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From: http://www.scenedaily.com/news/arti...rt_with_restrictor_plate_that_ended_test.html
NASCAR will return to Daytona International Speedway in February with the same restrictor plate that it left with when testing ended earlier this month.
Teams were informed Friday of the rules configuration for Daytona, which includes a restrictor plate with holes 29/32nds of an inch in diameter.
In hopes of limiting the use of the two-car draft used by the Sprint Cup cars during the Daytona 500, NASCAR officials have made changes that they hope would result in overheating if the two-car draft is used for an extended period of time during the race.
The biggest change is the rear bumper has been moved two inches closer to the ground. Teams will have a front grille opening of 50 square inches – it was 40 square inches by the time testing ended last week at the 2.5-mile trioval.
The bigger opening will allow the cars to run cooler while in packs – some teams had complained about running too hot in the pack in the final afternoon of the test session Jan. 14. But when one car is pushing another in a two-car draft, the opening on the front grille of the car pushing will be flush against the now bigger rear bumper of the car being pushed. That will limit the amount of air that can be used to cool the engine.
The radiator pressure release valve will be set at 25 psi, the same as it was when teams left Daytona on the final afternoon of testing.
The restrictor plate is the same as what was used for the first and third days of the three-day test. In the second day of that three-day test, teams used a restrictor plate with holes 30/32nds of an inch, but not only did speeds climb to 206 mph, but the RPMs were well over the 9100 that engine builders say is the maximum for the engines they’re building to last 500 miles.
While the rules are set for the start of Speedweeks, it would not be surprising if NASCAR changes them again leading up to the Daytona 500. Last year, there were several changes, including the day before the Daytona 500 because the weather can impact the temperatures the engines reach during a race.
NASCAR will return to Daytona International Speedway in February with the same restrictor plate that it left with when testing ended earlier this month.
Teams were informed Friday of the rules configuration for Daytona, which includes a restrictor plate with holes 29/32nds of an inch in diameter.
In hopes of limiting the use of the two-car draft used by the Sprint Cup cars during the Daytona 500, NASCAR officials have made changes that they hope would result in overheating if the two-car draft is used for an extended period of time during the race.
The biggest change is the rear bumper has been moved two inches closer to the ground. Teams will have a front grille opening of 50 square inches – it was 40 square inches by the time testing ended last week at the 2.5-mile trioval.
The bigger opening will allow the cars to run cooler while in packs – some teams had complained about running too hot in the pack in the final afternoon of the test session Jan. 14. But when one car is pushing another in a two-car draft, the opening on the front grille of the car pushing will be flush against the now bigger rear bumper of the car being pushed. That will limit the amount of air that can be used to cool the engine.
The radiator pressure release valve will be set at 25 psi, the same as it was when teams left Daytona on the final afternoon of testing.
The restrictor plate is the same as what was used for the first and third days of the three-day test. In the second day of that three-day test, teams used a restrictor plate with holes 30/32nds of an inch, but not only did speeds climb to 206 mph, but the RPMs were well over the 9100 that engine builders say is the maximum for the engines they’re building to last 500 miles.
While the rules are set for the start of Speedweeks, it would not be surprising if NASCAR changes them again leading up to the Daytona 500. Last year, there were several changes, including the day before the Daytona 500 because the weather can impact the temperatures the engines reach during a race.
