Nascar has mandated that the teams utilize a "soft" bumper at Talladega this weekend. The rule change is a direct response to the complaints at Daytona about bump drafting.
As you will remember, Tony Stewart was the most vocal after the Bud Shootout that the bump drafting was out of control. Stewart believed that unchecked, bump drafting in the corners would result in the death of one of the drivers. In response, Nascar instituted a new rule that bumping a car from behind in the corners would result in a rough driving penalty. Infamously, Tony Stewart was the first penalty receipient when he bumped Matt Kenseth on the straight away by slamming together the sides of their cars and driving Kenseth into the grass. Kenseth received his own penalty for bumping Stewart at the end of pit road. Kyle Busch received a penalty at Daytona for rough driving as well.
In the intervening races, other drivers have been penalized for rough driving. The new rule probably won't limit Nascar's discretion in penalizing drivers who bump draft at Talladega, but it will increase the odds that the driver doing the bumping could damage his own car in the process.
In essence the rule removes or disallows some of the bracing that teams placed in the nose of the cars. Previously, the bracing would allow drivers to hit the back bumper of the car in front of them without damaging their own car. The "softer" bumper will crumple if it impacts another car. The crumpling could result in radiator damage, and will definitely result in a loss of aerodynamics (which is crucial at Talladega).
Why would a driver want to hit the car in front of him (or bump draft)? Cars at Daytona and Talladega can travel faster lined up together than any one car can travel by itself. In other words, a line of three cars will easily over take a lone car on the track. This is because of the restrictor plate that limits the horsepower via a limit on the fuel-air mixture going into the engine. The "draft" or stream of air behind a car (which is punching a hole in the air so to speak) allows the second car in line to pull up on the front car. A bump by that second car on the straight stretch will cause the front car to accelerate, which in turn speeds up the drafting cars. Bumping a car in the corner, when the steering wheel is not straight, leads to "Big Ones." Restrictor plates were required at Talladega and Daytona to slow down the cars after several horrific accidents (i.e. "The Big One").
Despite the new rule, I think drivers will find a way to bump draft. The softer bumpers will have some impact on the race, but the drivers will still be able to bump draft. The bumpers are not paper, and will survive some contact. Dale Jr. has already predicted that it will not stop bump drafting, and while Tony Stewart has endorsed the new rule as a step in the right direction, I don't think even he thinks it will eliminate bump drafting.
The more interesting question is which driver will adjust to the new bumper the quickest? The veterans have raced Talladega before the reinforced bumpers existed, while the new young guns have only raced during the bump drafting hey day. Dale Jr, Jeff Gordon, and Tony Stewart have figured out restictor plate racing and excell at it. Jimmie Johnson has created more than his fair share of Big Ones at Talladega, while Elliott Sadler can't seem to stay off his roof or on four wheels. Dale Jarrett won the last race at Talladega, and Mark Martin always looks good.
Given that it's Talladega, restrictor plate racing, and a new rule, anything can happen, and probably will.
Nascar was built on a strong fan base. Some claim that nascar fans are the most brand loyal of all sports consumers. Have driver so-and-so pimp your product, and it is guaranteed sales, or so the thought process goes. But how does Nascar develop these fans? How has it remained fan friendly?
Access to the drivers, owners, crew chiefs and teams is a main part of the fan appeal of Nascar. At this point, there is some price to be paid for access - tracks at Daytona and Kansas (among others) have built fanzones where fans can look into the garages to see what is going on. Naturally, this isn't covered in the cost of admission, but is an added ticket to buy. Fan clubs also give fans opportunities to schmooze with drivers.
Sponsors get access - which leads to non-fans going to races for business and (hopefully) developing into hardcore fans. At Daytona, I think there were more corporate types there in the pits than there were crew members.
But how does one become a fan of a particular driver? I asked some of the people I met at Daytona how they got involved in the sport, who their favorite driver is and why.
Rita went to a Daytona race back when there were grandstands in turn 3. Dale Earnhardt was leading the race. On the last lap, Dale Jarrett was challenging for the lead. The Earnhardt fans, who had been standing as he dominated the race all day, abruptly sat down as Jarrett took the lead going into turn 3, knowing Jarrett would carry the lead to the checkers. The man sitting behind Rita started crying. "That made me think, wait a minute, there is something about this." Jarrett's father, Ned Jarrett, a former Cup Champion, was calling the race. Rita said she remembered how Ned couldn't contain his excitement about his son winning the 500. She became a Jarrett fan that day.
Lori visited Roush Racing's Craftsmen Truck shop in North Carolina. While they were waiting, Carl Edwards, then a virtual unknown in the truck series, walked up and started talking to the group. He answered their questions, signed autographs, and then asked if they wanted a tour of the shop. Edwards proceeded to take the time to show them around, even though that was not the group's original plan, and clearly wasn't in Edwards' schedule. Needless to say, Edwards has a solid fan now in Lori.
Beth lives in Georgia near Dawsonville. Naturally, she roots for hometown boy Bill Elliott. But her favorite driver will always be Davey Allison. "There was something about Davey" she said. Something indeed - when I met her, she still had a charm on her bracelet of Allison's Texaco/Havoline car - one she'd had since before he died in 1993.
Martha loves racing. She attends several races each year with her husband. They currently have standing reservations at a beach hotel in Daytona for both races, in Watkins Glen and in Charlotte. They have some favorite drivers, but consider Ron Fellows their absolute favorite - mainly because he has been a family friend for quite a while. "Ron usually races at Watkins Glen, so we try to go up there." Otherwise, they travel to the other series Ron runs in to see him - and still attend the nascar races.
Jena's father started dragging her to races at a young age. She has always loved to go (even though her sister would make fun of her). He is a Dale Earnhardt Sr fan, so naturally she started following Dale Jr. Jena worries that all the exposure Junior gets limits his ability to have a "normal" life. She wonders why the media won't leave him alone, but realizes that it is fans like her who want information that create the problem. Ironically, Jena's sister (who had made fun of her love for nascar for years) has recently been bitten by the bug. Her favorite driver is Greg Biffle. Why? Because she came up with her own nickname for him: Biffle the Wiffle, which her children parrot on race day.
Matt has been a Mark Martin fan for years. He owns quite the collection of racing memorabilia, some of which is signed. When I ran into him on Saturday, he had spent a few hours waiting for Martin on Friday, only to have the autograph session canceled due to sponsor commitments. Matt had shown up early on Saturday and gotten two tickets to get autographs. Since he only had one item to sign, he planned to give the ticket to some young kid he saw at the signing who didn't have a ticket. "I figure it will make his day" and probably convert another fan to Mark Martin.
Robbie last attended the 500 in 2001, when his hero Dale Earnhardt died. I met him at the Duels, the only event he planned to attend at Daytona during Speedweeks. Robbie attends both Talladega races, the July Daytona race and the Atlanta race. "After Earnhardt died, I swore I'd never see another 500 in person. I just can't do that again."
Janet and her family attended the Champion's Breakfast on Monday, the day after the 500. Janet was a diehard Gordon fan (evidenced by her Dupont Jacket) "I was hoping to see Jeff" she commented. Her husband was a diehard Jimmie Johnson fan, and was decked out in at least 3 Lowe's/Johnson items. He couldn't stop grinning - in fact, it was hard not to look at him in all his joy over the win and not grin yourself. Janet laughed as she watched him. "I don't think that grin will be gone for at least a week." Janet's three kids have the bug too. One son is a Kasey Kahne fan, another son is a Tony Stewart fan and her youngest, a daughter, is also a Stewart fan. Her sister was there too - an Elliott Sadler fan and her sister's two kids - another Stewart fan and a Dale Jr. fan. I asked how they all ended up having different drivers, and Janet said she wasn't sure, but that they had just watched the races, and everyone picked out who they liked. I asked if she felt outnumbered by all the Stewart fans and would consider changing her driver allegiance for family unity. "Are you kidding?" she said.
