NASCAR is bracing to shut down history from repeating itself, with Bubba Pollard facing scrutiny over a potential penalty. During practice, Pollard’s No. 26 Super Late Model and Pro Late Model revealed a striking resemblance to Kevin Harvick’s infamous setup—a caved-in rear windshield. With the Snowball Derby set for Sunday, drivers are sharpening their skills while NASCAR tightens its regulations.

Why the concern? It’s believed the curved windshield could offer an aerodynamic edge, echoing the strategy once employed by the legendary Rodney Childers and Kevin Harvick team. NASCAR’s vigilance ensures such tactics won’t go unnoticed. While none of his 18 attempts at the Tom Dawson Award in the past has proven to be eventful, not fixing the shield would lead to a direct DNF. 

Pollard drew references from Harvick and Childers for the wrong reasons

The practice session cameras captured an unusual image wherein it could be seen that the No. 26 driven by Bubba Pollard had showcased a caved-in rear windshield. While this might seem to be a minute detail, the tilt itself could provide an aerodynamic advantage to the driver. How? It is believed that this tilt can pull in more air which in turn allows the driver to get in higher speed push. The tilt could be highly effective in creating a downforce that could amp up the speed of the car more. While Pollard ended up finishing the practice session in the 10th position, it is not known if the titled rear window shield has contributed to this position. 

Matt Weavers posted the same via his official handle stating how this tilt had attracted his vision. The post read, “Bubba Pollard had this happening to his car during practice and then again in qualifying. I had several inquiries about it. Inspector Freddie Query says he saw it, doesn’t believe it provided an advantage but doesn’t like the optics. Pollard was told told to fix it. ‘If I see it on Sunday, I’ve told him he’s getting black flagged.'”

Weavers revealed that Pollard was also asked to correct the front windshield on Wednesday. Those who have followed Kevin Harvick and his run over the years would know that Harvich has also been caught in the past following a similar move. 

Back in 2018 right at the Las Vegas Speedway, Harvick had accounted for one of the most celebrated victories. He had led a total of 214 laps out of 267 laps. However, fans started to notice that there was a dip in his rear window, much like the one that Pollard has been spotted with now. The top-right corner of the windshield seemed slightly curved inward, potentially increasing downforce on the right-rear section of the spoiler.

At a track like Las Vegas, this added downforce could translate to higher cornering speeds. Thus, following the victory, an inception at NASCAR Research & Development Center, determined violations in the rear windshield. Harvick was penalized 20 regular-season points and crew chief, Rodney Childers was fined $50,000. The latter later expressed his belief that it was a brace that had broken on the rear windshield mount at a time when two-thirds of the race had been completed. 

The parallels between Pollard’s and Harvick’s situations highlight the ongoing scrutiny surrounding aerodynamic modifications in NASCAR. While Harvick’s team attributed the dip in his rear windshield to a mechanical failure, the lack of concrete evidence to prove any advantage left questions unanswered. Similarly, Pollard’s caved-in windshield, though possibly unintentional, raised suspicions about its potential impact on performance. To eliminate any ambiguity and ensure fair competition, Pollard has been instructed to address and correct the windshield issue. 

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Pollard Motorsports all set to sport a second car for the Snowball Derby

Bubba Pollard is all set to mark his 19th attempt for the Snowball Derby, however this time it might be getting a tad bit more complex as a car owner. The testing had been on loop for the past two days and it is now official. Pollard Motorsports will be fielding for a second car and this one will be for NASCAR Xfinity Series racer Sammy Smith. Smith was also a second runner-up for the Snowball Derby in 2022 which has further ignited hopes for the team. The collaboration was made possible through the involvement of Smith’s Jr Motorsports crew chief and Pollard’s cousin, Philip Bell.

Reacting to the same, Pollard said, “We took Sammy testing Sunday and we took a lot of what he has done and applied it to my car. I knew the racetrack would tend tight with the rubber being left down the last couple days.  We did all the adjustments the same as we did to his car and it worked.  It’s good when you can take that information, it speeds that process up”. Pollard has also reportedly brought forth two new cars which will be sported by both him and Smith.

Sammy Smith is set to make his return to Five Flags Speedway, determined to make an impact after falling short of qualifying last year. With victories at the prestigious Winchester 400 and Redbud 400 under his belt, Smith brings a legacy of success to the track. This year, the Snowball Derby marks his highly anticipated first Super Late Model start, promising an exciting comeback for the accomplished driver.