NASCAR doesn’t rule out pre-'500' aero tweaks

Stock car racing's governing body was battling against criticism on two fronts after last weekend's '500' pole qualifying and Sunday's non-points Budweiser Shootout.

After qualifying, the Winston Cup's three established marques accused Dodge of deliberate sand-bagging during winter testing when the Intrepid R/Ts of Bill Elliott and Stacy Compton locked-out the front row for next Sunday's big race.

Then, after Sunday's Shootout, Ford argued that it is at a significant drag disadvantage compared to Chevrolet and Pontiac after NASCAR tweaked its new superspeedway aero package prior to Daytona's Speedweeks. During the traditional big money season-opener, a Ford Taurus led for just two out of the race's 70 laps.

NASCAR took the highest finisher from each marque to an Atlanta, Georgia, wind tunnel immediately after the Shootout, but said the test had been scheduled since last autumn and was not a knee-jerk to the complaints. However, paddock sources say that in race trim, preliminary findings from the test give Dodge's Intrepid a drag advantage equivalent to 30bhp compared to the Pontiac Grand Prix and Chevrolet Monte Carlo, while Ford's Taurus is said to be 10bhp down in drag terms compared to the GM marques.

Speaking today (Wednesday), NASCAR technical director Gary Nelson refused to confirm the figures, saying that certain tests had put three of the marques within a single drag bhp of each other. He also stressed that a decision on any aero changes would not be made until after tomorrow's qualifying races.

"On Sunday night, [NASCAR president] Mike Helton said it would be highly unlikely that we'd change things before the 'Twins'," said Nelson. "It's the same now. Let me stress that we didn't rule out changes. We just ruled them out before the 'Twins'.

"For me, the '500' itself is where you really get your report card, but we'll look at things on Thursday. Our decisions have to be based on what happens on the track - we don't race on the engine dyno, we don't race in the wind tunnel. The numbers are interesting and can dispute or support what the guys in the garages are saying, but it's on track where we'll see for real."

Nelson said that each of the marques had different strengths and weaknesses in the tests, but denied that it had had the wool pulled over its eyes by Dodge, which was still significantly off the pace in testing last month.

"Dodge didn't snooker NASCAR," he said. "Sure I heard those things, but realistically there will always be somebody on the front row and somebody not. Yeah, I can understand somebody saying it, but we had all four makes in the top five after qualifying, and look at how the [Bill Elliott] Dodge wasn't a factor in the Shootout.

"We want every fan in the stands to know that the make and the driver they root for is capable of winning every race - that's our goal. We'll continue to watch and monitor, but as well as understanding our dilemma, understand our agenda, and that's to keep things equal."

NASCAR runs a different aero package at Daytona and Talladega to the rest of the 22-track, 36-race schedule. Roof slats and bigger rear wings are designed to increase drag and allow more overtaking on the pair of restrictor plate tracks, but Nelson did not rule out further tunnel tests after round two of the series at Rockingham's non-restrictor plate track should they be warranted.