Nationwide CoT makes track debut

The cars ran Monday and Tuesday at the 0.75-mile oval for the first time in preparation for a scheduled race debut in 2010. Some notables had the chance to sample the new machines and comparing them to the current spec of the second-tier series.

"This one turns pretty well," reigning Nationwide series champion Carl Edwards said about the car. "I guess they did some different things with the nose and stuff, and it turns better. We still have yet to see on a big track. We still need to test at a big track, but it feels, to me, pretty good."

The car has marked differences with the current spec, both mechanically and aerodynamically. The bodywork features a splitter similar to the one in the Sprint Cup car, but with a smaller profile, while at the rear there's a spoiler that's taller on the edges than in the middle section.

The chassis is the same as that of the current Sprint Cup car, something that will allow teams to purchase old chassis from Cup squads at low prices. However, the new Nationwide car uses coil binding in the front suspension instead of the bump-stops that have given such a hard time to some crew chiefs and drivers in the top series.

"It feels like a mix between the current Nationwide car and the current Cup car now," said Nationwide and Sprint Cup series regular David Ragan. "It drives a little easier than the [current Cup] car. With less horsepower, it feels like a Nationwide car. I don't think it's that much different."

Chevrolet and Toyota still have to get the nose of their new models approved by NASCAR, with the former making the biggest change relative to their current model as they expect to change the Monte Carlo they have run for the past few years.

"This is a new project for the Nationwide Series so there's an unknown until you get (the car) to the racetrack," said NASCAR Nationwide series Director Joe Balash. "Now we have it at the track and it's been very well-received."

Roush Fenway racing had two cars on track, while Richard Childress Racing had one, as well as Chip Ganassi Racing, Michael Waltrip Racing and Davis Motorsports.