August 4, 2008
By Matthew Pizzolato
Matthew Pizzolato
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Despite numerous complaints from many drivers since the inception of the so-called “Car of Tomorrow” NASCAR still insists on ramming the new platform down the throats of drivers and fans alike.
Even the winner of the very first COT race at Bristol Motor Speedway in 2007, Kyle Busch, did not like the car and expressed his sentiments in the post race interview.
The third place finisher in that race, Jeff Gordon had issues with the car as well.
“It's not comfortable to drive like the old car. We're taking a step backwards in a lot of ways. But if it makes for better racing, I'm all for it,” Jeff Gordon said in a Terry Blunt article for ESPN.com.
However, the COT has proven not to make for better racing, having limited throttle response and hampering passing.
Several new safety features have been integrated into the new car, including moving the driver’s seat over four inches and installing larger crumple zones on the sides of the car. In addition to safety, the car is supposed to reduce the cost for the teams and increase performance and competition by leveling the playing field for all teams.
Unfortunately for NASCAR, the desired results have not been achieved. In fact, performance and competition have been hindered at a lot of the tracks on the NASCAR circuit; perhaps one of the reasons that track attendance has dropped off sharply within the last year.
And yet, driver complaints are still finding their way into the media. Instead of listening to the drivers and the fans, NASCAR executives have yet to act on the complaints and last weekend at Indianapolis paid the price for their negligence. What was supposed to be a race became more of a pit crew challenge. After several major tire explosions early, one of which completely obliterated the right side of Matt Kenseth’s car, NASCAR took control of the race, mandating “competition yellows” every 10 to 12 laps.
“A competition yellow is when someone has run off and is stinking up the race and you want to tighten the field up again. But Sunday, that was some other kind of yellow. I am just not sure what kind yet,” Darrell Waltrip wrote on msn.foxsports.com.
Until now, NASCAR executives have been guilty of burying their heads in the sand and ignoring the complaints of both drivers and fans. Will the debacle at Indianapolis force a reaction from the sanctioning body?
Robin Pemberton, NASCAR’s vice president of competition, apologized for the mess at Indy.
“I can't say enough how sorry we are and it's our responsibility being NASCAR that we don't go through this situation again," he said in an article for msn.foxsports.com.
Yet, who is to blame? The tires provided by Goodyear couldn’t hold up to the pressure exerted on them by the COT, which is heavier than the old car and exerts more downforce on the tires. Could the fact that the surface of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway being diamond ground recently have contributed to the tire failure?
Most likely, the blame will be laid squarely where it belongs. NASCAR could have prevented this fiasco by conducting tire tests at the track prior to the race, and this isn’t the first track the COT has caused tire degradation issues at either.
Previously thought to be the problem of the tire manufacturer, Goodyear, a new light has been shed upon the real reason for recent tire failures. There appears to be no way that any tires can stand up to the forces wielded on them by the COT at tracks where a high level of downforce is caused by the massive wing on the rear of the car.
It is well past time for NASCAR to step up to the plate and integrate changes into the car. An immediate solution would be to return to the old car while more tests are run with the COT. Originally, the Car of Tomorrow wasn’t suppose to debut until the 2009 season, but was moved up a year, a decision NASCAR has likely come to regret. However, testing does not have the same results as actually running the car in a race. More than likely, the COT is here to stay.
But why would the COT be integrated in the first place? As the old saying goes, if its not broke, don’t fix it. Other than a few minor safety issues, which could have been modified, there appeared to be nothing wrong with the old car. It provided superior racing with plenty of passing. Maybe the whole COT idea should be scrapped entirely, because tires are just one of the issues drivers have with the car. Issues ranging from being uncomfortably hot while driving to handling problems. Not to mention the fact that the new car drives like a tank, leading to a rougher style of driving.
Regardless, the Car of Tomorrow has become the Tire Shredder of Today, and unless NASCAR makes some changes to the current platform to put on a better show for the fans, its track attendance will continue to plummet and its popularity will continue to decrease as fans find other modes of racing to watch.
Could the pendulum of popularity be swinging toward the Indy Racing League and its rising star, Danica Patrick? For years, open wheel racing dominated racetracks in America, particularly the Indianapolis Motor Speedway but faded in recent decades due to an internal split and a popularity surge in NASCAR. The recently reunited open wheel series could provide a little competition, which would be good for NASCAR, but does the IRL have what it takes?
If you would like to learn more about Matthew, please check out his web site at matthew-pizzolato.com.
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