NASCAR has updated its rules package for the upcoming Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway in an effort to improve the racing, which has been plague by slow fuel saving runs during recent events at the track.
The goal is to reduce drag to make the Cup Series less dependent on the draft, so the cars will switch from the 7-inch spoiler previously used to the 4-inch spoiler that’s used at intermediate tracks.
NASCAR is also implementing a power reduction from 510 hp to 465 hp to keep the cars from going to fast, but expects the pack speed to stay the same while cars outside fo the draft will gain 3 mph over the old setup.
“When I watch superspeedway racing currently, it seems like the leader is basically at terminal velocity,” NASCAR analsyst Steve Letarte explained to NASCAR.com. “It’s very easy to get a run on the leader and very hard to do anything with it. You pull out of line, you hit this wall of air, and for that reason, they’re just kind of stuck two-wide around the bottom. When superspeedway racing is most entertaining for me, it takes more work to generate an advantage or a run. But when you do generate that run, you are paid off in a dividend of overtaking. And really, I think it’s as simple as that.”
With on track passes so difficult, teams have focused on saving fuel so they can make up positions on pit lane with shorter stops, which turns the race into a processional. NASCAR attempted to address the issue at the Talladega spring race by changing the length of the stages, but the result wasn’t ideal.
“What we’re essentially trying to recreate is Atlanta at Daytona and Talladega,” said Denny Hamlin, who has been advocating for the change. “It happens organically at Atlanta, the space between the cars, because the cars themselves are grip-limited, and the fuel-mileage (racing) really doesn’t happen because you have to be on offense constantly. If you watch the pack, there is no saving. Guys are dicing it up the entire race. So this is what we’re aspiring to get to at some point. And it’s going to take chunks here and there. This is our first bite of the apple at this, so what I believe is that from the numbers that I’ve seen, it’s going to be roughly a 33% gain in the right direction.”
NASCAR went in the opposite direction for the short track and road course package this year by increasing the power from 670 hp to 750 hp, which had a positive effect on the racing.
The Coke Zero Sugar 400 is the last race before the cutoff for The Chase postseason and is scheduled for Saturday, Aug. 29 at 7:30 p.m. ET.
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