The Car of Tomorrow (COT) made its much anticipated debut at Bristol Motor Speedway in March. The next big test for the COT is the UAW-Ford 500 at Talladega Superspeedway on October 6 and in preparation for that event, the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series participated in a two-day test at the 2.66-mile speedway on September 10-11.
Approximately 50 different race teams participated in the two-day test session which was the first time the newly designed car was put through the process of drafting at the high-banked, fast Talladega track, as well as the first time the cars were tested with restricted engines. Only two tracks feature events in which restrictor plates with the other track being Talladega's sister track, Daytona International Speedway. The intent behind the COT program is to slow the cars down and while speeds were slower during the test session, they weren't dramatically so.
Four-time NASCAR champion Jeff Gordon won the Bud Pole at Talladega in April with a lap speed of 192.069 mph. The fastest lap in single-car runs during the test at Talladega was 189.560 mph, turned in by Denny Hamlin. The difference in speed was less than three seconds.
Michael Waltrip Racing's trio of teams all participated in the test session with reasonable results considering the organization's efforts with their restrictor-plate program in 2007. Car owner Michael Waltrip turned in one of the top 15 speeds in single-car runs with his lap time of 50.909 seconds and 188.100 mph. Dale Jarrett, driver of the #44 UPS Toyota, turned in his best
lap time of 51.268 seconds and 186.783 mph - a lap time that was in the top 25 for speed. Throughout the two-day test session all three MWR teams fared well among the teams participating in the test session - a marked improvement over the cars they used to run at the superspeedway events.
"We've been real fortunate because we've been to the straight-line tests a couple times, the wind tunnel, pull-down rigs and seven-post rigs so what we've learned is beginning to make sense," said car owner Michael Waltrip. "We can show up to the test, make changes that are supposed to help and they do which is a good feeling. It's good to know that our practice and
preparation are paying dividends when we get to the track because there was a time when that wasn't necessarily the case."
Jarrett, a fairly successful superspeedway racer with four wins at Daytona and two at Talladega, said the differences between the COT cars and the old body style are noticeably different but was surprised by the big difference in the RPMs turned by the COT cars.
"The change in the RPMs is the biggest difference I saw," Jarrett said. "By the time you come out of the pits and come back around to the start/finish line, you've reached your maximum RPM. We have more throttle response with the cars than I anticipated. The cars obviously drive fine here because the track is so smooth."
One of the most anticipated elements of the test session was drafting practice. Teams weren't sure what to expect during the various drafting sessions that took place but a number of drivers anticipated loose-handling conditions with the COT cars.
"The only thing I've heard about these cars from guys that participated in tire tests was that the cars get loose," Jarrett said prior to drafting. "I would expect that with the big hole these cars punch in the air that drafting would come into play a little more than we have been used to in the
past."
Jarrett's expectations in regards to the greater use of the draft proved right as a number of drivers found during the drafting test sessions, as Waltrip explained.
"I don't see much of difference in drafting with the COT versus the other car other than it seems to me that it does make for more passing because you fall back behind a guy and you can really come back on him with the draft," Waltrip said. "With the other car you really had to time it perfectly to be able to make those types of moves. With this car it seems like you can play
the game of lying off the guy in front of you and getting that big run."
