2010 Racing Thoughts

So NASCAR has given the top two series a shot in the backside this season with changes to the cars and rules.

We all know that the Nationwide Series has a new car coming, with muscle car body styles, a more manufacturer friendly front end, and a traditional rear spoiler, changes are also being made to the Cup car.

The "COT" Cup car is dropping it's trademark rear wing in favour of an old style flat blade spoiler. This along with a much more relaxed view towards contact driving, especially at Daytona and Talladega, is intending to liven up the competition this year.

I have a question... why was the COT introduced with the, then new, wing in the first place?

When developed the COT was tested with a flat spoiler as well as the wing. So why did NASCAR decide on the modern wing with its interchangeable end plates? Was it just for a modern look, or was there an aerodynamic reason?

Now I am not bothered by the look of the wing, so I am equally not fussed by changing the cars to a more traditional look, as long as it improves the racing and is not just done for aesthetic purposes.

To me the racing since the COT was introduced has been getting better each year as the teams have learned more about the cars, the drivers have learned to drive them, and Goodyear learned to make tires for them. While the drivers have already said that the spoiler may change the balance of the cars, curiously giving the cars more front end bite, (which is what I believe the drivers are after) what will this change do to the cars in traffic?

I do not pretend to understand all the aerodynamics involved in NASCAR, the real cause and effect of the rear wing and the side draft, or the differences on the cars with the different end plates, but I hope NASCAR does its research before dropping the wing.

If the sole reason the cars have been lifting off the ground as much as they have recently is the wing then I guess it has to go, but only if this is the real reason for the lifting off the ground, not a PR lead action, and only if there are no other options.

I just don't want to see the change take place only for the racing to be worse, as I think if the racing is good fans will overlook the aesthetics of the cars. If the racing is worse then fans will not notice the better looking cars.

As for the newly relaxed bump drafting regs and the introduction of the largest ever restrictor plates, I can but say one thing... bring it on!! The large plate and the current aero package should hopefully produce the best Daytona 500 for some time!! Relaxed bump drafting rules mean it should be pretty dramatic. I for one can't wait!!

In other news I see that the powers that be in F1 have chosen to ban the double rear diffusers from 2011. What a surprise - they should not have been made legal in the first place. I do understand that they were never strictly speaking "illegal" in the first place; the FIA should have banned them last year when they had the chance. It was obvious then that the diffusers were giving the cars more downforce, and were affecting the cars ability to race close together, which was surely the point of the new regs at the start of last year. So now we have the prospect of a year with F1 cars that produce more downforce than they did in 2008 before the downforce cut last year. Hopefully the new teams, new driver line-ups, and a certain German will spice the racing up this year.

I also see that the new Ginetta Junior car, the Ginetta G40 was unveiled at Autosport International. I have already lamented the loss of the H-pattern 'box, I do think the cars look good and am looking forward to the youngsters banging wheels later this year.