Matt McLaughlin recently posted an article on SpeedFX where he proposed that NA$CAR's new R&D facility at Hickory, NC would build two each of the Fords, Pontiacs, Chevys and Dodges. He further proposed that before NA$CAR instituted any rules change, these cars would be used to test the validity of the proposed changes. That part I like. What I didn't like is Matt's proposal that two test cars of each manufactureer would be built for given speeedways such as a Daytona/Talladega versions, two banked superspeedway versions and two flat track versions. There is where I part ways with Matt's otherwise well intended solution to an ongoing problem of rule making on the fly by the suits of NA$CAR.
My contention, as outlined in my recent column, "Team Ownership And The Cars" is that I proposed that any given team could have only six cars in their stable at any given time. All cars would fit a common template for the model of car involved regardless of the speedway to be ran. The only exception I would allow would be for road courses due to the gas filler and weight distribution diffeneces required. There would be no fender flaring for aero purposes and no special deviations from street ready bodies excepting the wheel openings.
There are several problems with the current adulteration of body dimensions and the governance thereof. Any and all body dimensions being ran in the Truck, Busch or WC series should meet the same dimensions as their street legal version. (Why are the Busch cars on a shorter wheelbase and of a lighter weight than their supposed WC equivelants?) Under current conditions, the cars ran at Daytona and Talladega are narrower than the cars ran on other tracks. How much NA$CAR allows this narrowing of the body is unknown since we no longer have access to the sacred NA$CAR Rule Book which appears to be written in invisible ink. All I know is what I hear team managers and crew chiefs say openly. Why should these cars be any different than a car ran at Martinsville, Homestead or Charlotte? In addition, the narrower bodies are a very definite safety hazard to the drivers. If anything, NA$CAR should make the bodies wider, never narrower.
The whole idea, as my feeble mind comprehends it, is that this is supposed to be stock car racing. Since all the current models being run are of unibody construction this presents an immediate problem. Could we run races, as we now do, with unibodies? No way. So we deviate a little and take the sheetmetal of a unibody car and attach it to a special racing frame. Next, we now deviate a little more and replace the four bangers or V6 engines with 1950's era V8 engines. Two deviations from stock and where do we go next? We lower the frames and front valances while extending those valances for aero advantage. What are we left with? As I see it, absolutely nothing resembling the Monte Carlo or Taurus, Grand Prix or Intrepid. When the cars took to the track at Daytona this week you would be hard pressed to tell the difference between the various makes that run in primer grey. The only clue you'll have is the grille opening and even that is not stock.
My friends (and enemies) we need to go back to what we're supposed to be, STOCK. We can't do this to it's fullest due to the nature of currently approved models that are being raced. What we (NA$CAR) need to do is run the bodies that are produced on the assembly line with no deviations. So we enter 2002 with truly stock bodied race cars and the Monte Carlo has an advantage. It's now up to Ford, Dodge and Ponitac to do as they used to, come out with a 2002 1/2 model that will be competitive. It isn't NA$CAR's responsibility to make the cars equal, it's the manufacturer's responsibility to catch up. Granted, NA$CAR can level the playing field by spoiler modifications but everything else on the car needs to meet the manufacturers specifications. That includes body height, width, length and shape. Cars should be no lower than two inches from their street ready equivelant.
Until NA$CAR implements rules similiar to what I outline here they need to change their logo to NAFCAR (National Association of Fake Car Racing). Damn, Don, that's brilliant. All kudos gladly accepted and appreciated. Those who disagree have the right to do so but, do not retain the right to be disagreeable.
Don@insidethepitbox.com
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