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DILLNER: Back To Daytona
Written by: Bob Dillner   
11/04/2009
Charlotte, NC
 
From the hornet’s nest at Talladega straight to the CIA-like security at Daytona …
Bob Dillner is a reporter for NASCAR Victory Lane, NASCAR Live! and The SPEED Report on SPEED. (Photo: SPEED) ยป More Photos

I’m in Daytona for the Goodyear tire test that’s open to all NASCAR Sprint Cup Series teams but so private from an information standpoint that it’s almost under lock-and-key for the media.

In the February and July races at Daytona International Speedway, Goodyear experienced issues with tires not lasting an entire fuel run, which can pose potential problems with tire wear and cut tires. Therefore, Goodyear invited not the typical four or five teams but every Cup team down here to experiment with different tire compounds in preparation for next year’s Daytona 500.

And instead of sending cars out one at a time, they are giving each team a different tire compound, whose makeup teams aren’t aware of, and sending them out in a pack to draft and give the Goodyear tire engineers a more realistic picture of how the tires will behave under race conditions. While everyone was invited, only about 16 or 17 teams are participating, which still is sufficient enough to simulate race conditions and allow drivers to relay usable feedback to Goodyear.

A.J. Allmendinger told me this morning that his car was “dancing” around the track after 10 or 15 laps on the tires because he had absolutely no grip while running in the pack. Daytona is a rough and bumpy track while Talladega is much smoother. Despite the way the schedule fell, this test has nothing whatsoever to do with the accidents we witnessed Sunday at Talladega.

Another thing teams are trying out, albeit in a much more secretive manner, is NASCAR’s new shock combination. NASCAR hands out rear shock and springs at restrictor-plate races as teams pull through technical inspection. But those shocks may change for next year’s race. It’s my understanding that the springs will remain the same but the NASCAR-mandated rear shocks might differ. I originally heard this was an R&D project because teams tried out the new shock combinations during the Talladega test a few weeks ago, but they now are repeating this exercise in Daytona.

But Matt Kenseth told me he is under the impression that this is the shock teams will run next season and that instead of working with it under the banner of R&D, they are running it in an effort to begin the fine-tuning process. This new rear shock has a little more rebound
in it, allowing the car to rise up in the air more, creating more stability and control in the draft when bump-drafting occurs.

Kenseth said he didn’t notice a significant difference in the feel of these shocks, while David Ragan told me he really felt the car “stand up more,” have more grip and ride a lot smoother in the throttle and across the bumps on the track. There is a big discrepancy in driver reaction to these new shocks depending on who you talk to.

But we’re only allowed to interview these guys so much and at certain times. The strange part of this Daytona test is the secrecy which NASCAR and Goodyear are conducting it. Most of my interviews were staged outside the main tunnel after snagging drivers and crew chiefs on their way into the track. The media are not permitted inside except for a few minutes each day. It’s like trying to get into the Pentagon or other highly-guarded government building. Goodyear isn’t releasing information on the various tire compounds, either, but I am sure we will know more about the tires once the tire manufacturer gets a better handle on what does and doesn’t work during this test.

And as long as they get it right and make the racing safer and better for the drivers and fans, our limited access is better than no access.

The opinions reflected herein are solely those of the above commentator and are not necessarily those of SPEEDtv.com, FOX, NewsCorp, or Speed Channel

Bob Dillner is a reporter for NASCAR Victory Lane, NASCAR Live! and The SPEED Report, among other programs on SPEED. He has covered numerous forms of motor sports since his teenage years and got his journalistic start writing for Speedway Scene and Area Auto Racing News at only 15 years old. Dillner, owner of 51 Sports and operator of short-track racing website 51SportsRacing.com, is a car owner/driver in the Aaron’s Pro Challenge Series and a co-promoter for the Pro All-Star Series, a Late Model series in the South.
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