Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, September 12, 1993 TAG: 9309120136
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C-3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: BOB ZELLER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: RICHMOND LENGTH: Medium
Instead, in another effort to keep the cars from flying into the air when they spin, NASCAR has mandated four changes:
The bottom of the front air dam must be a minimum of five inches off the ground, up from 3.5 inches.
The 57-inch-wide rear spoiler must be five inches tall instead of 6.5 inches.
The roof height must be increased from 50.5 inches to 51 inches.
A hinged door flap must be installed to close off the air cowl in front of the windshield at the back of the hood.
NASCAR spokesman Chip Williams said the sanctioning body tested a number of different ways to slow the cars during the past few weeks, including restrictor plates, and "the feeling was these changes were the best we have at this point."
NASCAR expects all four changes to reduce speeds at the two tracks by about four to five miles per hour.
Closing off the air cowl in front of the windshield reportedly was particularly effective in slowing the cars, cutting speeds by about two or three miles per hour alone.
NASCAR ordered hinges on the flap that closes the hole because if a car gets sideways and air gets beneath the vehicle, the hinge will allow the flap to open and release some of the air pressure from under the car.
Even with the cowl closed, NASCAR officials do not expect an increase in overheating problems.
But whether these changes will keep the cars from going airborne remains debatable.
A number of cars have sailed and flipped at Daytona and Talladega this year despite the use of restrictor plates at the tracks. One car flipped at Michigan last month during a Grand National race.
"I don't know how to keep them on the ground when they get backwards," driver Mark Martin said.
Keywords:
AUTO RACING
by CNB