Daytona and Talladega built their reputations on fearless drafting, dramatic passes, and race leaders changing by the lap. Those moments helped define modern NASCAR and produced some of the sport’s most memorable finishes. But since the arrival of the Next Gen car, superspeedway racing has increasingly become a fuel-mileage game. Drivers spend most of the race saving fuel instead of fighting for position. That is exactly the problem NASCAR is now trying to solve. And Dale Earnhardt Jr. believes it’s worth the gamble.
Watch What’s Trending Now!
NASCAR trying something different
“But, I applaud NASCAR. I’m a big fan of them taking this risk. It is a risk. It could, you know, produce nothing. I don’t want to say we might not have an exciting race. I’m just saying, you know, we have to have some grace here. Applaud NASCAR for what they’re doing. Be excited about what might happen, what could happen.”
That was Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s response when NASCAR revealed a new superspeedway package for the Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway on August 29. The changes are significant, even if they appear simple on paper.
NASCAR will reduce the rear spoiler from seven inches to four inches. Thus, it will match the spoiler used at intermediate tracks. Horsepower will also drop from 510 to 465 to balance the lower downforce. Officials expect single cars to run about three mph faster. On the other hand, cars in the draft should continue to run at similar speeds.
NASCAR hopes lower drag will help drivers pass on the track. Right now, teams rely almost entirely on pit strategy to gain track position. Teams realize that spending less time fueling the car on pit road is more valuable than racing at full speed. Since every team employs this strategy, drivers ride at partial throttle for long stretches. Anyone who refuses to save fuel puts themselves at a massive disadvantage.
That being said, Dale Jr acknowledged that this strategy probably won’t disappear overnight. Fuel mileage plays a significant role in every superspeedway race, as it still takes longer to refuel than to change tires. Nevertheless, he thinks NASCAR should be commended for looking for ways to make the product better rather than just settling for the present racing style.
This Daytona package is part of a larger push by NASCAR. Earlier in the season, officials changed the stage lengths at Talladega to discourage fuel-saving. NASCAR now expects that, instead of waiting for pit stops, drivers will have more leeway to move boldly through the field thanks to the Daytona modifications.
Nobody knows exactly how the new package will perform until the green flag drops at Daytona. But it definitely is a step in the right direction.