BROOKLYN, Mich. – Based on concerns raised by drivers with respect to high temperatures in the driver compartments at Indianapolis, where the high-drag aerodynamic package was first used, NASCAR is mandating that three of the 14 available ducts channeling air into the cars remain open, and without dampers.
To Jeff Gordon, there was a noticeable improvement.
“It seems to be helping on the track,” the four-time Sprint Cup champion said. “It seems like it’s not quite as hot, but it’s going to be hotter on Sunday. But there is just not as much air moving underneath the car and around the car, which can make that engine compartment a little hotter, too.
“There are so many factors—fuel mileage, pit strategy, track position, aerodynamics, and restarts. It’s going to be wild.”
NASCAR AFTER THE LAP RETURNS
NASCAR After The Lap, sponsored by Ford and Sprint, will return to Las Vegas for its seventh-consecutive year. The event will once again take place at the Pearl Palms Concert Theater inside the Palms Casino Hotel on Thursday, Dec. 3.
Part of the Champion’s Week celebration, NASCAR After The Lap gives fans the chance to see the 16 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup drivers field questions and trade barbs in an unrestrained, off-the-cuff atmosphere.
Additionally, from Aug. 14 through Nov. 22, NASCAR fans entering the NASCAR After The Lap sweepstakes will have the opportunity to win a 2016 Ford F-150 and two winners will receive an all-inclusive VIP trip for two to Las Vegas to attend the festivities. Fans can enter by visiting www.NASCARafterthelap.com.
Event tickets are priced at $20 and go on sale on Sept. 21. For fans unable to attend, NASCAR.com will offer a live stream of the event.
Greg is the author of "The Nuts and Bolts of NASCAR: The Definitive Viewers' Guide to Big-Time Stock Car Auto Racing" and has been published in major publications across the country including the Los Angeles Times, the Cleveland Plain Dealer and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He was also a contributor to Chicken Soup for the NASCAR Soul, published in 2010, and the Christmas edition in 2016. He wrote as the NASCAR, Formula 1, Auto Reviews and National Veterans Affairs Examiner for Examiner.com and has appeared on Fox News. He holds a BS degree in communications, a Masters degree in psychology and is currently a PhD candidate majoring in psychology. He is currently the weekend Motorsports Editor for Autoweek.
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