NASCAR adds additional restriction to restrictor plates for upcoming Talladega event

[Markfan]

Well, it looks like instead of improving the design of the COT to reduce chances of becoming airborne, they're reducing the speed of Tally even more!

I'm getting fed up with these changes.

NASCAR.COM - NASCAR reducing size of restrictor plates for 'Dega - Oct 10, 2009

Oh Brian why couldn't you be like Bill . . . . .

 

[JeffJordan]

It says they're reducing the size of the restrictor plate, not increasing the size...

 

[MattSRD28]

Yeah, by a HUGE EYE-POPPING BARN-BLAZING LET'S GET THE TORCHES & PITCHFORKS 1/64th of an inch!!!

Oh noes! A 12 horsepower loss!!11!!1!

And this after people were complaining, some on this board even, about how flagrantly unsafe NASCAR was after Edwards' wreck at Tally. Well now Tally's catch fences are nearly twice as high, and the cars have 12 less horsepower. Can't say NASCAR has done nothing.

Pretty sure it'll be nearly impossible to tell the difference. Tally will still be Tally. There will still be large packs with a fairly good chance of a huge wreck that could take out Chase contenders. I chalk this up as a non-story, really. Certainly nothing to get hysterical about.

EDIT: Changed thread title for purposes of accuracy.

 

[Markfan]

Sorry I meant reducing horsepower, not adding restrictor plate size.

 

[dalejrgamer]

Won't make much of a difference, imo.

 

[DannyM]

Wouldn't the slower speeds bunch them up even more?

 

[DavidCarter2]

even if these cars are doing 50MPH it's still tally, there will still be packs and someone will be wrecked and there is the chance that someone could be seriously hurt or more.

 

[wslates]

Typical of Nascar....Edwards' crash was only caused by Newman's hood. There's a 1 in a million chance that will ever happen again....

 

[MattSRD28]

Well NASCAR's going to get criticized for it either way. That much is certain.

Either people will blame NASCAR for not doing anything & being negligent/unsafe, or they'll blame NASCAR for overreacting to a freak set of circumstances. They're in a no-win situation.

My opinion is that adding height to the fence & 1/64th to the restriction make the racing a little bit safer, while not having any real effect on the race itself. That's about the best NASCAR could really do.

 

[wslates]

Agreed. Nascar might of had some insurance issues too, so had to change SOMETHING.

 

[Bwallace83]

I say throw away these plates and let them race 230!

kidding, that would be terrible. But i honestly dont think there will be much difference in the race form the spring. Probably wont take off more that 5 mph. Carl Edwards and Kesolowski were going 203 on that last lap, so they could still get to 200+

 

[moppenheimer]

I don't really get the raising of the fence....Carl was about as high as physically possible, and wasn't close to clearing it really.....the problem was will the fence hold, and making it taller will, in theory, make it more prone to failure....

 

[MattSRD28]

Making the fence higher has a lot more to do with keeping flying debris inside the track than it does keeping airborne cars inside the track.

 

[DavidCarter2]

both drivers and fans alike now there is a chance they could get hurt. at the famous hickory motor speedwat which i will leaving for in few hours. there was vintage race last in which the bumper of a 35 flat head ford sedan came up and over the fence after colliding with a 60's chevy II. th sign clearly reads when walking into the track " watch for flying debris, we are not resposable for that debris " . anyone that has gone to a race know that the tire crumbles that come off lap after lap know to avoid that and that's small as crap.

 

[Fisha695]

The Fence wasn't a NASCAR decision it was an ISC decision. New Hampshire also upped their fences.

Personally I think NASCAR should jump on the FIA bandwagon here and use the FIA spec 22ft high catch-fences and require it around the entire track both inside wall, outside wall and the wall separating the pitlane from the race-track/grass. Yeah all that extra fence may not be needed, but it improves the look of the track anyway so it's a win/win.

 

[evan07]

Why cant NASCAR understand that the car was coming down and Newman's car hitting Carl caused him to flip.
I dont really see why anything has to change this kinda crash will most likely never happen agin.
Its racing if cerin people dont like danger than go be a profesional flower grower and not a driver.
Im sick of people hating on plate racing because i think its the most amazing thing to watch and I look forward to to these races every year and cant wait to go back to Talledga next month.

 

[jaqua99]

MattSRD28, were you previously Daveyfan28 or something? lol

 

[Markfan]

Raising the fences was definitely a good call, but the reduction in car speed is just going to make the race (unnecessarily) longer and force the cars into even tighter wads.

 

[MattSRD28]

12 less horsepower results in a negligible reduction in speed. You most likely will not be able to tell any difference.

 

[dalejrgamer]

Why cant NASCAR understand that the car was coming down and Newman's car hitting Carl caused him to flip.
I dont really see why anything has to change this kinda crash will most likely never happen agin.
Its racing if cerin people dont like danger than go be a profesional flower grower and not a driver.
Im sick of people hating on plate racing because i think its the most amazing thing to watch and I look forward to to these races every year and cant wait to go back to Talledga next month.

You must not have seen superspeedway races in the 80s.

And reducing the plate size will NOT make a difference in racing. Both quality-wise (although it could be 2006-ish), and in terms of danger (it's still possible to flip a car by weight shift)