Aero package, Yellow lines & Blocking

[Roselady3]

http://espn.go.com/rpm/wc/2002/0218/1335844.html
Helton concerned about blocking
Associated Press

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- One reason Ward Burton is the newest Daytona 500
winner is he chose to be patient and refused to play the blocking game now
commonplace on Winston Cup racing's biggest tracks.

"You've got somebody coming up behind you 5 mph faster, you can't block them,"
Burton said Monday, a day after the biggest victory of his career. "It looked to me
that every wreck that I was around or saw was about blocking."

Sunday's race was marred by
two big wrecks -- one involving
18 cars and the other six -- as
well as some blatant strategy by
leaders snaking up and down the
2½-mile, high-banked oval to
discourage a challenge from
behind.

The prerace focus was on
NASCAR's latest aerodynamics
rules and how they would affect
the drivers.

Two years ago, with similar rules in place, NASCAR's biggest event was just
plain boring, with almost no passing and only a handful of caution flags. A
change last year made racing at Daytona and Talladega, NASCAR's longest and
fastest ovals, more appealing to fans but had drivers complaining about
dangerous racing.

The sanctioning organization reacted this winter by going back to rules almost
like in 2000, though Dodge and Ford teams complained about a disadvantage until
NASCAR gave them shorter rear spoilers in the days leading up to Sunday's
race.

Mike Helton, president of NASCAR, said Monday he was mostly pleased with
the way the rules worked in the season opener.

"I think the aero package accomplished what we were looking to do," Helton
said. "I think the drivers were comfortable on the racetrack and at the same time
were still able to pass each other, to pull back up and get back in the fracas
when they wanted to, and I think that's what we were looking for.

"Whether or not we've got the right balance on spoilers and all that, we'll have to
take a look at it before we get to Talladega," he added, referring to the next
restrictor plate race on April 21. "Talladega is a good deal different, according to
what we're learning, then Daytona might be. We may have to look at dimensions
of spoilers and those types of things, but the overall aero package we're pretty
happy with."

Helton admitted, though, that there are concerns about the role that blocking is
starting to play in the sport's biggest events.

"The activity on the track, the accidents that were caused by things that drivers
did, were unfortunate," Helton said. "That may be another aspect of
superspeedway racing that we have to deal with."

He wouldn't get more specific about what NASCAR might do, but Helton did
point out that the organization made a change to the rule barring drivers racing
below the yellow line at the lower edge of the Daytona oval.

Since it was installed several years ago, drivers going below that line were
penalized even if they had been forced there another car. On Sunday, the drivers
were told in a prerace meeting that anyone forcing them below the line would be
hit with a penalty and that the driver pushed down the track would not be
penalized if they did not improve their position. There were no yellow line
penalties Sunday.

"We're pretty happy with the yellow line, so I don't think we'll change that,"
Helton said. "It appears we may have to address blocking all around the
racetrack, not just below the yellow line.

"If it gets to the point where it's counterproductive to the racing or if its
detrimental to the racing, then we'll have to react. But it's always been there.
Blocking is as old as Daytona International Speedway. We'll have to talk about it
and take a look."

Burton said something may need to be done by NASCAR, but the drivers could
also do a better job of policing themselves.

"Blocking a little momentum is one thing, but blocking a train full of momentum is
another because it puts you in a position where you are completely at the mercy
of the guy behind you," he said. "Is he going to back off?

"We chose yesterday to drive our race. We got passed a lot. Our car didn't really
come on until after about 30 laps, but we did try to keep our nose clean."

[KC]

I heard an interview with Mike Waltrip yesterday and he commented on the revised aero packages NASCAR gave to some. He said that ever team had worked the butts off all off seaosn to prepare for this season, for Daytona, and then NASCAR went and changes the rules. He said that if his car was not fast enough then the team chose the wrong car. He urged NASCAR to quit making last minute alterations to the rules to "level" the playing field. If a team can build an advantage, then the deserve to exploit it, not have all their hard work taken away becasue another group can complain instead of work to be better.

I feel I must agree. The constant changes to the rules package could all be worked out well ahead of the season.

[Roselady3]

Well I too disagree with all the last minute changes that were done the week of the race. But I can say one thing....
NASCAR made the ones who were complaining change & didn't penilize the NON-complainers by making them change their cars.
I was surprised that NASCAR gave the Fords another 1/4 inch break BEFORE they took them to the wind tunnel. Then an additional 1/4 inch AFTER the results came back.

[Lars]

Originally posted by KC
I heard an interview with Mike Waltrip yesterday and he commented on the revised aero packages NASCAR gave to some. He said that ever team had worked the butts off all off seaosn to prepare for this season, for Daytona, and then NASCAR went and changes the rules. He said that if his car was not fast enough then the team chose the wrong car. He urged NASCAR to quit making last minute alterations to the rules to "level" the playing field. If a team can build an advantage, then the deserve to exploit it, not have all their hard work taken away becasue another group can complain instead of work to be better.

Of course, Mikie would be the 1st one complaining if it was his car at a disadvantage because of aero rules...and this would include if he was still driving a Ford (#7) or a Pontiac (#30).

[Lars]

But I agree, it did get a little carried away, but it also made for a better race and more Chevys would have been in the top 10 if they didn't crash. The only thing that was wrong with the 500 was competive passes for the lead...wasn't that many and it didn't matter which make it was.

[Joe Fan]

Originally posted by KC
I heard an interview with Mike Waltrip yesterday and he commented on the revised aero packages NASCAR gave to some. He said that ever team had worked the butts off all off seaosn to prepare for this season, for Daytona, and then NASCAR went and changes the rules. He said that if his car was not fast enough then the team chose the wrong car. He urged NASCAR to quit making last minute alterations to the rules to "level" the playing field. If a team can build an advantage, then the deserve to exploit it, not have all their hard work taken away becasue another group can complain instead of work to be better.

I feel I must agree. The constant changes to the rules package could all be worked out well ahead of the season.

Well I guess Mikey has convenient memory. The new Monte Carlo was a dog when it first came out because it lacked enough front end downforce. But thanks to the helping hand of NASCAR, they quickly fixed their aero problems by allowing them a concession on their front air dam instead of letting live with "the wrong car." See article about their dog car and its concession: http://detnews.com/2000/motorsports/.../C08-12968.htm

Here is a good quote from the article:

Jack Roush, a Livonia-based owner who races Ford Tauruses in the Winston Cup, was hardly enthusiastic about the change. He called it a "gift" from NASCAR.

"The GM folks, from what I could see, went for more rear downforce and, of course, the more rear downforce you have -- that tends to make a bit less front (downforce)," said Roush, referring to the Monte Carlo redesign. "That was a different bias than Pontiac has had or what the Ford came out with, and it looks like it's wrong. Now, NASCAR has given them instant relief on that by giving them this consideration. So (NASCAR) just said, OK, you guys screwed up. Here's some. This will fix you.'"

[KC]

I think this could all be taken car of befor ethe seaosn starts. Ford, Chevy and Dodge should be working ont heir newest designs for next year right now. Then these could be submitted to NASCAR for approval. NASCAR could use a veteran man like Dave Marcis to test every car, run them at the tracks, run them in the draft, test the hell out of them in wind tunnels, etc. Then if your car is slow its your fault.

[Joe Fan]

Originally posted by KC
I think this could all be taken car of before the seaosn starts.

Technically it was as far as the points season. I agree that NASACR should have this ironed out before Daytona 500 qualifying but NASCAR has never been good at equalizing makes. Part of the problem is that there has to be two sets of aero rules for the plates and non-plate tracks if NASCAR wants both makes to have a shot at winning the Daytona 500 and the championship. A car that is naturally good at Daytona and Talladega (ie low drag, not too much downforce) is usually not good at tracks where you have to shuffle gently through the corners (ie where you need downforce) due to low banking.

[Ax Slinger]

Wouldn't it be interesting if stock cars had to actually be "stock"? It's been a long time since there was anything stock in a NASCAR.