Cars of Tomorrow
Two of the 14 drivers who participated in the Car of Tomorrow test at Michigan International Speedway on Monday said there were few surprises. One said he expects the new cars will eventually draft better than the current cars.
Jeff Gordon and Kurt Busch were among the 14 drivers involved in the test session. Drivers from the new Toytota teams, testing the new Camrys that enter the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series next year, were also involved in the session.
Michael Waltrip, Dave Blaney and Bill Elliott tested their new Toyotas for their respective teams.
Two of the significant changes to the design of the Car of Tomorrow are the rear spoiler, which has been replaced by a wing, and the front of the car has an air dam, or a splitter, that catches air.
“It doesn’t drive bad,� said Gordon, who was at the test representing Hendrick Motorsports. “This is my first time with the car and I think this is the first time it’s been on a track this big, as far as an unrestricted track. By itself, the car drives pretty good.�
Busch, a driver from Penske Racing South, said he didn't notice much difference between the new cars and the current Cup cars in competition.
“It’s fairly comparable to what we have now,� Busch said. “It’s not anything like a night-and-day difference. It’s real close. It’s just a matter, again, of working with the front end to try to get that splitter real close to the ground.�
Gordon said he was impressed by the new car's potential in draft situations.
“You’re going to get in behind another car and you’re going to push, and it’s going to draft good,� he added. “The thing should suck up really good down the straightaways, but we’ll see. My car is a little bit too tight right now because it’s the first time for us. We’re being a little bit conservative and creeping up a little bit, but we probably need a little more time. We’re going to make some adjustments and hopefully, we got it where it needs to be.�
Teams from Hendrick Motorsports (Jeff Gordon), Michael Waltrip Racing (Michael Waltrip), Roush Racing (Carl Edwards and Matt Kenseth), Penske Racing (Kurt Busch and Ryan Newman), Haas Racing (Jeff Green), Bill Davis Racing (Dave Blaney), Evernham Motorsports (Scott Riggs), Joe Gibbs Racing (Denny Hamlin and J.J. Yeley), Chip Ganassi (David Stremme), Team Red Bull (Bill Elliott) and MB2 Motorsports (Joe Nemechek) participated in Monday’s test.
The next test for the Car of Tomorrow will be in the fall at Talladega Motorspeedway in Alabama. The new car will begin entering competition at the March race in 2007 at Bristol Motor Speedway and will race in 16 events. In 2008, the new car will be in 26 races and it is expected to be in competition full time by 2009.
About Haddock
in the Paddock
Tim Haddock covers motorsports — including stock-car and open-wheel racing — for the Los Angeles Daily News.
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