Dale Earnhardt Jr. is unsure how big an effect the change back from the wing would have on NASCAR Sprint Cup Series racing. (Photo: LAT Photographic)

Dale Earnhardt Jr. was asked what he thought the effect of the removal of the rear wings would be on competition.

“I don’t really know. I think it’s more important that it seems to be what the fans want,” Earnhardt said Saturday in Nashville. “The fans want to get rid of the wing, get the old spoiler back. I don’t really know what that will do to the racing. I don’t think it will change it a whole lot myself. I don’t know what that wing’s really doing back there, what the spoiler would be like on this car. We’ve never really tested it so…It could punch a little smaller hole in the air than the wing does and give us a little opportunity to get a little more grip on the front end, but it might do the opposite. You never know.”

Driver Elliott Sadler said, “I would be happy to see that (replacing the wing with a spoiler) as a driver. It will give us more vision, especially on restrictor plate tracks and things like that. So I think it will help as far as the racing is concerned. As far as the look of the car, I think it will bring some identity back to the manufacturers, identity back to NASCAR racing. It looks more like a NASCAR if it has a spoiler on it. So when I heard the news that might be happening, I was very happy about that.”

Reaction to removing yellow lines at Daytona was mixed.

“I’m comfortable if they take the yellow line rule away,” driver/owner Tony Stewart said. “We understood why they brought it into the series. The sport has evolved obviously since they put that rule in effect. I think the drivers would be comfortable with it. We all know what it feels like when you get in the grass with tires with no grooves in them. It’s not very fun. It’s always been a self-policing deal. Even with the yellow line deal, we would occasionally get in the grass.

One driver uncomfortable with removal of the yellow line is Clint Bowyer.

“It’s a mistake,” Bowyer said. “The yellow line…at the end of the straightaway, there’s 10 foot of runoff over there between the yellow line and the grass, say. You get down there and you don’t get back up before the bank starts again, you’re just gonna launch up there. You’ll turn right, wipe everybody out.

“At least the yellow line keeps everybody on the bank as you get into the transition of the corner. I think it’s important. It’s a good rule.”

Poston said that NASCAR hopes to make an announcement on changes during the annual media tour in Charlotte later this month.

Jim Pedleyis a veteran, award-winning sports journalist who has worked at, among other places, the Boston Globe, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram and the Kansas City Star. Pedley spent more than 10 years covering auto racing for the Kansas City Star. Pedley can be reached at jpedley@racintoday.com

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