Consider the totally unanticipated way that the COT straigtens back out when knocked sideways. No one predicted that one.
Consider the way a COT can slap the wall and keep on running.
Consider the way two cars can move together on the plate tracks. A driver still needs help to win, but its no longer a game of "guess which line is going to work".
Consider the fact that a tiny wrinkle in the fender no longer spells doom.
There are a couple of positives with durability being number one. But the fact remains that this car has aero issues. Hundreds of thousands of engineering hours have gone into trying to make this car turn in the center and become less aero tight. Nothing has worked. They could work on this for 100 years and it wouldn't improve. The laws of physics aren't going to change.
All that NASCAR needs to do is allow for the teams to build some downforce into the noses of the car and allow for more front travel. It is absolutely insane that they aren't doing this. They are ruining the very sport that they are trying to improve. I suspect that it has more to do with ego at this point than anything else.
If these downforce track races continue to suck, NASCAR is going to take a major hit in summer attendance numbers. With high gas prices and a weak economy looming large the last thing NASCAR needs is for fans to start losing interest because the racing is so boring.
The freight train is really rolling now. If the 600 turns into a stinker, the press is going to have a field day. Especially with races coming up at Pocono and Michigan.
This car has a lot of positives, but the fact remains that the drivers complain about not being able to pass, and that is very evident after watching the All Star event. Those guys are going all out to win, yet all they seem to be able to do is pass a few cars. The last segment with some cars staying out, some getting 2 tires and others getting 4, just verified what so many drivers have been talking about. When in the past does a car with 25 lap tires run away from good handling cars with 4 fresh tires? I was surprised Jr. with 4 fresh tires couldn't run good enough to gain more than 2-3 positions. I know there were other good handling cars that had fresher rubber who were in the same position. Hats off to Kasey and crew, but 25 lap tires no way should he have been able to stay up front. Personally for a non-points no holds barred race for a million bucks, this IMO was too tame for all the hype. Not that I want to see crashes, but some good racing for the lead would've been nice. Nascar really needs to get a handle on the follow the leader racing thats' going on now, like another poster said, with $4.00+ gas, lots of fans aren't gonna want to spend all that cash to watch a 3 hour parade lap.
The freight train is really rolling now. If the 600 turns into a stinker, the press is going to have a field day. Especially with races coming up at Pocono and Michigan.
Pocono's one of my favorite tracks, so i hope we see a good race lol
The freight train is really rolling now. If the 600 turns into a stinker, the press is going to have a field day. Especially with races coming up at Pocono and Michigan.
Man,if you think the all-star race was bad,pocono might be worst...the teams need
to have the car working in three different turns,if you don't have the car to do that you
will be off big time.IMO,the flat tracks will be the biggest problem like INDY and Pocono.
I think those of you who think the teams have not had enough time with this car might be 20 or so years behind the rest of us.
The teams have had this car for more than one year and have been developing/testing like crazy. Like I said months ago, with the resources available to the teams, all possible options with this car in its current trim will have been exhausted by the 600.
Nascar did indeed say the COT was supposed to lower the costs to teams. It's absurd that Nascar provides the shocks and springs for each race, and the team's engineers can't make any adjustments. If Nascar's goal was to make Cup racing look just like IROC, they've succeeded. Does anybody else think that front splitter just looks stupid?
Nascar did indeed say the COT was supposed to lower the costs to teams. It's absurd that Nascar provides the shocks and springs for each race, and the team's engineers can't make any adjustments. If Nascar's goal was to make Cup racing look just like IROC, they've succeeded. Does anybody else think that front splitter just looks stupid?
I don't really mind it too much. Once the green flag drops I don't really notice the splitter or wing.
But sitting still, the cars are horrendously ugly. They are so ugly and un-racecar looking that it almost seems like NASCAR is pulling a joke just to see how stupid we are.
Nascar did indeed say the COT was supposed to lower the costs to teams. It's absurd that Nascar provides the shocks and springs for each race, and the team's engineers can't make any adjustments. If Nascar's goal was to make Cup racing look just like IROC, they've succeeded. Does anybody else think that front splitter just looks stupid?
Nascar only supplies shocks and springs at the plate tracks. And only for the rear end.
Consider the totally unanticipated way that the COT straigtens back out when knocked sideways. No one predicted that one.
Consider the way a COT can slap the wall and keep on running.
Consider the way two cars can move together on the plate tracks. A driver still needs help to win, but its no longer a game of "guess which line is going to work".
Consider the fact that a tiny wrinkle in the fender no longer spells doom.
I don't consider those positives. I don't think the fact that you can abuse your car and not suffer any consequences makes for better racing. Darlington has been revered for years as the track too tough to tame because you had to take care of your car and race the track. If things are left status quo - Darlington becomes just like half the other tracks on the schedule.
The fact that there is an interesting phenomena with two cars at plate tracks is not nearly enough to compensate for all the other bad aspects of this car and the "racing" it produces.
IMO, people who expected the COT to be 100% perfect in all respects from day one has never actually attempted to take something complex from idea to real-world application. One designs, one creates prototypes for testing, one corrects the design, one creates more prototypes for more testing, one corrects the design, one creates the first generation for distribution, on collects real-world application information and, in due time after sorting out the significant from the insignificant, one creates the next generation.
No one was expecting it to be 100% perfect. What I was expecting was a willingness to "correct the design" as you say, once the "real world application information" came in. The information is in. It's way past time to correct the design.
I wonder why they haven't tried/approved a change to the left/right weight bias? Seems to me a simple +5% left side weight shift would be a big help. It would also be very inexpensive to implement. jmo, naturally.
