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Monday, August 27 NASCAR experiments with aerodynamics Assoicated Press TALLADEGA, Ala. -- Twenty drivers took part in a NASCAR-sponsored test session at Talladega Superspeedway on Monday in an effort to find a way to make racing at the big track safer and less stressful for the drivers. "We've just come to help NASCAR and see what we can do," driver Sterling Marlin said. "We'll get through the day and see what we come up with." NASCAR officials put the drivers through their paces with sessions of 20 and 15 laps, allowing them to try several difficult aerodynamic-restrictor plate combinations in race-like situations. Plates with holes of three different sizes were used in combination with or without the rooftop flap added to the cars last year and with rear spoilers set at several angles. "We couldn't have learned the things we did in a single-car test or in the wind tunnel or dyno-type tests," explained Winston Cup director Gary Nelson. "We needed a pack of cars to help us obtain all that we did. "The idea was to make the current aero-package more efficient and to do so, we changed the plate size, rear spoiler angle and removed the air deflector on the roof. Our next step is to take the information gathered and analyze all of it. That will obviously assist us in our decision process." Talladega and Daytona International Speedway are the only tracks at which the horsepower-sapping plates are used on a regular basis to slow the cars in the interest of driver and spectator safety. Drivers have been complaining in recent years that the plates had taken away throttle response from the cars and left the drivers without the ability to get out of dangerous situations. NASCAR responded last year with aerodynamic rules changes that gave the cars more response but also made it easier to pass and made virtually the entire race field more even. Close, spectacular racing -- with two- and three-wide packs -- has made at least one huge, multicar crash just about inevitable at each plate race. "We started in the morning with a 60-degree spoiler and a 29/32 (inch) restrictor plate," said team owner Ray Evernham, who fields cars for Bill Elliott and Casey Atwood. "Then we moved to a 7/8-inch plate and no roof spoiler. Or maybe it was the other way around. "Anyway, we tried those combinations and looked at how they affected the cars on the track. Speeds were in the 190 miles per hour range in the packs." Nelson said, "Now keep in mind, the speeds at Daytona and Talladega, more so Talladega, have been satisfactory. We wanted to maintain that pace but with a lower drag combination. With the number of teams here testing, we received an unprecedented amount of input from the drivers. We were able to zero in on what the driver was feeling after a run." After each session, NASCAR officials, team members and drivers gathered to discuss how each combination worked. "We've run good here in the past," Marlin said. "We'd just like to get it to where we can get out from under everybody." After the first session, Marlin said, "So far I like it better than it was. Now we have to be precise with our passing. It's not as easy to pass as it was, but you have that control." All four automakers competing in the Winston Cup series -- Chevrolet, Ford, Pontiac and Dodge -- took part in the test. Other drivers participating in the tests included Dave Marcis, driving for Richard Childress Racing, Rusty Wallace, Kyle Petty, John Andretti, Joe Nemechek, April Talladega winner Bobby Hamilton, Jimmy Spencer, Todd Bodine, Elliott Sadler, Ward Burton, Michael Waltrip, Ricky Rudd, Jerry Nadeau, Kevin Lepage, Johnny Benson, Ken Schrader and, coming off a victory Saturday night in Bristol, Tenn., Tony Stewart. The only remaining restrictor plate race on the 2001 schedule is the EA Sports 500 on Oct. 21, at Talladega.  Send this story to a friend | Most sent stories
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