NASCAR's New 2015 Rules Package

Reduced HP and No Testing Headlining

By Richard Tix

On Tuesday NASCAR released its plans for changes in 2015. Per the usual in the NASCAR community, change hit hard and caused a social media frenzy with all kinds of opinions. I am going to reserve most of my judgement until I see the actual product with my own eyes. However, I do want to touch on some of the changes and provide fans with a place to get to all the links and stories quickly.

Testing:

"After allowing teams four tests at sanctioned tracks and unlimited private testing this year, NASCAR will ban teams from testing at any tracks following the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway. The preseason testing sessions at Daytona International Speedway have been eliminated." - USA Today

This seems like a plea by NASCAR to cut cost's, yet it seems like they are forgetting that it will still cost small teams a ton to get into areo facilities and have the staff now to keep pace with the big teams. This is just my assumption, though. 

"Any organization violating NASCAR's revised policy on testing would be subject to the highest tier of penalties, including a minimum $150,000 fine, the loss of 150 points and six-race suspensions for key personnel (crew chief, car chief, and team manager)." -SB Nation

So, heaver fines will be the biggest deterrent to not following this rule, which ties in the new penalty system from this past year. Team's may not be able to privately test but there will be more Goodyear testing that team's will partake in:

"Teams are still permitted to participate in NASCAR- and Goodyear-approved tests."

"If we can have NASCAR, Goodyear and the race teams all together, it'll be a home run. The second part is anytime you can minimize costs, that's big. We think we've done both." -USA Today

Horse Power Reduction:

"NASCAR is also reducing engine horsepower through a tapered spacer from 850 to 725, and cutting the rear spoiler from 8 inches high to 6 inches. Changes will take about 300 pounds of downforce off of the car."- FOX News

The real key here could be will it have the same affect it did on the Nationwide Series? Nationwide adopted the tapered spacer this past season and some fans have had a negative response to the change. It might be possible for the tapered spacer to not have as big of an effect on the Cup cars with all the other aero changes that are being made. In my mind this is the biggest concern. Maybe all the changes put together will work well, as I said I am reserving full judgement until I see it on the track.

"We believe what will contribute to better racing is the ability to get off the gas in the corners," O'Donnell said. "If you're able to slow down the straightaway speeds a bit, but really affect the speeds in the corners, where drivers have to make decisions on how much they want to get off the throttle, it allows for more passing in the turns, and it allows for tire manufacturer to really march toward a grippier tire. That will contribute to even better racing.

"Drivers said as the racing exists today, when they go in the corners, it's very rare to make a mistake. The car handles almost too well. This gives us an opportunity to force some mistakes and to pick different lanes. We think it'll add more dynamics in each corner, particularly on intermediate tracks."- USA Today

The thing I do think NASCAR did very well with (and wont reserve judgement) is the fact that they took a lot of driver input into consideration. This time around, if the changes fail it was a full effort by everyone involved (drivers, teams, officials, engineers, etc). Hopefully it doesn't completely fail (COT) and NASCAR gets even better racing. 

"It was like going back 15 years in time knowing you could actually pass in the corners instead of worrying about drafting in the straightaway," Matt Kenseth said. "You could get one guy on the bottom and one guy on the top, the air wasn't so turbulent that you couldn't get outside of people so the track got really wide. It was like the track aged 10 years and it was awesome. Everybody got out with a smile on their face." -SB Nation

I think the real issue NASCAR was having was the huge complaint of the "dirty air." So NASCAR took to all the complaints from fans and drivers (even when fans say NASCAR never listens) and tried to make the Gen 6 car better. It seems drivers (at least Kenseth) was impressed with the car overall in traffic. 

O'Donnell said the goal is more green-flag passes for the lead and "we believe that will happen with drivers potentially making errors in the corner, and that's not just for the lead, but the entire field." -FOX News

Overall I my initial reaction is that NASCAR is trying to improve the quality of racing. Will this do it? Wait and see. But its nice to see them trying to tackle the largest issue (dirty air) while getting input from its best source, the drivers.

More Changes:

"Other changes announced Tuesday are that NASCAR will also now use rain tires in the Sprint Cup Series at Sonoma and Watkins Glen. The rain tires are already used in the lower Nationwide and Truck Series races on road courses, to positive fan feedback." -FOX News

New rain tires will be brought out at the road courses in 2015. I think it will only add to the excitement that we have had in the past few years at these tracks. I just hope Ambrose will be brought back as a ringer for someone!

"The option for a cockpit-controlled panhard bar to allow drivers to alter handling with a suspension adjustment that currently is made by crew members with a wrench during pit stops." -USA Today

This could also help drivers with the "dirty air" problem, since they will be able to change during a run. 

"A new video analytics system for officiating the pits (judging whether cars enter the box correctly and lug nuts properly are tightened on tires), which is being tested during the Chase for the Sprint Cup. The 2015 system will rely on enhanced cameras and software that will be analyzed by eight officials in a high-tech trailer. A half-dozen officials still will roam the pits for communication with teams." -USA Today

Will a half-dozen officials be enough to police all of these new changes going on in NASCAR? Seems like NASCAR is heading the way of technology and forgetting the human element NASCAR teams might need on hand.

"As for qualifying, the formats will be shortened at all types of tracks, mostly to cut the length of time in the first segment. Teams currently are sitting on pit road trying to time when to run a hot lap, and NASCAR will try to eliminate the waiting.

The first segment on short tracks and intermediate tracks will be 15 minutes, followed by a break, then 10 minutes, a break, and a final 5-minute session. At superspeedways, the field will be divided into two groups for the first 5-minute session, followed by two more 5-minute sessions.

Road course qualifying will consist of one 25-minute session, followed by a 10-minute session.

The Daytona 500 front row qualifying will be done in groups, but the length of the breaks is still being tweaked as NASCAR needs to fill a 3-hour television window" -FOX News

NASCAR just seems to be streamlining the new qualifying format they brought into Cup this season.

As I mentioned above, I will reserve most judgment until we see the actual product. I have liked the steps NASCAR has taken as a whole (a few things here and there I think could be tweaked). I think the fact that they're trying to at least dive into the "dirty air" vs "clean air" dilemma is a step in the right direction. Will it work? That will be seen in 2015. Its still 2014 so lets enjoy the 2014 Sprint Cup Chase.

2015 NASCAR Rule Links:

• New rules for NASCAR in 2015- FOX
• NASCAR's New Rules- USA Today
• Testing ban, horsepower reduction among 2015 NASCAR rule changes- SB Nation
• NASCAR bans all private testing, reduces horsepower for 2015- Sporting News
• Exclusive: RTA president addresses NASCAR rule changes- FOX Sports
• NASCAR 2015 Package: Two Steps Forward, One Back?- Beyond the Flag

The Fight for Points

NASCAR's New Points Rule Change

By Richard Tix

To start the 2014 season NASCAR made some huge announcements which brought out mixed reactions from drivers, media, and the fan base. Among these dramatic changes was a new way NASCAR would hold there points standings for getting into the Sprint Cup Chase (NASCAR's New Era).

The new rules were to create a bigger emphasis on winning week to week and so far we as fans have seemed to benefit from that. But, has it really been because of the new rules? Are guys who don't have a win using a different strategy to win?

I would argue no. Guys are still trying to win week to week just like they always have. As normal, the guys back in 12th spot are still just trying to get a quality finish and move onto the next week -so nothing really changed there. I will agree though, that guys who already have a win in 2014 can gamble and use different strategies, which in turn may open up the door for a different winner when the gamble doesn't pay off (example:Dale Jr, Las Vegas when he ran out of gas and Brad Keselowski won).

As I stated before the season starts in the article NASCAR's New Era, I like the new system and I still hold to that. But I do believe some people are completely throwing out the idea that points matter and now its all about winning.

Winning means more in 2014 than it did in 2013, NASCAR definitely hit the nail on the head on that, but at the end of the regular 26 race season (before the Chase) I do not think we will have 16 winners. Even if we do, the way it shapes up right now Jeff Gordon would still get in. The top spot in the points standings at the end of 26 races gets into the Chase with a win or without.  That means even if you believe we have 16 winners, one would miss out if the top driver in the standings doesn't have a win.

If you are adding it up, that would mean the remaining 15 spots would come down to, you guessed it, points. Only 15 of the 16 winners would get a Chase spot and this would all be decided by who has the most points. Once again, wins matter most, because a guy with 2 or 3 wins gets in before the guy with 1 win, but all the guys with one win would be fighting in points for a spot.

Now, lets take the other angle, the angle I think will happen. Lets say at race 24 of 26 NASCAR has 12 winners (or 13, 14, anything short of 16). That will leave 3 spots open and two races to hash it out. Yes, guys who don't have a win will be pushing for a win, because it locks them in, but don't try and tell me if a few guys are good on points to get in they wont be protecting there "good points day" while running 8th. Points will be huge if this type of situation happens because that's what it will come down to.

I will also argue this, because drivers who win are almost a lock to get into the Chase they will gamble more, meaning they will leave points on the table when the gamble doesn't work out. This means other drivers will be looking to collect those points another driver with a win might have gained. Take Harvick for example, he is pretty much in, but has been leaving points out there during his bad luck run that other drivers are taking. These points that other drivers are getting when Harvick has a bad day will play a big role in the standings when NASCAR only has 13 winners (and it isn't just Harvick, it seems a lot of top tier drivers have had some bad luck early, leaving a lot of points out there for others to get). With Harvick another thing comes into play, he has to stay in the top 30 in the standings for that win to get him in (he will have no problem, but this could be an issue if someone steals a road course or super speedway win). Meaning, a driver with a win must also be in the top 30 in points standings after 26 races.

The final standings and last spots will still come down to points almost any way you look at it (16 winners or 13). I also believe, if a guy keeps running like Gordon has but never wins, he may still have a better shot then a guy like Harvick does when the Chase starts (that's saying it ended today). I say that because momentum and team chemistry will still play a huge role in the final 10 races (well maybe only 9, because the last race is a crap shoot). Just as in any other sport, a NFL team may start 8-0 (which is almost a virtual lock for the playoofs) but if they hobble into the playoffs at 10-6 chances are they wont get hot and make a run to the Super Bowl (crazier things have happened, but normally a situation like this they tank in the post season).

The team running well overall at the end of the season (yes, again that probably means having good points days most weeks, not just winning once and finishing 30th two weeks in a row) will have the best shot at winning it in the end, or at least making the final four drivers. So do I think winning is more important this season? Yes. But I do believe many people are overlooking the importance points will still have at the end of 26 races. When it comes down to 3 spots, and 5 drivers all mathematically have a shot, do you really think they will push so hard for that win while in 8th (and in on points at that moment) and wreck there car finishing 35th and missing the Chase? Everyone would say if he just held steady at 8th he would have been in, or a few more good points days would have made the difference. So, how can points not matter?

**Note: The last race technically comes down to points as well. Drivers don't get bonus points, but highest finisher wins. You don't have to win, but if you had a win or highest in points in each 3 race segment during the Chase and you make the final four, it all comes down to one race anyways. So again, points matter, but winning is way more important in 2014 than 2013**

Well, what do you think? Everyone has an opinion so let me know on Twitter @NASCARBTW. The funny thing is, Mr France said this change was to "simplify the points" when really it added another layer that confuses a lot of fans. I still like the new points system, but France, lets not lie to all of us more than you already do.

As always, thanks for reading and check out the rest of the blog.

• Article Archive
• Darlington Preview
• This Week in NASCAR: 4/7
• RCR's New Beginning
• Driver Spotlight: Paul Menard

Cooling Down

NASCAR Changes Course and Allow's Cooling Units

By Richard Tix

News came out Tuesday that NASCAR was back tracking from its initial rule that teams could not use cooling units on pit road.  This rule was creating teams and drivers to try and find a way to cool down there engines after a "hot lap." The only way team's could do this was to run a few "cool down laps," or in simpler terms, run around the inside of the track at a very slow pace while other cars were whizzing by doing 190 MPH. 

This cool down lap idea was ok at best even at tracks like Las Vegas where the track has plenty of space, but this week NASCAR heads to Bristol and was heading into a huge problem.  Owners, driver, media, and fans on twitter were calling for a change. Brian Vickers was asked about the new qualifying and had this to say, “That’s the most dangerous thing I've ever done in a race car.” Everyone wanted a change before it was too late, before an incident happened and it could have been avoided. 

All of this has happened because of NASCAR's new Knock Out style of qualifying. It has made qualifying more exciting as a fan and the teams have to use new and different strategy but it also created this new danger. This new danger was finally addressed on Tuesday with the news that teams can now use a cool down unit on pit road.

This unit will be attached to the hood of the car through hood flaps and will ban the use of a cool down lap. The hood of the car must remained closed during the sessions because NASCAR doesn't want teams messing around with the engine when they aren't looking. 

I think this is a step in the right direction that NASCAR has taken. Maybe it shouldn't have taken so long to change, but at least it got done before we had a major incident and left fans wondering why we waited so long. This move should add to the new excitement around the Knock Out style qualifying because teams now should be able to make a few extra runs by eliminating so many cool down laps.

I think NASCAR still should be looking at improving the qualifying system throughout the year. NASCAR got the big one out of the way in banning cool down laps, but I think how teams start before the session still needs tweaking. Over 40 drivers all backing out of there spots at once, all at different angles and speeds seems to also be a risk NASCAR is gambling with. 

This issue can be adjusted along the way, after all at least the cars are not at such drastic speed differences, but it still doesn't seem to be the safest of ways. It also seems NASCAR maybe having trouble keeping the pit road speed in line during these scrambles, because it has seemed a few times that guys have been flying down pit road with other drivers trying to back out. 

In no way did this cooling adjustment to qualifying make this new format perfect, but it was a good step in the right direction that needed to happen. I think it will still be tough to see the impact of this decision at Bristol. Teams would have already needed less cool down time with track times being around 14-16 seconds. "It's going to be a tough one. I think the cooling will be obviously a little bit better this week just from the fact that it's 15 second laps, the engine temps won't get quite as high," Paul Wolfe, crew chief for Brad Keselowski, said earlier Tuesday. "But yeah, trying to go out and cool down at Bristol, that could be a potential issue. There's really no room to get out of the way, unless you're just running around on the flat part there on the apron."

Also, teams will still be in and out of the pits at different times, which will always cause at problem at a slow track. There will still be guys on "hot laps" with others coming off pit road after cooling down traveling at a much slower pace, but in general this is a much better idea for most tracks. At least now we don't have to hold our breadth week to week hoping a huge accident that could have been avoided happens.