Soon, NASCAR will announce a secondary rules package for what’s expected to be 13 races in 2019
NASCAR brought a new package to the All-Star race at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Aero ducts, a bigger spoiler, a standard front splitter and a restrictor plate changed the racing dramatically.
The stats say it was the best race at Charlotte in several years. Soon after the All-Star race, the fans were in a buzz about the future of NASCAR. Then the drivers spoke up about the package and the excitement level from the fans kind of phased out.
Now, a similar package is soon to be announced for several races in 2019. The package is rumored to be used at 13 events next year.
Why do the drivers and the drivers’ council keep saying ‘no’ to the All-Star package?
“We don’t have that authority,” Kevin Harvick explained. “We give our feedback.”
“When you look at the direction that is possibly talked about it’s got more horsepower and it’s got more things that come with that drafting package. My biggest concern all along is that it’s right.”
“In the end, it’s a different rules package. It’s a change. It’s going to cost the teams money. And it’s going to be different.”
“As you do those types of things, you just gotta make sure that it’s right. As far as what the rules are, I’m way past worrying about it. I think my team will succeed at whatever the rules are.”
“We just need to know what the rules are so we can start working on them. There’s a set timeframe that those rules come out.”
Despite the massive rules change for the NASCAR All-Star event, the dominate car of the season still won the race. Kevin Harvick drove it to victory lane at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Sunday, May 27, 2018
©2018 Walt Kuhn
Indycar
Kevin Harvick relates the changes to a direction Indycar went in the past. He wants to make sure NASCAR doesn’t make the same mistakes.
In the 1980s and early 1990s, CART ran mostly on street and road courses. In turn, this move helped not only the competing IRL circuit but also NASCAR as oval fans flocked to both IRL and NASCAR series.
CART [Champ Car] and IRL competed with each other vigorously, hurting both series. Eventually, they had entirely different rules packages which made cross entries impossible. Yet, the two series reunited in 2008 and the newly branded Indycar Series has been on a climb ever since.
Currently, Indycar has seen a resurgence as they are bigger than they’ve been in 30 years. Recently, they moved to a lower downforce package from what they were previously running.
“Changing the rules from low downforce to high downforce… I think there’s some thing to be learned from the Indycar side so that we don’t make those same mistakes,” Harvick comments.
“Don’t do the same thing they did.”
“In the racing community, Indycar was at a peak. Things went down hill when the things started to split up and rules started to change. It was just a mess.”
“It’s taken them a long time to get back to where they are today. Those are the types of things that you just don’t want to see.”
More
Related: Proposed NASCAR rule changes for 2019
Related: Kevin Harvick expects the future of NASCAR to look like the 2018 All-Star race
Related: NASCAR has tested the restrictor plate package at Michigan International Speedway
Related: Following a meeting: NASCAR is looking to run more high downforce package again in 2018
Related: NASCAR discusses possible use of the aero package for 2019 or 2018
Related: Stewart-Haas Racing says switching the to the All-Star package is a ‘big task’
Related: Kyle Larson had fun in the Charlotte restrictor plate race
Related: Kyle Busch anticipates the All-Star package becoming less exciting
Related: NASCAR is pleased with the Charlotte aero package
Related: Announcement of the NASCAR All-Star restrictor plate package
