NASCAR is looking at things that could potentially remove the R&D Center inspection

NASCAR VP: “None of us like penalties. It’s the worst thing for the teams. It’s the worst thing for the fans.”

After each race, NASCAR selects the race winner and two other cars to bring back to Concord, North Carolina. Upon arrival, the cars begin a complete tear down process.

They check everything. Engines are torn down to the core, bodies are scanned, chassis parts are removed.

All of that takes time. For the West Coast races this is time is magnified. When NASCAR is out West it takes them an extra day just to get the cars back to Concord to begin the process.

As a result, the race isn’t technically ‘official’ until Tuesday or Wednesday when the race winner clears the R&D Center tear down process. That’s not good for the fans.

But, is it even possible to do all of this at the track instead of at the R&D Center? With that detailed of an inspection, could we ever expect clears to be fully inspected at the race track?

NASCAR R&D Center
NASCAR R&D Center entrance

Is there talks of removing the NASCAR R&D Center inspection?

“We are in the business of providing a level playing field,” NASCAR Senior VP of Competition Scott Miller stated on ‘The Morning Drive’ via Sirius XM NASCAR Radio.

“Right now, what we do with the fine-tooth comb at the R&D Center is necessary. We’re looking at a lot of different things that could potentially be something different.”

“But, right now, with the trends that we see and everything that we’ve done — None of us like penalties. It’s the worst thing for the teams. It’s the worst thing for the fans. It’s just not a great storyline.”

“The fact of the matter is a non-level playing field would not be a good storyline either. So, we’re trying to balance how we do that.”

“Right now, we can go over the car with a fine-tooth comb at the R&D Center and we don’t have the ability to really do that [at the race track]. In lots of times, the dark and after having been there for a 12 hour day.”

“We want to make sure we’re doing a thorough job of inspection the race cars. Right now, the R&D Center is our best avenue for doing that.”

More

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