NASCAR Sprint-Cup Series
  • Peg It on GarageMonkey
CUP: Multicar Car Drafts Reappear At Daytona Test
Drafts of roughly 10 and 20 cars bore resemblance to the days of old in Friday’s afternoon session at DIS…
Jared Turner  |  Posted January 13, 2012   Daytona Beach, FL
Drivers race together in a tight pack during Friday's evening round of testing at Daytona International Speedway. (Photo: Getty Images)
The big pack is back.

Well, it at least made a temporary appearance.

Virtually unseen over the last two years at Daytona International Speedway and Talladega, multicar drafts returned to DIS on Friday afternoon as Sprint Cup Series drivers toured the 2.5-mile facility in two separate packs of roughly 10 and 20 cars.

The larger group came together in the opening moments of the four-hour session and spent about 15 laps bunched together while bearing a noticeable resemblance to former days when big packs were the norm at NASCAR’s two restrictor plate tracks.

Later, in the final half hour, a group of about 10 drivers raced together in a tight group for several minutes. The break from the two-car tandem-style drafting that has ruled Daytona in recent times was a welcome one for most drivers, and undoubtedly for fans, who have widely voiced their disdain for the two-by-two style of racing.

The majority of Friday afternoon’s session was dominated by tandem drafting, however, as drivers paired up in twos to record the fastest times.

Fastest of all was Kurt Busch, who topped out at a blazing 206.058 miles per hour thanks to a strong tow from drafting partner Regan Smith (206.053). Busch and Smith were the only drivers to cross the 206 mph barrier but the top 10 drivers all eclipsed Martin Truex Jr.’s previous top speed of 204.722 set in the Friday morning session.

Positions three through 10 on the speed chart belonged to Kyle Busch, Jeff Gordon, Kasey Kahne, Paul Menard, Kevin Harvick, Denny Hamlin, Truex and Bowyer.

It remains to be seen if NASCAR’s continued efforts to lessen the prevalence of tandem drafting will have a major impact on next month’s Daytona 500.

Carl Edwards, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Kyle Busch, addressing the matter during a break from the afternoon session, were among several prominent drivers who remain skeptical. Each predicted that while rules modifications might cut down on tandem drafting in NASCAR’s biggest race, they won’t eliminate the practice altogether.

And each agreed that the Daytona 500 will be won by a driver hooked together with another driver in a two-car draft.

“Let’s look at this realistically,” Edwards said. “Two cars, unless there is some major change in physics or car design, are going to be faster – unless you make it such that you have to slow down for the corner or you limit the RPM. I personally would prefer for them to make the cars drive in a way that you have to lift a little for the corner in that two-car draft. It would separate the cars and keep guys from running off.

“I don’t know how you are going to take this race, with this restrictor plate, and keep it from being the winner wins by being in a two-car draft. It is very difficult. I don’t envy NASCAR’s position but I think they are doing the right thing going through all these motions and trying to figure this out.”

NASCAR vice president of competition Robin Pemberton is pleased with how the switch to electronic fuel injection is going. (Photo: Getty Images)
After introducing a new pre-testing rules package that included a bigger restrictor plate, smaller rear spoiler and greatly reduced cooling capabilities, the sanctioning body announced after Friday’s on-track activities that it is reducing the size of the restrictor plates – this time by 1/32nd of an inch to 29/32nds of an inch, the same specification as before a rule modification late Thursday. Additional tweaks will close the bottom of the cars’ radiator grille opening and reduce radiator pressure by approximately four pounds.

"We're not done yet,” NASCAR vice president of competition Robin Pemberton said. “We'll continue to work on aero packages and plate sizes from now until (the start of Speedweeks).”

Sprint Cup Series director John Darby said the reasons for the restrictor plate change aren’t Friday’s unusually high speeds but the high RPMs, which jeopardize engine life.

Darby said a target race speed is 200 mph and that work is under way to narrow the gap between the cars’ speeds in groups versus two-car drafts.

"We'll still be over 200 mph,” Darby said. “We'd like to stay as close to that mark as we can."

Jared Turner is an Associate Editor for SPEED.com, covering NASCAR and Formula One, and is an Editor for TruckSeries.com. His professional motorsports writing career began in 2005.

DAYTONA PRESEASON THUNDER TESTING: During the Jan. 12-14 test sessions at Daytona International Speedway, fans can submit questions and comments through Twitter @SPEED (http://www.twitter.com/speed) using the #daytonatesting hashtag.
jared.turner's avatar

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jared Turner

MORE BY THIS AUTHOR
Advertising | Jobs | Feedback | FAQ | Terms of Use | NEW Privacy Policy | Ad Choices | Site Map
Fox Sports | FUEL TV | FX Network | National Geographic | IGN | AskMen
The Motor Sports Authority, SPEED and associated logos are registered trademarks of Speed Channel Inc.
All Rights Reserved © Speed Channel, Inc. 2013

All external links will open in a new browser window. SPEED.com does not endorse external sites.