Final Nationwide COT wind tunnel test

Wind-tunnel testing on NASCAR’s car of tomorrow for the Nationwide Series is heading into its final stages, as two manufacturers have been certified aerodynamically, series director Joe Balash said Friday at Gateway International Raceway.

The Dodge and Ford versions of the COT have met NASCAR’s wind-tunnel targets, while the Chevrolet and Toyota still have work to do.

“We’re taking Chevrolet and Toyota back to the wind tunnel," Balash said. “We still have a little more tweaking to do to hit the target numbers that we have out there."

Balash said NASCAR still hopes to introduce the new car in late 2009, but that could change, depending on what team owners in the series want. Many owners have indicated they would like the car to be rolled out in 2010.

“That’s still a fluid date right now," Balash said. “Nothing’s changed between what we’ve talked about before, with August – no earlier than that and no later than the Daytona date.

“We are moving forward with talking with teams and the manufacturers." More at Captain Thunder Racing