[oncea3fan]

I saw the pre season nascar show on speed lastnight, in one segment they show one of the COT's , it was an Impala SS. I must say that I thought it was much nicer looking than what we have on the track now.
I think the 2006 chevy's looked like they all has pig noses. this COT Impala had a nice rounded nose like what we had maybe 5 years ago.

it still had the spliter on the front and wing on the back. the sp[litter wasn't to bad but I think the wing has to go.
might not be as bad as I orginally thought.

[wingkey1]

You will find that you will equally like the Ford, Dodge, Toyota. Splitter, wing, and all.

[wingkey1]

Welcome to "generic" cars:

On January 12, 2006, NASCAR announced a universal car named "Car of Tomorrow" after a five-year design program. The primary design considerations are "safety innovations, performance and competition, and cost efficiency for teams." [1]

All cars will be required to fit the same set of templates. NASCAR currently has a different set of templates for each manufacturer (Ford, Chevy, Dodge, and Toyota). NASCAR has frequently adjusted the rules to ensure that different car manufacturers have relatively equal cars.

[Hassan]

The COT is supposed 2 be safer...so i think they should cancel the restrictor plates.

well thats wt i think

[LSC9901]

Originally Posted by Hassan

The COT is supposed 2 be safer...so i think they should cancel the restrictor plates.

well thats wt i think

I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong but I think they plan to change the size of the restrictor plates .... not sure.

[Quality88]

Originally Posted by LSC9901

I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong but I think they plan to change the size of the restrictor plates .... not sure.

There has been some discussions on changin the size of the plate as testing numbers come in with different sizes. That's when they actually do major testing with it on Daytona and Dega. Last I heard they are goin to try different sizes and see which one works out best. I heard rumor of them still developin options to eliminate the plate all together. That would be awesome, but less likely.

[trollmc08]

Originally Posted by Quality88

I heard rumor of them still developin options to eliminate the plate all together. That would be awesome, but less likely.

Don't think that will happen the cars would still go to fast for NASCAR. It just might be to dangerous.

[Bob Tanner]

Originally Posted by Quality88

There has been some discussions on changin the size of the plate as testing numbers come in with different sizes. That's when they actually do major testing with it on Daytona and Dega. Last I heard they are goin to try different sizes and see which one works out best. I heard rumor of them still developin options to eliminate the plate all together. That would be awesome, but less likely.

I still maintain that a good solution would be to "de-streamline" the cars and "dirty up" the hole they punch in the air. Narrow the tire size, do away with non-stock air dams and spoilers of all varieties, and instead of a restrictor plate, reduce the size of the intake at the top of the carb (as the CTS successfully does). Before you go questioning my sanity, I've heard several drivers (Bobby Allison and Rusty Wallace, to name two) who have come out with suggestions in the same vane as mine.

Yeah, it'd make handling the car a handful but methinks that it would separate the real drivers from the wheel-holders.

[Quality88]

Originally Posted by Bob Tanner

I still maintain that a good solution would be to "de-streamline" the cars and "dirty up" the hole they punch in the air. Narrow the tire size, do away with non-stock air dams and spoilers of all varieties, and instead of a restrictor plate, reduce the size of the intake at the top of the carb (as the CTS successfully does). Before you go questioning my sanity, I've heard several drivers (Bobby Allison and Rusty Wallace, to name two) who have come out with suggestions in the same vane as mine.

Yeah, it'd make handling the car a handful but methinks that it would separate the real drivers from the wheel-holders.

Sounds like a good idea. Whatever works.... I'd like to see the cars without restrictors.

[trollmc08]

Originally Posted by Bob Tanner

I still maintain that a good solution would be to "de-streamline" the cars and "dirty up" the hole they punch in the air. Narrow the tire size, do away with non-stock air dams and spoilers of all varieties, and instead of a restrictor plate, reduce the size of the intake at the top of the carb (as the CTS successfully does). Before you go questioning my sanity, I've heard several drivers (Bobby Allison and Rusty Wallace, to name two) who have come out with suggestions in the same vane as mine.

Yeah, it'd make handling the car a handful but methinks that it would separate the real drivers from the wheel-holders.

You are absolutely right, but NASCAR won't do it it wouldn't look as good. Because it would make the cars look more like stock cars or old school cars.

[Bob Tanner]

Originally Posted by Quality88

Sounds like a good idea. Whatever works.... I'd like to see the cars without restrictors.

Unfortunately I don't see the plates going anywhere soon. The main reason that NASCAR considers the plates a "necessary evil" is that the constant threat of "The Big One" draws big crowds and a large TV audience like flies are drawn to road kill. To NA$CAR big crowds and large audiences equal only one thing; money.

Many don't even consider the plates racing as racing. I tend to agree. When the cars are choked down so much it takes five miles for them to attain top speed, then all they do is hold their foot on the floor for five hundred miles... I don't see much racing there either. It's more like a bunch of wild-eyed shoppers jockeying for the position that will get them through the front door of Walmart first on the day after Thanksgiving.

Although it's obvious that plate racing is a matter of safety, I predict NA$CAR will do nothing except come up with ineffectual changes which will do basically nothing. Nothing will happen until one of two things happen:
(a) The drivers boycott the races on grounds of safety, much like Richard Petty's PDA group did to the first Talladega race.
(b) A driver becomes track pizza. Unfortunately not just any driver's death will effect change. It'll have to be a major star and not a Travis Kvapil or a Scott Wimmer. If that happens the fans will do what we could have done all along and DEMAND change.

The answer is NOT to just let them run as fast as they are capable of. That would be a even more hazardous situation than they have now. Plus, Bobby Allison, Ernie Irvan, Ricky Craven and Stanley Smith have all proven that a car is capable of ending up in the stands and believe me, the sport DOES NOT need something like Tony Stewart ending up in row 12 of a crowded grandstand!

There are a number of things NASCAR could do to break up those dangerous packs of cars and give the drivers some throttle response. But I fear that until something drastic happens, nothing will change.

[Quality88]

Originally Posted by Bob Tanner

Unfortunately I don't see the plates going anywhere soon. The main reason that NASCAR considers the plates a "necessary evil" is that the constant threat of "The Big One" draws big crowds and a large TV audience like flies are drawn to road kill. To NA$CAR big crowds and large audiences equal only one thing; money.

I think the plates cause alot of the big ones. How many have occured when one driver lets off the throttle and can't immediately pick up the pace only for someone to check up.... then wam... the big one. Granted without them things could be much worse. JMHO

[trollmc08]

Originally Posted by Bob Tanner

Unfortunately I don't see the plates going anywhere soon. The main reason that NASCAR considers the plates a "necessary evil" is that the constant threat of "The Big One" draws big crowds and a large TV audience like flies are drawn to road kill. To NA$CAR big crowds and large audiences equal only one thing; money.

Many don't even consider the plates racing as racing. I tend to agree. When the cars are choked down so much it takes five miles for them to attain top speed, then all they do is hold their foot on the floor for five hundred miles... I don't see much racing there either. It's more like a bunch of wild-eyed shoppers jockeying for the position that will get them through the front door of Walmart on the day after Thanksgiving.

Although it's obvious that plate racing is a matter of safety, I predict NA$CAR will do nothing except come up with ineffectual changes which will do basically nothing. Nothing will happen until one of two things happen:
(a) The drivers boycott the races on grounds of safety, much like Richard Petty's PDA group did to the first Talladega race.
(b) A driver becomes track pizza. Unfortunately not just any driver's death will effect change. It'll have to be a major star and not a Travis Kvapil or a Scott Wimmer. If that happens the fans will do what we could have done all along and DEMAND change.

The answer is NOT to just let them run as fast as they are capable of. That would be a even more hazardous situation than they have now. Plus, Bobby Allison, Ernie Irvan, Ricky Craven and Stanley Smith have all proven that a car is capable of ending up in the stands and believe me, the sport DOES NOT need something like Tony Stewart ending up in row 12 of a crowded grandstand!

There are a number of things NASCAR could do to break up those dangerous packs of cars and give the drivers some throttle response. But I fear that until something drastic happens, nothing will change.

I am afraid your right. I hope we don't have to lose any more drivers to the Grim Reaper.

[wingkey1]

Originally Posted by Quality88

I think the plates cause alot of the big ones. How many have occured when one driver lets off the throttle and can't immediately pick up the pace only for someone to check up.... then wam... the big one. Granted without them things could be much worse. JMHO

There are some tracks (Dega as example) that are simply too big/fast for where the sport has evolved. "Fast" above is NOT race speed, it is configuration of the track that allows "flat" runs. "Parity" as it exists today, and as it will exist with COT, will equal packs of cars going quite fast on these/certain tracks. Unfortunately ya have to come up with a way to either slow them down, or make them squirrley(sp?) in order to keep the speed down. Neither produces good racing on a "fast" track.

Good news is there are presently only a very few tracks on the circuit where this is an issue. At least for now. Some of the 1.5 and 2 mile tracks will fall victim to the same situation over time. It seems the best way to address this has been found in some of the newer "big" tracks. Flat / flatter turns. Decreasing radius turns has also been effective in some instances.

Been interesting to watch the efforts to fix track issues by making changes to the cars. Hasn't worked yet.

[Bob Tanner]

The following link is written by a guy who has obviously taken the time to research this NA$CARmobile (a.k.a. Car of Tomorrow... Today... Now... Whatever time frame you chose) a lot more than most of us have. The point he brings out about passing in the CTS declining since they began using a from splitter was very interesting and had escaped me completely.

Absurd Premises Behind the COT by Michael Daly