NASCAR's plan to phase in the Car of Tomorrow beings in 2007. Credit: Rusty Jarrett/Getty Images

NASCAR legends like Car of Tomorrow
Former drivers say CoT will put drivers back in control of car
By Ryan Smithson, NASCAR.COM
March 19, 2006
06:43 PM EST (23:43 GMT)



The nose of the CoT is dramatically different. Credit: Dave Rodman/NASCAR.COMHAMPTON, Ga. -- The men who dominated NASCAR in its heyday bemoan the lack of passing generated by bullet-shaped cars, and they think the Car of Tomorrow is a step in the right direction.

NASCAR announced that the Car of Tomorrow will begin competition in 2007. Teams will use the new racecar for 16 events next season, beginning with the spring race at Bristol.

NASCAR made a giant step toward a hoped-for "universal car" for use in the Cup Series when Brett Bodine tested the latest Car of Tomorrow prototype at Daytona on Jan. 12.

The Car of Tomorrow looks very much like the machines they drove in the 1970s and '80s, and they said the move will provide an instant tonic to the dreaded aero push seen in today's NASCAR.

With the Car of Tomorrow, NASCAR is attempting to blend old-school racing with the competition levels seen with today's well-funded teams.

"The car of the future will be fine if they make a set of rules and stick to them," said Donnie Allison, who scored eight of his 10 wins in the 1970s. "Give it back to the teams and get back to racing."

Twenty years ago, NASCAR's top division wasn't stacked with 40 fully sponsored teams, and technological deficiencies often crippled the few teams that did have plenty of money.

Today's well-funded teams can win on any given Sunday, and technological advances have decreased mechanical woes dramatically. Drivers often mash the gas and turn left without repercussions, a luxury not available 30 years ago.

With today's team parity and mechanical technology, NASCAR has turned its eye toward improving competition, and some say the Car of Tomorrow will combine the best attributes of both eras.

"[It has] gotten so aerodynamic that you can't draft," said Benny Parsons, who competed full time from 1970 to 1988. "You can't slingshot by like they did 25 years ago. NASCAR realizes they have a problem. We believe that these cars can race side-by-side, lap after lap. The Car of Tomorrow is the way to go."

The Car of Tomorrow will be boxier and slower than the current model, which was introduced in 1981. The current cars are extremely sensitive to aerodynamics, often turning the race into a battle of perfection vs. track position.

"I just feel strongly that opening up a wider space of air will help the competition, help the drivers be able to pass better than they are able to now," said Ned Jarrett, who won two titles in 1961 and 1965.

"They can't race anymore. We used to change our line and make a difference," said 19-time winner Buddy Baker, who stopped driving full time in 1985. "If a driver is in a little bit of trouble or has an aero push, they are out of business."

Baker, 65, still periodically tests cars. He tested Rusty Wallace's Busch car over the offseason and has been a frequent consultant to Penske Racing.

"[With the Car of Tomorrow], the driver is going to be back in the seat instead of wondering about what he is going to do that night as far as PR is concerned," Baker said.

One of the major drawbacks to the Car of Tomorrow is obviously the cost of the cars, which must be built from the ground up by the race teams. None of the current chassis can be used.

Unlike the major car change of 1981, NASCAR is phasing in the new car over a three-year period, starting with short tracks. The car will debut at Bristol in spring 2007, but car owner Richard Petty wishes NASCAR would just go ahead and make the car mandatory for the 2007 Daytona 500.

"[Owners] build new cars all the same and it don't make no difference if they got square cars coming, cars that they got today because they still got a year or two," Petty said. "So it's a dumb way of doing things. They should cut it straight. It is going to be cheaper."

 

That style of racing is what made NASCAR what it is today. I'm glad to see it possibly coming back. Seeing that Black and Red Monte Carlo in the picture brings back some memories!![sm=gears.gif]