[disco stu]

Hello all, a question for you (haha...surprise, surprise!).

In the coverage of the Phoenix race (congrats Jimmie) which I was watching, the commentator said at one stage "This is the last Car of Tomorrow race of the season" or something like that.

What does this mean exactly?

Do we revert to the "old-style" cars for Homestead?

Or have I misheard or misunderstood?

Actually, I'm a bit unsure as to the whole COT deal. If someone could give me an overview of the situation/plan I'd be most grateful.

Kind Regards.

[jks812]

They will run the old car at Homestead and then the COT will be full time in 2008.

[NASCAR Gnome]

Final COT race for 2007.

COT becomes "Car of Today" in 2008.

Five years from now, people NEW to NASCAR will never know that they raced the "Twisted Sister" for many, many years...

I wonder what nickname they will give this "COT" in years to come?

[LSC9901]

Originally Posted by NASCAR Gnome

Final COT race for 2007.

COT becomes "Car of Today" in 2008.

Five years from now, people NEW to NASCAR will never know that they raced the "Twisted Sister" for many, many years...

I wonder what nickname they will give this "COT" in years to come?

POS !

[Quality88]

Originally Posted by LSC9901

POS !

A very noted phrase in my neck of the woods.

[NASCAR Gnome]

You see, here's where you lose me.

Is the COT a POS because of how it LOOKS or because the DRIVERS say so?

Personally, I can't call it a POS because I myself have never driven one so from that perspective, I am in no position to make that determination. Now, from a FAN perspective I thought the races these cars were in this year was very competitive and exciting. If it's a POS because the DRIVERS SAY SO, then Big-Effing-Boo-Hoo to those guys because last time I checked, these DRIVERS make MEGA BUCKS to drive these cars!

[disco stu]

Why are we reverting to the outgoing car for the last race?

Was there - at some stage - a possibility (or POSsibility even!!!) that the COT wouldn't be the car for next season?

Or is it just for old time's sake?....

....one last hurrah for the outgoing model?



One other thing, guys, while I'm rolling.

I was a bit surprised to notice that the cars had wings on their back ends on Sunday.....rather than the more usual spoiler.

I'm guessing that the wing offers a more high-downforce configuration than the spoiler and I think that they used them on the road circuits if memory serves.

What are the conditions at Phoenix (as compared to other ovals) that would require the use of the wing rather than the spoiler? (apologies if my terminology is incorrect).

[LSC9901]

My response revolves around the fact that there are no longer (and haven't been for years) stock cars. They are just getting worse.

[wingkey1]

NASCAR.COM - COT: Why it's come to this and where it all is headed - Nov 12, 2007

Sorry if most have already seen. Not a bad take/read on the "road to COT". First half really brought some memory/thoughts. The whole - early races were somewhat based on taking the old car that was put in the garage before the war and go race it, to the natural desire to begin to "tinker" and make it really fly.

Recall couple thoughts/observations on attending Northern 300's at Trenton, NJ. First we ever got to see the southern boys near home. Prior what we saw on that track was the modifieds and the Indy cars. Thoughts were;

1. At these speeds, at least no one will get hurt - wrong/bad thought obviously in retrospect, but they were SOOOOoooo friggin' slow compared to the other styles

2. What fun flippin' racin'! The cars are clearly near uncontrollable (for/to the average person and fans) through the turns yet these boys are hanging it out there and going for it. Passing? Yeah and the fun kind, both (or more) drivers barely hangin' on side by side, one slips a bit, maybe decides to wait a bit later for better shot, or maybe the rubbin' just upset one more than the other. Ya looked around at the fans surrounding ya and there were "Holy Crap!" looks everywhere - "Didja see that?!, these guys are wildmen!" Can't wait till the next turn.


Similarly recall when Bobby Unser went 160 lap at Dover in an Indy car on the old asphalt. It was mind boggling. Made NASCAR there look so "junior" at the time from a speed standpoint - cause back then it was "faster, faster, faster". Indy car (CART or IRL - IRL we believe) ran the concrete, they were cause for the laser grinding work to smooth the track, but quit it basically because they felt they were going way too fast for the track. Seems, and would have to check this, speeds for them were getting close to the 190 + range.

Fast forward and suddenly NASCAR was qualifying Dover approaching the 160 that left us with our mouth dropping at the time.

Sorry for going on. Point of all this likely made right at start - article to be found at pointer is nice little read.

[Racer Duck]

Originally Posted by disco stu

Why are we reverting to the outgoing car for the last race?

Was there - at some stage - a possibility (or POSsibility even!!!) that the COT wouldn't be the car for next season?

Or is it just for old time's sake?....

....one last hurrah for the outgoing model?



One other thing, guys, while I'm rolling.

I was a bit surprised to notice that the cars had wings on their back ends on Sunday.....rather than the more usual spoiler.

I'm guessing that the wing offers a more high-downforce configuration than the spoiler and I think that they used them on the road circuits if memory serves.

What are the conditions at Phoenix (as compared to other ovals) that would require the use of the wing rather than the spoiler? (apologies if my terminology is incorrect).

after Homestead Sunday, the spoiler will be gone 'till NASCAR, in it's great wisdom, decides to bring it back (to Cup, that is)

the COT was designed and is spec'ed for the wing .. no spoiler.

wing is both good and bad:

on the good side, it provides as much, if not more down force as the spoiler and it doesn't disrupt the air flow on the nose of the trailing car as much as the spoiler

on the bad side, it causes vision problems with both the driver in the car looking back as well the driver behind it being able to see "in front" of the car in front of him/her.