Nascar: Bristol and the Car of Tomorrow - Motorcycle-Journal Forums

**intimid8er** · 03-23-2007, 10:55 AM

It'd be real easy to sit down, and hammer out another "Nascar by the Numbers" thread. You know the one where I usually break down the top ten. This week. It all gets thrown out the window. Sure...the cream rises to the top. The alpha dogs will lead the pack. Throw in your favorite metaphor here.

However, this week. Your favorite driver is not the star. No driver is the star this week, at the tours' arguably most entertaining track. And no, for once the track is not the story as has been recently. For once, in a long time, say it isn't so. The very object the whole series is predicated on. Enjoys its time in the sun for once.

That's right. If you're a casual fan, or hide under a rock, and have no idea what I'm talking about. This weekend's debut of the "Car of Tomorrow" is going to be closely watched by every media outlet in the free world. What is so special about this "Car of Tomorrow"? Well the CoT was conceived several years ago within the ranks of NASCAR itself. The thinking here was driver safety first, shackling rising owner costs, and a more entertaining product on the track.

The CoT is taller and wider than it's predecessor. Therefore, it punches a greater hole in the air, is less aero dependent, and mocks the profiles of the Craftsmen Trucks. I've heard and read these claims, and I frankly don't see that. I've stood next to and climbed halfway in one of these cars, and I can't see the "trucklike" profile. But I did see the more upright A-pillar, higher roofline, and wider body. Another claim is that drivers seat is moved more to the center, again, I didn't notice much more difference, maybe millimeters. But Michael Waltrip, who approximates my size, claims there's more room, and the seat is close to the middle. I guess I'll have to believe him, but then again, here's a man who claims no knowledge of how an illegal substance got into his intake plenum in Daytona. So take that as you will.

I digress. Moving the seat is a good move, it gets the driver away from the doorsill, and presumably out of danger in an impact or rollover. Reinforced door cages are also another innovation designed with the occupant's safety in mind. Kudos to the sanctioning body for taking it into their hands.

One way the CoT is designed to reduce costs is it supposed fits a narrowly defined set of templates. NASCAR has reduced the "box" or gray area of body shaping. They've come up with a new template system that kind of resembles a mechanical claw that is lowered over the car, and it's either a go or no go situation.

Previously, you had only a few templates like the one above...a roofline template. There was plenty of room for "shading" the rule book. Cars were starting to be twisted into weird odd shapes under the templates, as long as the car fit the roofline, it was good to go. Plus cars were being purpose built for Intermediate Tracks, Speedways, SuperSpeedways, Short Tracks, and Road Courses. With purpose built cars, the costs skyrocket. In the long term, that is not good for keeping sponsors in the sport. Which is starting to become an issue. With the claw though, the "box" is a tightly defined area which should eliminate the twisting and contorting going on. Also, in theory, it should eliminate the need for fleets purpose built specialty cars.

In theory, a car could finish the race at Bristol, and finish this leg of the tour. I.E. Load up after Bristol, head to Martinsville, from there go to Texas, Phoenix, and Talladega. A wide diversity of tracks all with one car. Providing it hasn't been beat all to hell. However, we all know the big teams will have fleets of cars ready to go. But the conventional wisdom is that a little independent guy has the same chance as say a Roush or Hendrick squad.

All that being said. Who's gonna win? I don't know...you're guess is as good as mine. The cream will rise to the top. A lot of pundits are saying the RCR organization will do well this weekend. I've heard Jeff Burton downplay how well they did at testing a few weeks back and their times from then represent a team struggling there.

I think Gibbs' teams will do well, and possibly a big surprise from the Petty organization. The Petty's have put a lot of time and effort into the CoT, and it may pay off, because nobody has a notebook on the CoT. It is a perfect opportunity for somebody to make a statement.