Bristol Debuts SpecCar

NASCAR's Car Of Tomorrow arrives at Bristol for real this weekend, and will certainly be the most micro-inspected NASCAR project in memory. In these analyses we will hear a lot about how the use of a wing instead of spoiler reduces turbulence behind a car and thus theoretically allow a trailing car to close up to pass. Never cited, however, is any example of passing increasing due to reduced turbulence. On the contrary, Indycar racing experience has proven that the opposite is the case, especially on superspeedways, where adding air-displacement devices and/or simply bulking up the bodies to generate more turbulence was what increased passing - yes, that pesky draft again, guys. It would seem that IRL has had to relearn that lesson as it reduced drag on its rear wings in 2006 but may be adding it back for 2007.

There is also the theory that the design will eliminate the variances in individual car designs so that teams can reuse superspeedway cars on short tracks and vice versa. No one, though, seems to be asking just what all those engineers on the sport's mega-teams are supposed to do with the Car Of Tomorrow. Can anyone buy the notion that these engineers are not going to attack the COT's tolerances and slice open holes to exploit and thus kill NASCAR's much-hoped cost reduction?

Then there is the fundamental unsoundness of the design. It is said the car will evolve, but given this it is impossible not to see it evolving back to what the cars have been for the last ten-plus years now - with a flush airdam, chopped roof, spoiler instead of a wing, etc. This basic design has proven itself sound.

While we'll need to see the race to start getting some answers, one thing should be certain - if the Car Of Tomorrow produces any kind of quality racing, it will be the biggest surprise in the sport in years.