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NASCAR Sprint-Cup Series
SADLER: NASCAR Poised For Changes
NASCAR is now heeding team owners, drivers, and fans’ opinions more than ever before...
Hermie Sadler  |  Posted January 16, 2010   Charlotte, NC
Hermie Sadler is a reporter for NASCAR RaceDay, NASCAR Victory Lane and NASCAR Live! on SPEED. (Photo by Rusty Jarrett/Getty Images for NASCAR)
Drivers, owners and fans talked... and NASCAR listened.

NASCAR is now heeding owners, drivers, and fans’ opinions more than ever before, in great part due to the “town hall” style meetings they have held with the sport’s owners and drivers. Additionally, we finally have a fan forum with a legitimate and audible voice that NASCAR hears. That in and of itself was a welcome change.

But NASCAR has taken it several steps further, beginning with last year’s unprecedented midseason move to adopt the double-file restarts “shootout style” for Sprint Cup Series races and the upcoming uniform starting times.

While the double-file restarts generated some exciting racing, great finishes and happier race fans, work remains to be done. Drivers need to be able to race side-by-side more and take chances behind the wheel. We need to put more of the race back in the drivers’ hands.

Fortunately, it appears NASCAR is considering several ways to accomplish this mission. One idea being floated is removing the rear wing and replacing it with the spoiler similar to what we raced in years past.

I fully support and encourage this change for a couple reasons. First of all, the cars will look more like racecars again. I saw the new Nationwide Series COT with the rear spoiler last November in Homestead and it looked awesome.

Secondly, the spoiler provides the crew chiefs and engineers another tool with which to adjust the car. NASCAR closely monitored the rear wing the Cup cars have used the past couple of seasons, keeping a keen eye on the angle of the wing and end plates and disallowing teams to gain much advantage in downforce on the back of the car. Teams were in a tight box as far as how much they could use the wing as a handling tool. But the spoiler has braces on the back that can be adjusted up or down within NASCAR’s guidelines to increase or decrease drag or downforce on the car’s tail. The spoiler will better allow crew chiefs to get the car handling to their driver’s satisfaction, which in turn should assist in fostering improved racing.

Furthermore, the best reason to revert back to the spoiler is increased vision for the drivers. With all of the equipment inside the race cars - roll bars, large seats, headrests, window braces and others - it is quite difficult to see through the car in front of you and it is hard to race when you can barely see past the hood of your own car. The rear wing obstructed vision even more, especially at restrictor-plate tracks like Daytona and Talladega where the ability to see through the car in front of you while drafting nose-to-tail is crucial. Increased visibility will assist drivers in making moves and missing wrecks on the track, possibly allowing them to be more aggressive and put on a more exciting show.

I expect the move back to the more traditional spoiler to be the first of several changes NASCAR considers in 2010 to make the cars more drivable, thus creating a more competitive on-track product. With this new mindset in NASCAR, 2010 stands to be a terrific year.

Hermie Sadler is a reporter for NASCAR RaceDay, NASCAR Victory Lane and NASCAR Live! on SPEED. Sadler began racing as a 10 year old and has more than 300 starts in the NASCAR Sprint Cup, Nationwide and Camping World Truck Series. He also owns the United Wrestling Federation, which promotes live professional wrestling events in the Southeast. To learn more about Sadler, visit HermieSadler.com or to access behind-the-scenes information about TNA Wrestling, click on “Hermie’s Hot Seat” at TNAWrestling.com.
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