Video: Steve O’Donnell post All-Star Race press conference

Steve O'Donnell

Steve O'Donnell, NASCAR Executive Vice President and Chief Racing Development Officer, talks about how much better the car raced at Charlotte this year versus last year that had almost no passing.

NASCAR "made a radical change" to the All-Star race at Charlotte Motor Speedway this year with an aerodynamic package that "included a controversial horsepower-sapping restrictor plate, and it slowed the cars into a tighter pack that allowed for increased passing."

The package last night "did make for better racing." NASCAR was "cautiously optimistic after the race and hesitant to make too quick of a judgment despite the positive feelings after the experiment."

NASCAR VP & Chief Racing Development Officer Steve O'Donnell said, "From an eye-test, we were certainly pleased with what we saw." Drivers "had mixed feelings on the package." SMI President & CEO Marcus Smith "loved the result." Smith said, "It was the best racing we've seen at a mile-and-a-half track in years." AP