July 5th, 2010 
T.C. Friday night at Daytona, we finally got to see the culmination of a few years of development with the debut of the Nationwide Series’ new car. I’d say NNS COT, but I heard that NASCAR doesn’t want it referred to as the COT, so instead I’ll call it the “new car.” The race was won by Dale Earnhardt Jr. in the #3 Wrangler Impala, and all things considered, I believe we can call the race a success.
There was concern in the garage area after the testing and practice sessions that the race may have turned into the type of race we saw on Saturday night. Many drivers said the cars were unstable in the draft and were difficult to drive. Add to that the inexperience of many of those in the field, and it appeared we had the perfect recipe for disaster. Instead, what we saw was a solid race where drivers didn’t take crazy chances and wreck their race cars. We even got to see an exciting two lap shootout for the finish.
Getting to the point where the new car could finally be debuted was a long process. A ton of R&D work had to be done by the teams and by NASCAR. And implementation hasn’t been without it’s critics, as there are plenty of pros and cons.
For the crews, the car presents some new challenges, as the inspection process is now much more rigorous. The cars must be certified just like their Cup brethren and go through a very similar inspection process at the track. All of that adds up to more work for the teams.
I can tell you that pit stops aren’t much different then they were previously. The new cars may actually be a little easier to service then the old cars, partly because of the larger wheel openings. The new cars are very similar to the Cup COT, and the Cup crew guys who also work in the Nationwide Series will have no problems adjusting. For the NNS only crews, the right to left travel may be slightly different then the old car, but it should be a fairly easy transition.
The switchover has also been tough on some teams, especially the small operations. Many have been working long hours to both build the new cars and maintain their fleet of the older version. The cost to build a fleet of the new car will certainly be substantial, but moving forward, it should help save the teams money. The new design helps cut down the need for specialized cars for the different track types.
Nationwide teams will go back to the older version for the upcoming few races, but the new car will reappear at Michigan, Richmond, and Charlotte later in the season. Full implementation will happen for the 2011 season, and I personally think it’s a good move. The unique (and new) body styles will give the NNS some of it’s identity back, and should strengthen the fans’ perception of the series. Hopefully this move will also help NASCAR not only make the necessary changes to return the Nationwide Series to it’s proper form, but also serve as a test pad for improvements to the Cup COT.
So what were your thoughts of the race on Friday? Did you think it was a successful first outing? What is your opinion of how the new car looks? Is NASCAR moving in the right direction?
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I was honestly shocked that the expected Cup vs. Nationwide curve didn’t materialize in this race. If there was any track which should show a major difference between the Nationwide and Cup regulars, it’s Daytona. But Justin Allgaier had a fantastic run until he got run over with 20ish laps to go, and Stenhouse, Ickler, and Arpin all pulled off top 10s. It was a fantastic race.
Terrific first in-race test on the NNS car. The Charger has to be the closest in terms of brand identity. If Chevy and Toyota weren’t watching, they’re stuck in the past. Ford might tweek their graphics, but they understand the future way to win on Saturday & sell on Monday.
From here on out, the screws should be tightened on the manufacturers, NASCAR and to a lesser degree, team owners to make this work and revive the car industry in America.
That’s right, America. NASCAR and the manufacturers are clearly at their lowest point in this recession. And some team owners have seen better days. It’s stuff like this that needs to turn heads in America.
So the Nationwide test better be the first test for the Cup Series. Because the stakes are far higher for NASCAR and the manufacturers. And the team owners could stand to make a little extra jack if they can get this thing to work. Because they are the grass roots of executing a difficult task.
I liked seeing cars that at least from the front actually looked a bit like the ‘stock car’ they’re supposed to represent.
That was by far one of the best Nationwide races I have seen in a while. I dont know if it was the fact that Danica wasn’t racing or if it was seeing those Mustangs racing around. Either way it was just a great race!
Great race! I like the new car look. Finally a win for NASCAR!
Congrats to Jr also. Amazing at the pressure he dealt with to do this deal.
The cars are great! Can’t wait to see the next race with them, win win NASCAR.
Overall for NASCAR – yes it was a success – as well for the Jr. Nation. – But for CHEVY – what an embarassment – throwing out a car that senior citizens drive vs. major classic muscle cars….WOW! – Perhaps they are trying to attract the White haired folks to the sport….what a shame Chevrolet…Hollywood can “transform” the Camaro, but NASCAR can’t…..interesting.
I love the challenger. It looks great. All the cars from the front look stock unlike the cup cars that look stupid with 5 or 6 steel bars holding the front together. Its almost like the designers are 10 yrs behind. Fire them and hire whoever designed the NNS car. It supposed to be the minor league of Nascar, but in my opioinn the cars look just the opposite. I just don’t understand why Chevy didn’t put the camaro front on there car. Everybody but Toyota has the sport car version of the street car. At least make it a damn Malibu. The impala is the cheapest, biggest, and honestly the ugliest of the chevy brand. I know the vette is to advanced for Nascar but really the Camaro and the mustang look alike anyway. Chevy…..WAKE UP. People watching Nascar will not go buy a Impala on Monday. Camaro…yes(for the above average income). If not camaro, please switch to malibu. They are a hell of a lot sportier than the impala. Dodge hit a home run. I was loooking at the camaro and challenger. I’m leaning toward the Challenger. Be a cool car to take to the race
First of all, I’m very impressed with all four of the new designs, and I strongly believe they will help launch a climb in the series’ popularity. But that aside, I can’t help but notice the frequent remarks about Chevrolet’s decision to not design the new car around the Camaro. I think what everyone needs to understand is the fact that the development of these new cars first started 2 or 3 years ago, back before the Camaro itself was even finished and road ready. Chevrolet didn’t use the Camaro because it simply wasn’t ready yet, the Impala was the clear choice, so they went with it. You certainly can’t bank such a large operation on a car that is still going through its own design processes. It just wasn’t ready, plain and simple.