Good Rule Changes!
M.L. Morgan
Frequently Nascar changes the rules just because it’s
Tuesday or for some equally absurd reason.
I’ve said many times the rule changes in the guise of maintaining parity
are a crock and I won’t
change my opinion.
Nascar has mandated some new rules which reduce the
rear spoiler height and increase the height
of the front air dam. All manufacturers will be affected proportionally.
It’s about damn time ! I
think this rule will be as significant as the roof-flap rule was. The race
cars have just become too
fast for the race tracks. Nascar has made a great step in the right
direction.
This so-called ‘5 and 5' rule, 5" spoiler and
5" front air dam clearance, has already been tested and
has demonstrated it will slow the cars without making them too dangerous
to drive. I applaud
Nascar’s decision to implement these changes.
Nascar has previously gone through the motions of
ostensibly trying to slow the cars but it’s
always been lip service. Reducing compression ratios, which were supposed
to be 9.5:1 in 1996
are dropped to 12:1 in 1998. That’s no big deal. I’ve always been
a proponent of reduced
compression ratios but Nascar’s version has done nothing to slow the
cars.
Robert Yates, among other recognized experts, is a
proponent of reducing the size of the engines.
My buddy Sparky, at iRace is another advocate
of reducing engine displacement. I don’t agree. I
think reducing the size of the engines is, at best, a short-term solution.
I really do agree with the
new ideas Nascar has devised to slow the cars.
The ball is back in the hands of the drivers and teams.
Sure, you can run 200 mph on this 150 mph
track, but you’ll be back on the trailer real early. In pieces. I think
that’s the way it should be.
The drivers and teams should be in charge of their destiny. They don’t
want to go out and wreck.
They can regulate themselves much better than Nascar can. Not only will the
teams be more
competitive, the fans will see just how talented these teams really are.
Not surprisingly, Nascar has ignored their terrible
restrictor plate rule. It must be coincidence.
King William II/NASCAR/Daytona has chosen to leave the multi-car wreck plates
intact. Every
time I find something good to say about Nascar, they bring me back to
reality.
For the time being I will salute Nascar for their very
positive moves. I throw rocks at Nascar
when I think they screw up but I’m equally conspicuous with my praise
when I think they have
done something positive. I think these new rules are great. Both the teams
and the fans will be
better off because of these new rules.
Have comments or questions? E-mail: M.L. Morgan
Back to "Race Views" Front Page
