NASCAR changes rules after embarrassing qualifying fiasco
Due to a recent incident at the Auto Club 400 event on March 17 where none of the final cars in a race set an official time, NASCAR has changed its qualifying rules in order to prevent a similar outcome. NASCAR has decided that all cars must now post a lap time in the last session or start at the rear of the field. Once a car leaves its pit stall it cannot stop on pit road.
NASCAR will be giving fans a sneak peek into its future at this year’s all-star race at Charlotte Motor Speedway by modifying the cars with two features that may be incorporated into the all-new Gen-7 models currently under development for 2021. NASCAR often uses the non-points event to test out new rules before incorporating them into the series.
Cars go through a tech inspection before every race. (Getty Images)
This time around, the Cup cars will be equipped with a single-piece front splitter and radiator pan combination designed to tweak the aerodynamics to make them more consistent to drive in traffic, along with a radiator vent exiting the hood that is aimed at creating downforce parity across all of the vehicles and improving engine cooling.
The changes will be incorporated into the 2019 aero package for the All-Star race. (NASCAR)
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Many high performance sports cars, including the Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 and upcoming 2020 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 feature vents that reduce pressure under the hood, which helps reduce lift and drag. One of the goals for Gen-7 cars is to make them more relevant to the production models they are based on.
The proposed hood vent is similar to the ones used on high performance production cars, like the Ford Mustang Shelby GT500. (Ford)
The May 18 race will again have four stages, with a five-lap increase in the final stage from last year. The stages will be 30, 20, 20 and 15 laps. Both green- and yellow-flag laps will count in Stages 1-3, with only green-flag laps counting in the final stage.
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The Associated Press contributed to this report