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The new NASCAR Sprint Cup car generated more complaints from drivers last week after the Samsung 500 at Texas.
What should NASCAR do about it?
Not a thing.
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| Carl Edwards, a three-time winner this season, says 'it's not supposed to be easy for everyone.' (AP) |
There's no denying teams and drivers are going through some growing pains as the car graduates to intermediate-sized tracks. Sunday's race in Texas wasn't very exciting by any means, and some drivers say it will get worse before it gets better.
"I really think we need to look at some changes to help these cars not be so aero dependent," said second-place Texas finisher Jimmie Johnson. "They are safer, they are doing a lot of things the right way, but we really need to look at making some changes so these cars can have a little more down force. ... We get into low down force situations, (where) there is more grip in the car."
Johnson says NASCAR should do whatever necessary to alleviate what he perceives as a problem that won't just fix itself.
"I don't know if we can correct some of it," he said. "This car is so much bigger. It is safer, and that's a great thing. But I'd love to see NASCAR talk to some team engineers and their guys get together and think, 'All right, what's a logical step that's not going to cost millions and millions of dollars to get some more front down force in the cars so you don't get so tight in traffic.' It seems that we have plenty of rear grip from time to time with the aero balance, and you can adjust the wing there. But the cars really need some front down force."
Johnson wasn't alone in his frustration at Texas. Other drivers and crew chiefs threw everything they could at the cars' set-up over the course of the 500-mile grind in hopes of finding a path to better handling.
"We just chased the handling of the car the entire day," said Dale Earnhardt Jr., who started from the pole but sunk back slowly before settling for a 12th-place finish. "We had it too tight at the end there. It's frustrating. Just a thousandth of an inch adjustment can just mess things up. We went back and forth all day long."
Kyle Busch -- surprise, surprise -- wasn't quite as diplomatic when asked about the new car and its midsized track performance.
"I'm not answering that question," said Busch. "Go to NASCAR to (get an) answer (to) that question."
But for every driver on the "let's blow this thing up and start over" side of the fence, there's another who thinks the new car is fine.
