UPDATE: NASCAR saw the expected incremental improvements to its short track package Sunday at Phoenix Raceway.
“There were a lot of passes during the race from the data standpoint,” Cup Series managing director Brad Moran told SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. “The way these races play out, you never know what you’re going to get. But I think we had – and again, it’s still early on, we’re going to dig into everything and talk to all the drivers and teams and do quite a bit of digging here at the R&D Center – like 2,800 green flag passes, which is the most with the Next Gen car at Phoenix. So, it did deliver that.
“But we’re never done looking at improvements and adjustments. Christopher Bell, he didn’t really seem [to have] too much of a problem passing, that’s for sure. He had a dominant race. It was a pretty interesting race from the tower.”
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Moran also acknowledged that adding horsepower has been discussed, but warned that it’s not a simple solution.
“Once we open up the horsepower, we have to have all three manufacturers on board,” he said. “As soon as you open that up, there’s going to be development, there’s going to be reliability issues and putting that cost back into the engine builder’s category, where they certainly will develop the engine. As soon you open any horsepower, they’re automatically going to do that. They’re the best at it, and that’s what they do.
— Racer —
ORIGINAL POST 3-9-2024: The consensus from several NASCAR Cup Series drivers after practice Friday at Phoenix Raceway was that there was no discernible difference with the rules package.
“I forgot they did anything until they started talking about it afterwards,” Chase Elliott said. “I don’t see it really changing a whole lot. I could be totally wrong, but I don’t think it’s going to change much.”
Cup Series teams had 55 minutes, an extended practice session, to work through the new package. After a two-day test at Phoenix Raceway in December, NASCAR made tweaks to the short track and road course aero package, continuing to look for a package that produces better racing with its Next Gen car. Among the features of the aero package are a simplified rear diffuser with fewer vertical strakes, no engine panel strakes and a three-inch spoiler.
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William Byron was disappointed after practice but seemed more focused on the traits and speed of his Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet. Byron was 24th fastest in practice after dominating at Phoenix in the fall.
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The noticeable difference in feel for Ty Gibbs was the rear diffuser. It was expected that drivers would have to hustle the car more or be able to slide more with the changes.
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Daniel Suarez and Denny Hamlin were the most positive drivers with the aero package. Suarez felt he had more speed in the front of his Chevrolet because the tire was softer and that it fell off more. The Trackhouse Racing driver believes that will produce good racing. He admitted he was in traffic quite a bit during the first run he made in practice.
— Racer —