Aero package for restrictor-plate races being evaluated

NASCAR hasn't ruled out the possibility of making aerodynamic changes to the Sprint Cup cars for Daytona that could require a test at the track prior to Speedweeks in February, NASCAR President Mike Helton said Monday. Helton talked about changes to the Cup car during a luncheon prior to the NNS/NCWTS Awards Banquet tonight. One piece of the Cup car that could get changed is the aero package for Daytona and Talladega. Cars went airborne in each of the Talladega races this year. NASCAR has wind-tunnel tests scheduled in a couple of weeks for the Cup car focused on restrictor-plate tracks. "We're specifically looking at the chemistry of the roof flaps because we have the ability through the camera angles and data collection to learn more about the incidents [at Talladega], particularly the 39 [of Ryan Newman] at Talladega this past October. We can learn more," Helton said. "We will do things over the off-season and if it is a major change for Daytona, we may have to do something [test] there to take a look at it. We'll have to wait and see what we find out from the wind tunnel and a complete evaluation." As far as any rule changes for the car for races not at Daytona and Talladega, Helton said only to anticipate subtle changes. "I don't see anything glaring that has to be fixed, and there is not an overwhelming consensus of anything major [to change]," Helton said. "I still won't sit here and tell you there won't be something. & We always put out a rule book and then we put out a lot of [technical] bulletins along the way."

"I couldn't sit here and tell you today that the wing is there forever on the Cup side," Helton said. "I couldn't tell you that the [front] splitter as we know it on the Cup car will exist forever. I can tell you we are going to learn a lot with the Nationwide car that has a different configuration to it aerodynamically and we'll learn from that and we'll see what happens." Helton said since the first introduction of the Cup car in 2007 there have been at least 25 subtle changes in the rules. More at SceneDaily