-
Home
- TV Shows
- TV Schedule
- NASCAR
-
Formula 1
- Auto Racing
- Moto Racing
- Cars
- Bikes
- Store
- Social
- Games
- Mobile
- Deals
- Videos
- Photos
- Home
- TV Shows
-
TV Schedule
-
SPEED Showcase
-
- NASCAR
- Formula 1
- Auto Racing
- Moto Racing
- Cars
- Bikes
- Store
- Social
- Mobile
- Deals
- Videos
- Photos
Sprint Cup
CUP: NASCAR Approves New Nose For Dodge, Ford
Ford and Dodge will sport new noses for 2011...
NASCAR Has approved a new nose for Dodge in 2011. (Photo: LAT Photographic)
NASCAR has approved new noses for Ford and Dodge for 2011, in addition to the new front splitter that will go on all Sprint Cup Series cars.
Chevrolet and Toyota noses had been approved with no changes for next season, a NASCAR spokesman said.
The new front splitter will be a molded piece into the lower part of the front bumper, with no need for splitter braces to attach the splitter to the front bumper, much like the Nationwide car.
One of the reasons Dodge made the change is because its street version of the Dodge Charger has a new look. The new nose could change the drag and downforce of the car.
“I’ve seen positive remarks and I’ve seen others that it’s a step back,” Penske Racing driver Kurt Busch said. “Just with the shape of it in general and how it looks, I’m excited about that. It looks more like what our cars need to look like.
“We still are not to where the Nationwide cars are. Those cars look great. … This new nose, we’ll see how it shakes out.”
Most of the changes are cosmetic.
“You look at what we’ve been running, there’s a little bit probably to be gained in fender shape, but I don’t think it’s really that much,” Greg Erwin, crew chief for Greg Biffle, said about the new Ford nose.
“Primarily, we’re looking to upgrade a couple of things in character lines that we’ve got. With the new [common] lower half of the nose that it’s going to be tied to next year, it’s really going to be kind of a guess as to what everyone is going to have. We’ve not been able to be on the race track with the combination of anything yet.”
Much like Busch, the Ford drivers said they were unsure of the impact of the change.
“We hope to get even with the other cars is what we’re hoping to do,” Biffle said. “We sort of match the other manufacturers with what our changes are going to be. … We keep our identity that we’re a Ford Fusion, but we’re going to match up the aero advantages the other cars have.
“It might make a little bit of a difference, but it’s such a minor change, you probably won’t see it performance-wise. Where it will help the most is probably mile-and-a-halfs, and we’re already really good on the [those]. We need help on the short tracks, which the front nosepiece really isn’t going to make much difference there.”
When changes are made, teams work with the manufacturers with Roush Fenway as the primary Ford team and Penske as the primary Dodge team.
“We worked closely with Penske Racing to develop the Dodge brand identity while maintaining neutral aerodynamics within the NASCAR rules,” said Dodge Motorsports senior engineering manager Dave Bailey. “Coupled with NASCAR’s new common lower nose for 2011, the revised front end carries the image and character of the Charger.”
Chevrolet and Toyota made no changes. NASCAR is expected to change the front end of the cars sometime in the next two or three years.
“We didn’t have a model change, we didn’t have any reason to change,” Chevrolet NASCAR program manager Pat Suhy said. “Basically, we feel like we have the best aero package available, even still with the two new noses [of other manufacturers].”
SceneDaily.com • Whitney Motorsports to appeal suspensions for illegal weight
Chevrolet and Toyota noses had been approved with no changes for next season, a NASCAR spokesman said.
The new front splitter will be a molded piece into the lower part of the front bumper, with no need for splitter braces to attach the splitter to the front bumper, much like the Nationwide car.
One of the reasons Dodge made the change is because its street version of the Dodge Charger has a new look. The new nose could change the drag and downforce of the car.
“I’ve seen positive remarks and I’ve seen others that it’s a step back,” Penske Racing driver Kurt Busch said. “Just with the shape of it in general and how it looks, I’m excited about that. It looks more like what our cars need to look like.
“We still are not to where the Nationwide cars are. Those cars look great. … This new nose, we’ll see how it shakes out.”
Most of the changes are cosmetic.
“You look at what we’ve been running, there’s a little bit probably to be gained in fender shape, but I don’t think it’s really that much,” Greg Erwin, crew chief for Greg Biffle, said about the new Ford nose.
“Primarily, we’re looking to upgrade a couple of things in character lines that we’ve got. With the new [common] lower half of the nose that it’s going to be tied to next year, it’s really going to be kind of a guess as to what everyone is going to have. We’ve not been able to be on the race track with the combination of anything yet.”
Much like Busch, the Ford drivers said they were unsure of the impact of the change.
“We hope to get even with the other cars is what we’re hoping to do,” Biffle said. “We sort of match the other manufacturers with what our changes are going to be. … We keep our identity that we’re a Ford Fusion, but we’re going to match up the aero advantages the other cars have.
“It might make a little bit of a difference, but it’s such a minor change, you probably won’t see it performance-wise. Where it will help the most is probably mile-and-a-halfs, and we’re already really good on the [those]. We need help on the short tracks, which the front nosepiece really isn’t going to make much difference there.”
When changes are made, teams work with the manufacturers with Roush Fenway as the primary Ford team and Penske as the primary Dodge team.
“We worked closely with Penske Racing to develop the Dodge brand identity while maintaining neutral aerodynamics within the NASCAR rules,” said Dodge Motorsports senior engineering manager Dave Bailey. “Coupled with NASCAR’s new common lower nose for 2011, the revised front end carries the image and character of the Charger.”
Chevrolet and Toyota made no changes. NASCAR is expected to change the front end of the cars sometime in the next two or three years.
“We didn’t have a model change, we didn’t have any reason to change,” Chevrolet NASCAR program manager Pat Suhy said. “Basically, we feel like we have the best aero package available, even still with the two new noses [of other manufacturers].”
SceneDaily.com • Whitney Motorsports to appeal suspensions for illegal weight
Shake and Bake: Recent Posts
-
Feud of the Week: Joe Gibbs Racing vs. the Sprint All-Star Race »
-
Race Day Blog: Sights and Sounds From the Sprint All-Star Race »
-
Daryl Wright Breaks It Down With Pit Road Rapper Kenyatta Houston »
-
Daryl ' Vodkatime ' Wright Takes To Charlotte Motor Speedway »
-
Brad Keselowski's All-Star Car Features Awkward Kyle Busch Photo »
-
Kyle Busch Kicks Off All-Star Weekend With Trucks Win »
-
Dale Earnhardt Sr., Father of the All-Star Paint Scheme »
-
Charlotte Television Schedule: Sprint All-Star Weekend »
Kansas Speedway
LATEST HEADLINES: NASCAR
-
CUP: All-Star Power Rankings
Jimmie Johnson moves back to the top of the FOXSports.com/SPEED.com… -
CUP: Johnson Destroys Another Format
For a record fourth time, Jimmie Johnson rolls home first in Sprint… -
CUP: Busches Falter In Final Shootout
Kyle, Kurt Busch lose top spots on pit road prior to 10-lap finale…… -
CUP: Johnson Sets Record With All-Star Win
Jimmie Johnson is now the only four-time winner of the Sprint All-Star… -
CUP: Saturday Charlotte Notebook (UPDATE 14)
Jimmie Johnson wins the the All-Star Race... -
CUP: McMurray, Stenhouse Advance To All-Star
Jamie McMurray dominates Showdown to move into All-Star field with… -
EXCLUSIVE: Kahne Says He And Kyle Busch Are Cool
Kasey Kahne spun out racing Kyle Busch for the lead at Darlington… - More News
