The success of a new high-downforce, high-drag restrictor-plate competition package in last year’s NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Indianapolis provided the impetus for the use of a similar package in last month’s Monster Energy NASCAR All-Star Race at Charlotte.
With additional Cup races contemplated for the All-Star configuration, Saturday’s LTI Printing 250 Xfinity Series race (1:30 p.m. ET on FOX, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) will again provide a laboratory for the promising aero package.
“I’ve enjoyed the new package,” said Joe Gibbs racing driver Brandon Jones, who raced under the same rules last Saturday at Pocono. “The one thing I think we all could probably agree on is just our corner speeds were so low at that track.
“When you had your momentum going and you were built up, it was really awesome. You could really race side-by-side. But as soon as your car got a little bit tight, or you got side-by-side with somebody and got choked down, you’d get freight-trained, and guys would go by you really bad.
“I thought you could keep speed up a little bit better at Indy (last year). I think that’s what produced a really great race with that package, and I think it’s going to do the same thing here this weekend.”
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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