Lower downforce package could return at Michigan

The low, low downforce package was met with mixed reviews at Kentucky Speedway on Saturday – but could we see it again before the Chase for the Sprint Cup begins? NASCAR will meet with team representatives on Wednesday to review the latest experience with the proposed 2017 configuration for the Cup Series to determine what, if any, changes need to be made and if the sport needs to take another run with the car prior to next season.

While NASCAR has said repeatedly there will be no changes to the current 2016 rules package for the Chase, the possibility of running the lower downforce package at Michigan Speedway next month is not completely off the table.

[NASCAR senior vice president of competition Scott Miller] believes the lower downforce package actually enhanced the racing on Saturday. He believes the additional grip provided by a higher-downforce package could have been a recipe for disaster.

"The low, low downforce package, if that's what we're calling it now, helped at this race on the repave," Miller said. "I think the corner speeds would have been extremely high, and with the higher downforce stepping out of the groove might have even had more consequences than we had (Saturday night)." Motorsport