Saturday, Aug. 13, 2011
Dodge Motorsports PR Watkins Glen International
Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips At The Glen
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
KEYS FOR SUCCESS: Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips at The Glen
WATKINS GLEN (Saturday, Aug. 13, 2011) – Each race weekend, selected Dodge Motorsports engineers, Penske Racing engineers and crew chiefs, drivers or engine specialists give their insight on the ‘Keys for Success’ for the upcoming race. This week, Howard Comstock, Dodge Motorsports Engineering – provides the keys for Sunday afternoon’s Sprint Cup race.
Track: Watkins Glen International (Race 22 of 36 in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series)
Race: Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips at The Glen (90 laps / 220.5 miles)
Trivia Question: (Answer Below) Kurt Busch has two career NASCAR Nationwide Series wins. At what two tracks did he claim those victories?
HOWARD COMSTOCK (Dodge Motorsports Engineering)
Fuel Economy: “You can’t ignore fuel economy. This race has been won the last five years with a specific pit strategy where fuel economy plays a large part. Teams will run the race backwards – figure out how many laps from the end that they can stop for fuel and make it to the end and continue to subtract a tank of fuel to determine when they need to make their first pit stop. You’ve got two full fuel runs and one partial fuel run. Many of the teams will stop when they get to the lap during the first segment where they think that they can make it to the checkered flag on two full fuel loads. On a road course, you’re better off stopping under green than stopping under caution. The cautions may fall to help teams, but when you’re planning, you have to plan for fuel economy. The tires are so good this year that the tires will last through a full (fuel) load. And even if they fall off as the cars are burning fuel, teams won’t come for tires. It’s going to be all about fuel. Teams are running record laps at Watkins Glen this year. If they’re running record laps, how much fuel are they burning and how does that affect their fuel economy. It will be interesting to watch.”
Durability: “People tend to forget about durability. This is a fast track with lots of RPMs. Lots of upshifts, lots of downshifts. Hard braking. There’s potential for transmission, rear axle and brake troubles. We’ve got good systems on these race cars now, but you have to remember that being able to use strategy is based upon a driver being able to run the entire 220 miles. You have to watch the components while remembering fuel economy.”
Trivia Question Answer: Texas Motor Speedway (2006) and Watkins Glen (2006)
