CUP: Good Idea To Clip The Wings Say Drivers

Sprint Cup

CUP: Good Idea To Clip The Wings Say Drivers

It appears that the change back to a spoiler is being considered because fans – and some drivers – don’t like the wing...

Rick Minter | http://www.RacinToday.com | Posted January 16, 2010 Charlotte, NC

NASCAR informed race teams that a test would be held at Charlotte Motor Speedway to test a rear spoiler in place of the current wing, but there has been no indication when it might debut in a race. (Photo: LAT Photographic)

With NASCAR having informed race teams that a test would be held at Charlotte Motor Speedway on March 23 and 24 to test a rear spoiler in place of the current wing, drivers at a Daytona International Speedway media event on Friday weighed in on the possible effects of the change.

There’s no indication that dimensions for the spoiler have been determined or when it might debut in a race.

It appears that the change is being considered because fans – and some drivers – don’t like the wing, but Ryan Newman, a driver who is also schooled as an engineer, said it’s no sure thing that the spoiler will make for better racing, even though he prefers it from a standpoint of how it looks on the car.

Newman pointed out that in the Camping World Truck Series, which uses the spoiler, there’s a problem when two vehicles run through a turn side-by-side. He said the aerodynamic forces make it difficult for the driver on the inside to keep from losing rear traction and spinning out. That hasn’t been the case in Cup, he said.

“I think that the wing made our side-by-side racing better,” he said. “But I think with our problems that we’ve seen at the fast race tracks, and fortunately we haven’t seen it outside the race tracks at the restrictor plate tracks, when a car gets spun around, it’s typically going to go for a ride,” he said.

Newman pointed out that the wing creates downforce going forward but lift when a car has been spun around, and that tends to negate the effect of the roof flaps that are designed to keep spinning cars on four wheels.

“I don’t know how much testing was done when the wing was put in place in respect to all these things, but I think in the end NASCAR is doing a lot of work and doing a lot of great things to do what’s best, and I think having a test like that is great,” he said. “I’ve been a very big advocate of no testing, but I think this is a good thing for the sport, and I think (Charlotte) is a great race track to test at in respect to what we can learn with a spoiler versus a wing for all racetracks.

“Obviously the faster you go, the more it has an effect from an aerodynamic standpoint. A spoiler at Martinsville is going to mean a lot less versus a wing than going to Atlanta or Texas.”

Jeff Gordon was asked what effect the spoilers will have on racing and drivability of the cars.

“I guess people have different theories,” Gordon said. “The first things that I’ve heard from our engineers is that a rear spoiler should add total downforce to the car, which might change the balance and give it a little more front to it, which I think would be a great thing. But everybody has different theories.

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Rick Minter

RacinToday.com

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