Changes coming to COT

NASCAR’s “Car of Tomorrow" is still not finished, according to multiple sources in the NASCAR Nextel Cup garage. Within the next two weeks, General Motors will be wind-tunnel testing a new version of the COT, with different sides and new tail section. Some manufacturers had complained that the radical design does not look enough like existing production cars, which may be responsible for the change. Sources said the COT’S chassis specs will not be changed, just the body. But that likely will mean substantial additional testing is needed prior to the design being finalized. The ongoing development work on the car means that NASCAR will push back its submission date for the car, sources told SPEEDTV.com. Typically, the final design date for any new car is July 1, so teams ordinarily would have to submit their 2007 Nextel Cup cars by July 1, 2006. But since the COT is not completed, the sign-off date will be at some point beyond July 1, sources said. And that is a double-edged sword: It gives teams more time to work on the car, but it also pushes back when they can begin the cars, since the specs are not final. Speed Channel