It will be a weekend full of left AND right turns as both the Cup and Nationwide Series will both take to road courses. The Cup cars are at Infineon Raceway in California and the NNS boys are at Road America in Wisconsin. While we wait for the racing to get here, we’ve got more questions and answers. If you don’t know what this post is, we answer any and all reader questions every Wednesday, right here. So if you’ve got one, click on the ”Ask the Insiders” tab at the top of the page and send one to us. On to the questions…
1. From Tony:
Guys – I know the S&P questions probably get as annoying as the practice itself, but here’s another. Earlier in the year, NASCAR implemented a rule that the first car out of the race for non-accident reason would have their engine taken and torn down. The portrayal I saw in the media was that this would be very expensive for these teams. Do you know how much this costs the team and if NASCAR is still doing this? If yes, what are your thoughts on the impact to S&Ps?
I believe the cost to rebuild an engine is in the $25,000 range. NASCAR has continued to tear down the first start-and-parker out of the race, but it doesn’t appear to have changed anything. The same teams that have been doing it all season continue to do it. Remember too, that only the first car out has to tear down, so it’s not like the teams have an extra $25,000 expense each week. These teams have found a loophole in NASCAR’s system, and I’m not sure there is really a lot NASCAR can do to stop them. – T.C.
2. From Joe:
I know i’m a week late, but during the Pocono race Kurt Busch got penalized for a missing valve stem cap. I’ve never heard this before. Is this a safety concern?
I know it’s a rule that each tire must have a valve stem cap, but I couldn’t really tell you what the rationale is. I don’t believe it is a safety issue, and would be more apt to say that it has to do with cheating and setup issues. – T.C.
3. From Andrew:
There’s a saying that racing improves the breed. I can definitely see that from F1 and maybe even Indy cars, but how does NASCAR racing improve the breed of the street cars we all drive?
I don’t know that it does. And to be honest, I haven’t ever heard a manufacturer rep try to sell their involvement like it did. The fact is, NASCAR’s use of technology is limited, so there isn’t a whole lot the manufacturers can learn – that is unless they’re planning on dumping fuel injection. I think we could see it benefit them with the introduction of fuel injection in NASCAR, but until that point, the days where racing improved the breed, at least in NASCAR, are behind us. – Journo
4. From Rebecca:
Hey guys. I watched the AMP chat this week, which featured Kip Wolfmeiyer, rear-tire changer for Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s No. 88 crew. Wolfmeiyer said he works with No. 5 crew during the week and race weekend, but works only with the 88 crew to pit the car on race day. This got me curious. I know the 5 and 88 team share a garage, but is it standard practice among race teams to have some crew members work with one team during the week and then another team on race day? Thanks for considering my question.
This crew sharing doesn’t happen a ton, but it does happen. There are a few guys here and there that work on one car during the week and weekend, and then switch and go pit another team car. It all comes down to where there are opportunities and holes that need to be filled. – T.C.
5. From Robert:
Do crewchiefs take into consideration time lost during deceleration/acceleration when chosing pits? I see some better qualifiers choosing mid road spots which use more time.
What it comes down to when picking pit stalls is getting an opening, either in or out. Once those stalls with openings are gone, then it’s about the timing lines. Each pit road has a specified number of timing lines that NASCAR uses to determine pit road speed. By knowing where those lines are, teams can pick a stall that will give them an advantage getting into their stall. What they will do is find a stall that is in between those lines. That allows the driver to speed up once they cross that line as they enter their stall; the idea being that going over the limit in that segment won’t hurt them because of the pit stop. – T.C.
6. From NASCAR fan:
I read this week that NASCAR held a meeting with drivers and owners to talk about possible improvements for the chase format. I think this is a positive, and would love to see increased bonus points for wins, say 25 instead of 10. But how about bonus points for where a driver finishes the regular season in the standings? Say 120 points for first place, 110 for second place, etc. Your thoughts? Do you really think NASCAR is looking to improve the chase format or just paying lip-service?
I think with all the changes NASCAR has made over the last couple of seasons (at the behest of the teams and the fans) I don’t think it’s just lip service. I don’t know if NASCAR believes there is anything wrong with the Chase, but I believe if they perceive it to be a problem with the teams (the drivers, the owners), and with the fans, they will do whatever they can to make it better. They are working hard right now to make sure people are happy, and getting the best product possible. If they hear enough bad feedback on the format, there could definitely be changes. What those changes might be, and what they’re thinking is, is anybody’s guess. – Journo
7. From Garry:
Watching the 24 hours of Le Mans and seeing the pit guys doing thier importaant job, it made me wonder if you guys ever have (or ever considered) swapping places for a weekend or two with other types of racing, maybe just to see how the other guys do it, and maybe learn a trick or two, which could cut 1/10 or 1/2 second here or there.
The pit stops and equipment used during stops is different among all the series, so I’m not sure we could really learn anything from those guys. In sports car racing, for example, most of the cars have wheels that only have one lugnut and the cars have built in air jacks. The duties of the crews are all different. In the IRL, there is one changer per wheel and fueling is done through a hose. While it would be fun to trade places for a week, I’m not sure it would really benefit either crew. – T.C.
8. From Michael:
In reference to the “gentlemen start your engines” at Michigan, who can I strangle for that? Is that really what NASCAR has become??????
Was it really that bad? They’re both comedians and they were trying to be funny. I personally like to see people get into giving the command. Would you have rather seen a no-name executive vice-president of HP Food (the owner of the Heluva Good! brand) do it? It’s supposed to be fun and entertaining. I think they did a good job at that. A matter of perspective I suppose. – Journo
9. From Kyle:
Last week Landon Cassill was in the 09, and this week it is sponsored by hendrickcars.com(entry list). Is it possible the deal may have been made for Kahne next year?
It’s certainly possible. All we’ve heard is what’s out in the press right now, but remember denials aren’t always denials. I think it’s a little suspicious that James Finch has sponsorship from HendrickCars.com this weekend. Finch and Hendrick though do have a past relationship. The fact is there aren’t a lot of good options for Hendrick. Phoenix is certainly a possibility (despite the denials), as are the other teams that we’ve heard about. – Journo
10. From Kyle:
There are 43 cars on this weeks Nationwide entry list. 21 of those cars do not have a sponsor (01,04,09,10,15,26,27,28,31,35,40,43,56,61,70,87,89,90,92,99) . 5 more are seriously underfunded(05,23,24,59,81). That leaves only 17 sponsored teams Of those many are self funded, Menard, Gaughan, 34 FRM car, 21 car (meant for Townley). Ive also heard the 10/11 Braun cars are “funded” drivers. Is the long term health of the Nationwide series in question?(especially with the COT looming in a few weeks)
When NASCAR first announced the Nationwide COT a couple of seasons ago, a lot of teams screamed that it would put them out of business. I don’t necessarily think that’s going to be the case, but I think what you point out speaks to the sport as a whole. Money is tight, very tight, across all three series. I think the series will be fine, but until the economy improves, or teams can figure out a way to make sponsorship more cost effective, this is the reality. – Journo
11. From Marcus:
I have a couple of #95 and #96 Caterpillar Chevrolet Monte Carlo die-cast cars (1/18 and 1/24 scale). I recieved these when I was youger (probably 1-3 years old) being my uncle works at Caterpillar. However, I cannot find what series they raced in. The decals on the side where the series logo would be are not there. And my uncle does not know either. I was just wondering if you could help me out. I know David Green drove them and that is about it. Thank you very much for any info you have.
The #95 is a Nationwide (Busch Series) car driven during the 1995 and 1996 seasons, and the #96 is a Cup car driven during the the 1997 and 1998 seasons. David Green drove most of the races in both cars, but Ward Burton, Robby Gordon, and a slew of other drivers had starts in them. Both of the cars were owned by Buz McCall. Happy to help! – Journo
And that brings yet another “Ask The Insiders Wednesday” to a close. Thanks to everyone who sent in questions. And remember, if you’d like to be a part of next week, click on the ”Ask the Insiders” tab at the top of the page and send your question in!
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