The Nationwide COT

The current issue of NASCAR Scene contains a short article on the upcoming Nationwide COT. Another round of wind tunnel tests was scheduled for March 24th and NASCAR appears to be closing in on final designs for the car. Right now, the plan is to roll the new car out for the entire 2009 season; however they say that is not cast in stone, and may change if the need arises. With the precedent already set by the Sprint car, I doubt we will hear anywhere near the level of grousing that accompanied the introduction of the new car in that series.

I’ve watched the current Sprint cup car from the stands and on television and I have no complaints related to the car itself. Basically, I am a race fan. If it looks like a race car, makes race car noises, and goes fast I am happy. Happy to see them racing nose to tail, side by side, slipping and sliding, beatin and bangin, and putting on a great show. I can’t tell if they are 10 mph slower than the previous car, and I don’t care. One thing I can say for sure is that they will take a lot more beatin and bangin than the old car. Finishing races with only one or two cars dropping out of the field did not happen often with the old car. These cars can damn near bounce off everything but the Blimp and keep racing, while the driver is safer from injury than before. I have been waiting to see what NASCAR does when one of them knocks the rear wing off and wants to keep racing, but no one has managed to knock one off yet. The car is strong.

Having seen this, what reception will the new car get in the Nationwide garage? NASCAR is pushing to get the new cars into the teams’ hands by summer in order to allow time for development before the 2009 season. With regard to bodies, Chargers, Mustangs, and Camaros would have been fun, but it looks like we will see sedans again, with front splitters and rear spoilers instead of a wing. No doubt the new car will become the focus of media attention before the end of summer. My take on it is that after all is said and done, this car will be just as successful as the new Sprint Cup car, and we will all benefit from closer, more exciting racing, and the drivers will be safer to boot. I really did want to see Camaros and Mustangs, but it doesn’t look like they will make the jump from GT road racing. That doesn’t mean that the new car can’t be interesting and exciting, and I’m sure it will be.