With the introduction of the Next Gen car, NASCAR no longer employs restrictor plates for the super sppedway tracks of Daytona and Talladega.
However, NASCAR strives to keep the drivers and crews as safe as possible. With that in mind, NASCAR is introducing some new aerodynamic changes to the Cup Series cars prior to the race at Talladega this weekend.
The roof rail height will be extended, the rocker panel skirt and the fabric under the right-side roof flap will also be extended.
The intention is to keep the cars on the ground and not getting airborne. Keeping the cars on the ground is a constant concern at the superspeedway tracks since the speeds the drivers run is equal to the takeoff speeds in some airplanes. Essentially, if wings were attached to the cars, they could take flight.
The polycarbonate right-side roof rail will now be a two inch fin with two bevels that will allow air to deflect off of the flat surface and pass through to aid in activating the roof flaps if needed.
The addition of the extended fabric under the roof flap will aid to serve as a form of parachute to help slow down the car and keep it grounded.
The extension to the rocker box is a piece of aluminum painted black to help eliminate some of the space between the car and the racing surface to help keep the car anchored to the ground.