Layers Of Earth

“The cars will all look the same. Fans won’t be able to tell which is a Ford and which is a Chevy…”

“Manufacturers are concerned that the cars will lack distinction, so much so that they may pull out of the sport altogether…”

“They’re taking all of the adjustability out of the cars. What is this, IROC?”

“This will be the end of ’stock’ car racing as we know it…”

Sounds like the common refrain when discussing the Car of Tomorrow, the revolutionary new car spec for NASCAR’s Nextel Cup Series which will make its debut next time we come to race at Bristol in 2007. But that isn’t where these quotes come from.

These quotes come from discussions surrounding the Car of TODAY.

Remember the idea of “common templates?” Back in 2002-2003, there was a push by NASCAR to reduce costs and make it easier for manufacturers to introduce new models by reducing the differences between the dimensions of the body templates. Writers, fans and those with voices raised them, voicing concerns that sound eerily similar to those being raised today by those in opposition to the Car of Tomorrow.

What did NASCAR do? Well, they kind of backed away from the term “common template” and went with “aero matching” for a while, then quietly did what they wanted to and made many of the templates common between makes. Fans, for the most part, went along and were none the wiser. Ford fans still could keep track of their drivers, and Chevy and Dodge fans did likewise. No one got confused and they all bought SUVs anyway.

If the only downside to the COT is this old idea of the cars not looking like the ones we drive on the street, then there is no argument. The cars on the race track long ago morphed into something unrecognized in the showroom. Shelf the term “stock” alongside those other outdated NASCAR terms, such as “North Wilksboro” , “Labor Day weekend at Darlington” and “two-door American Made sedan.”

The upside of the COT is tremendous, if one is agreeable to the ideas of better racing and safety. I like progress, I like more manufacturers and drivers from other disciplines giving the “tin-toppers” a shot. The COT, with it’s higher downforce, will allow guys like Juan Pablo Montoya to adjust to the bullish ride of a NASCAR vehicle more easily. Most notably, the old stinkin’ “aero-push” should be seriously minimized, leading to better racing at the mid-sized tracks that dominate the schedule.

NASCAR fans are loath to change. They hated longer schedules, the idea of the Chase for the Nextel Cup and Labor Days in California. While I still hate the last one with a passion, everyone came to embrace the other ideas, along with lots of others that were first met with the usual skepticism. With that history in mind, don’t be so quick to dismiss the Car of Tomorrow and it’s spoiler. It may bring back the kind of racing missing since the series went to radial tires in the early ’90’s.

By the way, I actually like the look of the spoiler that adorns the back of the COT. I think a lot of the kids zooming around my town in hyped-up little Toyotas and Hondas will also…

This entry was posted on Thursday, August 24th, 2006 at 3:53 pm and is filed under Motorsports.