Multiple rule changes, restrictor plates, pushing….pushing….pushing, overheating, two-car tandems and bump drafting equals nothing but failure at Daytona.
[media-credit name=”CIA Stock Photo” align=”alignright” width=”300″]
[/media-credit]This years Daytona Shootout and the Gatorade Duels are everything except the excitement expected from the “Great American Race”. NASCAR’s new attempts and new changes have failed miserably. The changes only prove to be a different look and style of racing, but still lack in any excitement.
Heading into speedweeks, the two-car tandems appeared to be a new exciting style of racing. But that was quickly dissolved after a few laps in Saturday nights shootout and you quickly realized that yes this is a different look, but it’s still horrible racing and the new rules did nothing but “smoke and mirrors” to the real problem, the restrictor plates along with unsatisfactory rule changes.
With speeds exceeding 205 mph, on Wednesday, NASCAR made yet another change by trimming the restrictor plate openings by one-64th of an inch, reducing engine output by about 10 horsepower in attempt to lower the speeds for safer conditions. The change reduced speeds by approximately 5-6 mph but did nothing to provide adequate racing that fans come from all around the world to see. 1–2–3 strikes………..your out!
On Saturday night we also witnessed another huge issue at Daytona, the yellow line rule. The rule that was implemented for safer racing, but only yet again handicaps racing and either results in a horrible finish or very unsafe conditions (if a driver gets spun out because they do not want to go below the line).
So what’s the answer?….. I have no idea except this is not it!
Even if you do away with the restrictor plate and go to rev-limiter/gears two or more cars drafting will still go faster than one. They have taken the personal engineering out of it and everyone is in almost the exact same car with the exact same set-up and the exact same power so no one can do their home work and be that much better than the rest so they can just run through the field and drive away. They wanted parity and that’s what they have and so they could be headed toward parity in the stands also in as much as fans vs. empty seats.
I think the answer is to remove the restrictor plates & use the rev limitors to control speed. NASCAR already mandates rear gear. I’m not a mechanic or engineer, however, my logic would have be believe if the rear gear is mandated and the rev limitor is mandated you can limit speeds. 9300 RPM x rear gear = max speed. This way there is no power sapping restrictor plate, and a single car will be able to run as fast as a two car hookup and we’ll go back to having the driver and his machine control the finish. One driver working the draft, making his way from 20th to 1st in just a couple of laps. Wouldn’t that be AWESOME!
Also, NASCAR doesn’t need to change the yellow line rule, just need to be consistent. Denny had already passed Newman before proceeding below the yellow line. Therefore he did not go below the yellow line to improve his position. Therefore Denny Hamlin should have won the shootout. If they call the rule as it is written, then there is no issue with the rule.