WhiningSmoke
Team Owner
- Joined
- Jul 7, 2013
- Messages
- 343
- Points
- 393
I know it's early with the new rules package, but the new rules package cannot be described as anything except lame. The aero push is worse than ever. The last two years Las Vegas has seen pretty good races, while this year the race was very boring. Atlanta sucked too.
Something I've noticed with the new package is the leader has a huge advantage on restarts, as he can just flat foot it around the track while all the other cars have to lift. They took away too much horsepower and not enough downforce. Last year the racing was not broken. I understand there being room for improvement, but apparently they're using the 2015 rules package as a stop gap for the 2016 rules package. My question is why?
According to the media, the reason they didn't immediately introduce next year's rules package is because Goodyear needs time to build a tire soft enough for it. The goal for next year's rules package is about a 1300 pound reduction in downforce. I understand the need to reduce horsepower, because you don't want cars going 228 mph as they were in the Michigan test last year, however a tapered spacer was not the way to do it. The racing has clearly suffered this year. I think the racing last year was pretty good, the best it's been since 2011 in my opinion. The tires gave up reasonably, cars could pass better, there was more variety at the front of the field at times. I mean sure, the season was dominated by Hendrick, Penske, and the #4 car. But you still had Edwards pulling off a couple of wins, Matt Kenseth driving beautifully to get everything he possibly could out of his underpowered Gibbs car, the short track races (except the fall Richmond race, but that was Goodyear's fault) were amazing, there was close racing with contact, and I'm afraid I don't see the potential for that with this new rules package.
Nascar needs to look at some mid-season changes if this continues. The Indy races might improve, as will the Michigan race perhaps, but I don't see much improvement anywhere else. Martinsville is definitely going to suffer, it takes a certain skill to not spin your tires off of the corner, and that will be diluted by the reduced horsepower. I'm afraid the 2015 season won't be one of the better ones. It might be the worst one since 2008.
Something I've noticed with the new package is the leader has a huge advantage on restarts, as he can just flat foot it around the track while all the other cars have to lift. They took away too much horsepower and not enough downforce. Last year the racing was not broken. I understand there being room for improvement, but apparently they're using the 2015 rules package as a stop gap for the 2016 rules package. My question is why?
According to the media, the reason they didn't immediately introduce next year's rules package is because Goodyear needs time to build a tire soft enough for it. The goal for next year's rules package is about a 1300 pound reduction in downforce. I understand the need to reduce horsepower, because you don't want cars going 228 mph as they were in the Michigan test last year, however a tapered spacer was not the way to do it. The racing has clearly suffered this year. I think the racing last year was pretty good, the best it's been since 2011 in my opinion. The tires gave up reasonably, cars could pass better, there was more variety at the front of the field at times. I mean sure, the season was dominated by Hendrick, Penske, and the #4 car. But you still had Edwards pulling off a couple of wins, Matt Kenseth driving beautifully to get everything he possibly could out of his underpowered Gibbs car, the short track races (except the fall Richmond race, but that was Goodyear's fault) were amazing, there was close racing with contact, and I'm afraid I don't see the potential for that with this new rules package.
Nascar needs to look at some mid-season changes if this continues. The Indy races might improve, as will the Michigan race perhaps, but I don't see much improvement anywhere else. Martinsville is definitely going to suffer, it takes a certain skill to not spin your tires off of the corner, and that will be diluted by the reduced horsepower. I'm afraid the 2015 season won't be one of the better ones. It might be the worst one since 2008.