IN the beginning, it was only the car and a driver; but over the years NASCAR competition officials have made a number of changes to the cars in the name of parity.
In recent years, handing and driving skills have returned to the cars in the name of competition.
On January 14, NASCAR announced some changes to the cars for short tracks and road courses for the NASCAR Cup series.
Officials have announced a package to reduce the downforce in the Cup cars that is intended to enhance the competition between drivers on the short tracks and road courses.
The cars will feature a smaller spoiler and splitter; along with other aerodynamic devices to return car handling to the drivers.
NASCAR Senior Vice President of Innovation and Racing Development John Probst spoke on the rules changes saying, “our first and foremost core goal is to deliver great racing, and I think that we constantly evaluate the things that we do on the race track, however and wherever we need to, to improve that situation for them. And as part of our normal ongoing critique of ourselves and how we’re doing, we just felt like this was a good opportunity for us to improve the on-track product at the short tracks and road courses.”
The changes include:
a smaller spoiler – from eight inches in height to only 2.75 inches
the overhang on the front spoiler goes form two inches to only to a quarter of an inch with wings that go from 10.5 inches to just two inches
the vertical fencing on the radiator pan has been eliminated, the size of the radiator pan remains the same
Bristol Motor Speedway, Dover International Speedway, Martinsville Speedway, New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Phoenix Raceway, Richmond Raceway, the Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval, Sonoma Raceway, and Watkins Glen International will all see the new downforce changes in the 2020 racing season.
The changes were based on the 2017 aero package.