NASCAR crew chief Rodney Childers comments on the new step splitter and hood ducts

Kevin Harvick’s #4 team spent several days trying to hang the new front splitter exactly right

This weekend, NASCAR is bringing some experimental elements to the race track. A step splitter will be installed on nose of the car. Additionally, the hood will have a working duct punched in the center.

Both of these elements are being tested for the 2021 rules package. In 2021, the Generation 7 race car will touch the track. NASCAR is testing out these two elements to see if it’s a direction they want to pursue on the new car design.

The hood duct is designed to channel air out from under the hood and onto the rear spoiler. The step splitter is to take away some splitter sensitivity.

The NASCAR All-Star race has been a testing ground for rule changes. Last year, we saw the first look at the 2019 rules package. Kevin Harvick drove it to victory lane.

NASCAR’s goal is to make the cars race better in traffic. But, Kevin Harvick’s crew chief doesn’t see it changing things too much…

Rodney Childers on the NASCAR All-Star rules

“The biggest thing is trying to get this splitter pan set to the right angle that NASCAR wants,” Rodney Childers told Sirius XM NASCAR Radio.

“Get the straight edge to fit and all those different things. We’ve had in on and off for three days. Then, we’ve been working on it for 6 hours today and we’re still not done with it,” Childers said on the Wednesday ahead of the race weekend.

“We’ve only blown it at the tunnel, one time. And that was in the early stages of it when NASCAR was trying to figure out a few things with it. We were helping work on some of that.”

“From what I see, it’s not going to be a huge change. I think the splitter sensitivity is about the same. That part is not going to be that big of a deal.”

NASCAR Hood Ducts

“The hood ducts is something we’re all going to learn from. I have a little bit on concern that the radiator is not going to flow any air when you’re tight in traffic.”

“A lot of the series that have stuff like that, their aero works different than ours. A lot of them have fans that help pull that air through.”

“I’m interested the see how that works. The biggest reason for the hood ducts, it does seem like that adding tape to the nose doesn’t really effect the downforce near as much as what it does with our normal cars.”

“if adding tape doesn’t add downforce. Then, the guys that run their engines cooler, they’re gonna last longer. We can run them more races. I think that’s the goal.”

“The side effect of that, is how hot will the under hood temperatures be? Right now, you have 280 degree air coming out of the back of the radiator and it’s blowing on headers that are 1,200 degrees. It’s cooling everything off under the hood.”

“Now, we’re gonna take that 280 degree air and we’re gonna blow it out the hood. You’re not going to have that cooling effect under the hood. It’s going to be a learning process for all of us.”

“I’m excited about it. I like doing different things. I like to having something thrown at us every now and then.”

Kevin Harvick Millennial paint scheme
Kevin Harvick Millennial paint scheme

Millennial Paint Scheme

This weekend, Kevin Harvick will be running a Millennial inspired paint scheme. The official color code on the car is called Millennial Pink.

It features Busch AF on the hood. Emojis and hashtags cover the car from front to back.

“I have to admit, it’s definitely the ugliest car I’ve ever seen. My crew shirt is probably the ugliest crew shirt I’ve ever seen. But, I have a sweatshirt to go over it to cover it up.”

More

Kevin Harvick is set to run this Millennial paint scheme at Charlotte

NASCAR executive talks the All-Star Gen 7 elements

Martin Truex Jr says new splitter tech inspection has hurt his team (2018)

The trick of sealing the front splitter (2017)

Dale Earnhardt Jr hates the NASCAR splitter (2017)

Links

Kevin Harvick | Stewart-Haas Racing | NASCAR | Charlotte Motor Speedway

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