NASCAR’s Cup Series cars are going to look a little different for the YellaWood 500 at Talladega Superspeedway on Oct. 25.
The rules are being updated to build on the changes made to the superspeedway package for the Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona, which reduced drag and power to give the cars a better shot at pulling out of the pack to make moves,
One of the Daytona changes was reducing the size of the rear spoiler from seven inches to four inches, and the consensus was that it was a step in the right direction. So, NASCAR is chopping another half-inch off it for the Talladega race.
The hopes are that with more chances to pass, the cars will spend less time in the pack trying to save fuel to shorten their pit stops and gain positions on pit road. The race will also feature the new stage lengths instituted at the spring Talladega race, which are 98 laps, 45 laps and 45 laps. The long first stage requires one green flag pit stop and comes with enough fuel to run the entire way without fuel saving, while stages 2 and 3 can be completed without a stop.
“It seemed like it was a win at Daytona,” Jamie McMurray said on NASCAR Inside the Race. “All the drivers thought they could build a bigger run at Daytona than they had in the past. I applaud NASCAR for taking a little bit more off, taking that next step. The other thing to consider is that Talladega is about eight feet wider than Daytona, so this gives you a little more options if you can generate a run to be able to make a pass. So my anticipation is fairly high for seeing how this works out.”
Teams may still opt to try to save fuel and short stop, but the rules open the door wider for cars to press harder and force the pack to keep up.
