NASCAR sent out a bulletin today announcing new rules in reaction to Newman’s crash; Other new regulations regarding COVID-19 pandemic
In February, Ryan Newman was involved in a fiery crash at Daytona International Speedway. The driver was struck on the driver’s side door while upside down.
Newman was transported to a local hospital and released a few days later. However, he suffered a brain injury and was forced out of the cockpit in the weeks to follow.
The driver has since announced his pending return. He’ll be back in the No. 6 for Darlington mid-May.
The car was taken to the NASCAR R&D Center for evaluation. Officials also viewed the HD in-car footage from various angles. The results of that investigation have brought new rules…
“As teams prepare for the return to racing, we want to provide as much advance notice as possible for upcoming technical changes,” said John Probst, NASCAR senior vice president of racing development.
“Some of these updates stem from the investigation into the six-car incident at Daytona, and all are intended to produce a safe and competitive race at all venues. We look forward to providing more details in the near future,” Probst concluded.
Related: Ryan Newman crash (Video)
New NASCAR rules announced
Teams were sent a bulletin on Friday:
– Aero ducts have been removed and the throttle body has been reduced for Superspeedway events.
– Updated roll bar padding specifications, mandatory at all tracks beginning June 1;
– Oil reservoir tank or overflow expansion tank must contain a check valve, mandatory at all tracks beginning with Talladega;
– Slip tape must be applied along the entire length of the lower rearward facing surfaces of the rear bumper cover and extension, at superspeedways only.
Additional NASCAR rules regarding the COvID-19 pandemic
– The temporary ban on most testing will be lifted on May 4, but on-track testing will not be allowed in the NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR Xfinity Series or NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series for the remainder of the 2020 season.
– Organizations are allocated 150 hours in the wind tunnel through Dec. 31, 2021, with a maximum usage of 70 hours in 2020 and 90 hours in 2021.
– Wind tunnel testing of Next Gen vehicles — the debut of which was delayed from 2021 to 2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic — by individual organizations is not permitted.
– The minimum number of short block sealed engines changes from 13 to eight.
NASCAR is set to return with seven races over an 11-day span. All races will be hosted at Darlington Raceway and Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Related: New NASCAR schedule released
Links
NASCAR | Darlington Raceway | Charlotte Motor Speedway | Ryan Newman | Daytona International Speedway
