newman's pole lap for the 2009 Coca-Cola 600. Second fastest car in the Charlotte spoiler test was fellow RCR teammate Kevin Harvick at a comparably more leisurely speed of 187.885 MPH. Judging by the gaps between the top times recorded in the test, it seems reasonably to accept that the change from a wing to the rear spoiler will have little affect to speeds around the 1.5 mile oval.

While competing on the smallest and slowest track on the NASCAR Sprint cup schedule, this weekend's race on the Martinsville Speedway will be a test as maximum downforce will be sought in hustling around concrete paved corners.

While the the return of the rear spoiler is clearly a back to basics move for the NASCAR series, some future changes for the premier stock car racing tour will again challenge traditions. NASCAR has indicated through earlier reports this week that testing of fuel-injection is progressing well. Penciling in the replacement of the cornerstone carburetor setup Sprint Cup in 2011, a fuel-injected NASCAR engine may also run a gasoline blended with ethanol.