With NASCAR announcing last Friday that they will ban all testing for the Cup, Nationwide, Truck, and both Regional Series (East & West) for 2009, you can be sure teams are hard at work trying to find a way around the ban. What the ban means, is that no team can test at any track that hosts a race for NASCAR’s top three series and the two regional series. NASCAR is hoping that the ban will save the teams money and in turn help improve the economic situation the sport currently finds itself in.
The current testing policy only allowed for a few sanctioned tests during the season. Outside those tests, teams could not test at tracks that held a race for their series. In an attempt to enforce this policy, NASCAR wouldn’t allow teams to get tires from Goodyear to run tests outside those scheduled. To get around this, teams would buy tires from companies like Hoosier and Michelin, and go test at other tracks. Cup Series teams, for example, would get tires and test constantly at tracks like Kentucky Speedway, Nashville Superspeedway, and The Milwaukee Mile. These tracks were fair game because they don’t host a Cup race. This new policy will eliminate the use of these tracks.
While some have suggested that teams with an R&D department will be hit hard with even more job losses, don’t look for these folks to be fired any time soon. This new testing policy doesn’t take effect until January 1st, 2009. Because of this, you can be sure teams will squeeze in every possible second of testing they can between now and New Years Day in order to get every bit of data they can for next season.
One thing NASCAR teams have been known for throughout the history of the sport is their innovation and creativity. When a new rule is implemented, teams will always begin working diligently to find ways around the rule. One example we saw of that this year with the new COT were the “crabby” cars in the Cup Series. Teams discovered they could change the angle of the rear end in the car and make them handle better. NASCAR has since limited this angle. This testing ban will be no different.
Instead of ending testing and just taking the rule for what it is, teams will take their R&D budgets and spend them on other activities. They will begin testing at non-sanctioned tracks such as Andy Hillenburg’s Rockingham Speedway (if its not on the 2009 Camping World East Schedule) and the lesser known Texas World Speedway. I’ve even heard the forgotten about North Wilkesboro track may be bought and reopened. Also, wind tunnels such as Haas’ WindShear and AeroDyne in Mooresville will be working overtime, and you can be sure the new Earnhardt-Ganassi Racing will be wearing out their secret wind tunnel facility in the Pennsylvania mountains (Yes it does exist! They refer to it as LHT and use it to run aerodynamic tests for their IndyCar, GrandAm, and NASCAR programs). Teams will also ramp up use of their 4 post and 7 post “shaker” rigs.
I do commend the sport’s leadership for taking some action to try and help teams save money, but unfortunately I don’t think this is the answer. The policy will cut down on costs associated with testing, but the money saved will just be put towards other activities. NASCAR needs to sit down with all the owners and really work with them to understand the issues they face and find solutions that will benefit everyone involved. While it could be a step in the right direction, this new ban just might make that gap between the “haves” and “have-nots” even greater.
Subscribe to the Insiders
Related Posts:
Loading ...
on Nov 17th, 2008 at 9:33 pm
The Prohibition Era of testing has begun. More money (for those who have it) will be spent in “black market” testing in obscure locations. A new market will emerge for “spy” photos of cars testing at Maverick tracks in sheepskin clothing. I love it. it’s more like F1 than ever before!
Between the COT and now the testing ban, why doesn’t NASCAR just take a page from IROC and NASCAR field 43 cars out of their own Daytona Beach stable, while the superstar drivers just “show up” each Sunday. Divide the season in 1/4’s. At the end of each quarter, those outside the top 35 are asked to never come back and get replaced by a completely new 8 drivers. Fresh points starting each quarter with a playoff at the end of the year.
Whala…NASCAR gets their stick-n-ball fix, we see new upcoming drivers, teams are not teams (just drivers), money is saved, shops are closed, communities suffer and what do ya know? We have a spec series in a socialistic society.
Hey, don’t blame me, I voted Republican!
on Nov 18th, 2008 at 7:23 am
I understand NASCAR’s intent is to save money. That’s a givin. What I don’t understand is why did’nt BASCAR ban testing at all tracks period and back it up with some very heavy fines. NASCAR could have opened the scheduled race track a day or two early for open testing for all racing that weekend. Opening the track early would do two things, it would save the teams money and it could create new revenue for the track. This also would keep the playing feild a bit more level than the current ban. With the current ban in place it promotes more of the haves and more of the have nots.
on Nov 18th, 2008 at 9:55 am
Simple solution.
Open up the track on Thursday, let the teams run all of the telemetry they want. This is your testing. It at least cuts down travel costs. You still pay the crew per diem and hotel expense, but you do not have them traveling all over the place.
Want to limit it, maybe only use it 5 or 7 times a year.
on Nov 18th, 2008 at 10:18 am
Does na$car really think this testing ban will be of any help to the have-nots. Not really. The big teams will test at non sanctioned tracks while the smaller teams will not be able to keep up. I’ve been comparing na$car to iroc and f-1 for quite some time and it’s getting closer and closer. There has been a complete dis-connect between the drivers and the fans. And don’t think that’s part of the reason for a lot of long time fans leaving the sport. Like one person said, you’ve got millionaire drivers showing up on Sunday. No, the testing ban just masks other problems.
on Nov 18th, 2008 at 10:43 am
TC can you clarify for me…can a team test as much as they want on a non-sanctioned track that is not on any of the 3 series schedules? For example: Can they go to Road Atlanta or Nazereth or maybe the Lausitzring (Germany) for unlimited testing? As long as Goodyear doesn’t supply tires? Does Goodyear collect all tires (used and unused) after a race weekend? Does a team buy tires and get refund those not used?
I wish I owned a shaker rig or two right now! Just like F1, every ban or concoction leads to exponential spending.
on Nov 18th, 2008 at 3:49 pm
Neon: With the new policy, there are no rules about non-sanctioned tracks. So that pretty much means they can go to tracks like Rockingham, VIR, Road Atlanta, or one of the countless short tracks and test all they want. Goodyear only supplies tires to sanctioned tests. Teams will get tires for outside tests from Hoosier and other suppliers.
In terms of race tires, teams don’t actually “buy” them anymore. Tires are leased from Goodyear. After a race, ALL tires (used and unused) are dismounted from the team’s wheels and returned to Goodyear. Champion Tire & Wheel then loads up the team wheels in trailers and trucks them to the next track. This way, teams can’t use race tires outside of the races.
on Nov 19th, 2008 at 5:18 pm
Thanks for the clarification TC. With that being said, now I not only wish that I had a couple of shaker rigs to rent, but I also wish I was a track that NASCAR turned down for a race, just so I could make good money renting it out w/o all of the hassles. Maybe this was God’s way of looking out for the shunned tracks like Rockingham and North Wilkesboro. Greenville-Pickens should be an even more popular place now!
on Nov 19th, 2008 at 5:25 pm
Neon: Even Greenville-Pickens is out because its on the East Series schedule…