Charlotte Spoiler Test 03/23-24 LOTS OF UPDATES!

[pmossberg]

Photo copyright owned by Jeff Wackerlin and distributed by the MotorRacingNetwork.

Kasey's spoiler test car running at Charlotte on March 23:

[pmossberg]

Photo copyright owned by Jeff Wackerlin and distributed by the MotorRacingNetwork.

This shot shows the body panels that change with the reintroduction of the spoiler:

[pmossberg]

Article from Charlotte Motor speedway on the first spoiler test day.

The times really don't mean much, except maybe for some bragging rights...but look who's at the top of the charts for the second session.

Original article is at:
www.charlottemotorspeedway.com/media/news/559749.html

NASCAR Teams Test New Spoiler in Preparation for May 30 Coca-Cola 600; Juan Pablo Montoya Fastest on Day One
Tuesday, March 23, 2010

More than 40 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series teams put 49 cars on track at Charlotte Motor Speedway for the first day of a two-day test session devoted to spoiler work and preparation for the May 30 Coca-Cola 600.

Spoilers will replace the current wings on the backs of NASCAR Sprint Cup cars beginning this weekend at Martinsville. The test at Charlotte Motor Speedway gives teams and officials the opportunity to fine-tune variables. Across the board drivers agreed that the spoiler helped with the handling of the car, but that the true test of the change from the wing to the spoiler would take place once the cars got on track during race conditions.

"For me personally it was good to know and put out of my mind that the spoiler was going to be a drastic difference in the way the car drove," said Kevin Harvick, driver of the No. 29 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet. "That is not the case. The car has a lot of grip with the tire combination and the spoiler so it drives really good."

"Being more stable with higher drag, I think you're going to see a lot more side-by-side racing," said Kurt Busch, driver of the No. 2 Penske Racing Dodge.

"The test is helping us to learn more about the handling of the race car with the new spoiler and also it's like a normal track test session for us," said Juan Pablo Montoya, driver of the No. 42 Earnhardt Ganassi Racing Chevrolet, who posted the fastest speed of the day with a time of 29.036 and speed of 185.976. "The cars are a lot slower in traffic with the spoiler but aside from that it handles pretty much the same. We'll use the information we've gathered for a little bit of everything including the upcoming races at Charlotte."

Robin Pemberton, vice president for competition with NASCAR, said that the test at Charlotte Motor Speedway would likely be the only test for the new spoiler on a 1.5-mile track.

"Right now drivers are confident their teams have done the right things and done their homework," he said. "Our hats are off to the teams. They've done a good job of being prepared for this."

The top Dodge and second-fastest overall speed belonged to Penske Racing driver Sam Hornish Jr. in the No. 77 with a time of 29.049 and speed of 185.893. Third-fastest overall was the No. 00 Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota driven by David Reutimann, which was the fastest Toyota of the day with a time of 29.054 and a speed of 185.861. The fastest Ford belonged to Paul Menard, driver of the No. 98 Richard Petty Motorsports Ford who topped the afternoon speed chart with a time of 29.140 and a speed of 185.312.

During the test session, fans were given an opportunity to watch their favorite Sprint Cup drivers from the grandstands, which were open for free. Ticket holders to any Sprint Cup race at Charlotte Motor Speedway were granted special access to watch testing from a VIP area in the infield. Over the lunch break, more than 200 ticket holders also got the chance to participate in a Q&A session with drivers Greg Biffle and Jeff Burton, and John Darby, NASCAR's managing director of competition.

Day two of the test session will take place Wednesday from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. The VIP fan seating area located behind pit road near Victory Circle will be open from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. for 2010 Charlotte Motor Speedway Sprint Cup race ticket holders. A fan forum with NASCAR drivers Kurt Busch and Marcos Ambrose, and NHRA driver Tony Schumacher is scheduled to take place on pit road between 12:15 and 1 p.m. Grandstands will be open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. free of charge to all fans.

Charlotte Motor Speedway is the home of NASCAR's biggest back-to-back race weekends with the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race on May 22, and the Coca-Cola 600 on May 30. Tickets and interest-free payment plans are available by calling the speedway ticket office at 1-800-455-FANS or online at www.charlottemotorspeedway.com. Connect with Charlotte Motor Speedway by following on Twitter at www.twitter.com/CLTMotorSpdwy or become a Facebook fan at www.facebook.com/charlottemotorspeedway.



Morning Session - Top 10 Speeds

1. 42 Juan Pablo Montoya Chevy 29.036 185.976

2. 77 Sam Hornish Jr Dodge 29.049 185.893

3. 00 David Reutimann Toyota 29.054 185.861

4. 83 Brian Vickers Toyota 29.060 185.822

5. 1 Jamie McMurray Chevy 29.089 185.637

6. 5B Mark Martin Chevy 29.164 185.160

7. 5 Mark Martin Chevy 29.174 185.096

8. 24 Jeff Gordon Chevy 29.179 185.065

9. 33 Clint Bowyer Chevy 29.213 184.849

10. 18 Kyle Busch Toyota 29.259 184.559


Afternoon Session - Top 10 Speeds

1. 98 Paul Menard Ford 29.140 185.312

2. 42 Juan Pablo Montoya Chevy 29.383 183.780

3. 39 Ryan Newman Chevy 29.514 182.964

4. 1 Jamie McMurray Chevy 29.524 182.902

5. 48 Jimmie Johnson Chevy 29.538 182.815

6. 11 Denny Hamlin Toyota 29.543 182.784

7. 33 Clint Bowyer Chevy 29.545 182.772

8. 48B Jimmie Johnson Chevy 29.590 182.494

9. 5B Mark Martin Chevy 29.594 182.469

10. 31B Jeff Burton Chevy 29.598 182.445

[pmossberg]

Picture Copyrights owned by Charlotte Motor Speedway

[pmossberg]

From Charlotte Motor Speedway at:
www.charlottemotorspeedway.com/media/news/559789.html

Woo Hoo! AJ was the faster Ford of the day. And was on top in the afternoon session. Again, it's only worth bragging rights. Btu it's still good to see!

NASCAR Teams Conclude Two-Day Spoiler Test; Jeff Burton Fastest on Final Day of Prep for Coca-Cola 600
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Photo: HHP

The final day of NASCAR Sprint Cup Series spoiler testing and preparation for the May 30 Coca-Cola 600 concluded at Charlotte Motor Speedway with Jeff Burton, driver of the No. 31 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet, posting the fastest time of the day.

Burton's time of 28.539 and speed of 189.215 paced the 49 cars from 40 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series teams who came to Charlotte Motor Speedway for a two-day test session devoted to spoiler work. Spoilers will replace the wings currently on the backs of NASCAR Sprint Cup cars beginning this weekend at Martinsville.

Feedback from drivers on the second day of testing echoed the comments from the Tuesday session: the true test of the new spoiler will take place under race conditions.

"Personally I would like to find out more about my car in traffic from someone close to me and how it may affect the car," said four-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Champion Jimmie Johnson, driver of the No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet. "It's not going to be huge, but the first race or two there might be an opportunity at some of the bigger tracks. If you understand the car before anyone else does, you can put someone in a horrible spot and take advantage of them."

"We've had a very productive test and all of the RCR teams have learned a great deal of information," said Burton. "The cars drive a little different and the reality is that the conditions and the tire combination are different than what it was last year. So we're learning new things that we can apply to every race from here out and hoping that our test data will translate well over to race conditions."

"I noticed I didn't have to use as much brake as I normally did, so maybe there's a little more drag in the corner," said David Reutimann, driver of the No. 00 Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota. "It wasn't like you went out there and said ‘Man, this thing is completely different.' It wasn't a night and day deal."

"This is a pretty good place to test," Carl Edwards, driver of the No. 99 Roush Fenway Racing Ford, said of Charlotte Motor Speedway. "It's nice and smooth and gives you a good idea of what your mile-and-a-half package is like."

"I really like the spoiler," Edwards continued. "I think it's a great move. The fans are gonna like it and it doesn't seem to make the car feel much different."

The only incident of the day on track took place when the No. 22 Penske Racing Dodge driven by Justin Allgaier hit the wall, sustaining significant right front damage. Allgaier was unscathed but his car did not continue in the test session.

The top three speeds of the day belonged to Chevrolets, with Burton follwed by Kevin Harvick in the No. 29 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet (28.741, 187.885) and Juan Pablo Montoya in the No. 42 Earnhardt Ganassi Racing Chevrolet (28.952, 186.516). The top Toyota of the day and fourth fastest overall belonged to Red Bull Racing driver Brian Vickers in the No. 83 with a time of 29.059 and a speed of 185.829. Richard Petty Motorsports' No. 43 entry, driven by A.J. Allmendinger, was the fastest Ford of the day and fifth quickest overall with a time of 29.107 and a speed of 185.522.

During the test session, fans were given an opportunity to watch their favorite Sprint Cup drivers from the grandstands, which were open for free. Ticket holders to any Sprint Cup race at Charlotte Motor Speedway were granted special access to watch testing from a VIP area in the infield. Over the lunch break, more than 250 ticket holders also got the chance to participate in a Q&A session with NASCAR drivers Kurt Busch and Marcos Ambrose, and seven-time NHRA Top Fuel champion Tony Schumacher.

Charlotte Motor Speedway is the home of NASCAR's biggest back-to-back race weekends with the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race on May 22, and the Coca-Cola 600 on May 30. Tickets and interest-free payment plans are available by calling the speedway ticket office at 1-800-455-FANS or online. Connect with Charlotte Motor Speedway by following on Twitter at www.twitter.com/CLTMotorSpdwy or become a Facebook fan at www.facebook.com/charlottemotorspeedway.



Morning Session - Top 10 Speeds

1. 31B Jeff Burton Chevy 28.539 189.215

2. 29 Kevin Harvick Chevy 28.741 187.885

3. 42 Juan Pablo Montoya Chevy 28.952 186.516

4. 83 Brian Vickers Toyota 29.059 185.829

5. 43 AJ Allmendinger Ford 29.107 185.522

6. 1 Jamie McMurray Chevy 29.124 185.414

7. 48B Jimmie Johnson Chevy 29.125 185.408

8. 00 David Reutimann Toyota 29.126 185.401

9. 21 Bill Elliott Ford 29.168 185.134

10. 98 Paul Menard Ford 29.176 185.084





Afternoon Session - Top 10 Speeds

1. 43 AJ Allmendinger Ford 29.357 183.943

2. 48B Jimmie Johnson Chevy 29.707 181.775

3. 82 Scott Speed Toyota 29.769 181.397

4. 56B Martin Truex Jr. Toyota 29.811 181.141

5. 32 Reed Sorenson Toyota 29.823 181.068

6. 83 Brian Vickers Toyota 29.855 180.874

7. 31B Jeff Burton Chevy 29.861 180.838

8. 11 Denny Hamlin Toyota 29.884 180.699

9. 98 Paul Menard Ford 29.886 180.687

10. 9 Kasey Kahne Ford 29.896 180.626

[ricklou]

Great thread Paul.

These pictures show what Nascar is doing to keep these cars stable and on the ground. I completely disagree with the progression to this point.

An example of Nascar's stringent regulations is the spoiler. It is not adjustable as it was years ago. Teams could push it up or lay it down to help the car. Not any more. This in it self elimates part of the "setup".

Nascar refuses to mechanically slow the cars for reasons I cannot comprehend. This is an example of a fix on top of a fix which fixes nothing.

Maybe Nascar is concerned that by mechanically slowing down the cars that anyone can enter a Cup race and win it.

The answer is simple. Add the 200 lbs back to the cars that was taken away several years ago and take fuel or cubic inch from the engines. 20 or 30 years ago there was no problem with cars running at highspeed tracks and the drivers were not complaining about what they had.

The fact is that the drivers were working just as hard if not harder to wrestle these machines years ago. Why should they not have to work now ? It is all about aero and it has killed the true spirit if competition. Aero outweighs the mechanical aspect of the car effectively taking the race out of the drivers hands.

The drivers used to work the car but now the car is working them.

[pmossberg]

Picture copyright owned by charlotte Motor Speedway.

I haev no idea what this is, but thought the picture was cool anyway.

[go43forever]

Looks Like he was parked illegal and they put a tire boot on it..LOL..

[pmossberg]

So...what do we think this device is monitoring?

Somehow, it must be mounted to the hub and does not rotate. The black wire might be leading to a sensor; it might be leading to soemother equipmetn inside the car.

My guess is right front tire temp.

[pmossberg]

AJ Comments on the Charlotte test, from AJ's web site at:
www.ajallmendinger.com/spin.php?id=694

AJ Wraps 2-Day Test at CMS
March 24, 2010



AJ Allmendinger's transition to NASCAR's Sprint Cup Series in 2007 coincided with the introduction of the controversial "Car of Tomorrow." In fact, his very first points-paying race start was the first-ever NASCAR race with the winged machines.

Well, some three years later, the switch is on as last weekend's Bristol event, an anniversary race of sorts for AJ, marked the final appearance of the wing on the CoT. Moving forward, teams will utilize the blade spoiler that never left the Truck and Nationwide Series ranks.

Obviously deploying something that has such an effect on the cars handling, the race-ablity of the cars, and the factors of speed and downforce requires some testing, so NASCAR staged a two-day test to find out exactly what changes were needed as teams work on learning how to get the most out of the new device and modify set-ups to address the different aero on the rear deck.

AJ wrapped up two days of testing at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Wednesday as part of the series-wide test of the new blade on the 1.5-mile "home" track. While he was focused on learning as much as possible about the new set-up, AJ also concentrated on how to get the most out of the test as he and crew chief Mike Shiplett continue to gel their working relationship and communication.

"It was a good test. I think the last couple of tests I've learned how to get more out of the time personally, so that has definitely helped overall. Today I really spent some time studying how Kasey drives his car, and with how he uses his brakes. I think that was probably the most useful info from today. We're making progress on the car set-up as well. All in all it was a good two days."

AJ hates sitting still, and loves being in a race car, so this is a good week for him as he'll only have to wait one more day before strapping back into the Petty No. 43 for practice at Martinsville on Friday. AJ finished last weeks Food City 500 in 17th to move up a pair of spots in the season-long points standings.

Additional info about the spoilers--The spoiler to be used at all tracks except Daytona International Speedway and Talladega Superspeedway will be 64.5 inches in length and four inches tall in the center. It will be affixed at a 70- degree angle and is non-adjustable.

Beginning with the April 16-18 race weekend at Texas Motor Speedway, a 3.5-inch-tall rear-deck fin will be added to the left side of the car. This fin can either be the full length of the deck-lid or a maximum of eight inches short of the spoiler. With the deck lid fin and its length options, the teams will have some flexibility in adjusting rear side force.

[go43forever]

I would guess the device is for checking travel on the front ends or camber. Probably just another device used in testing. Maybe its also something from the tire company to get as much data they can on the new tires reactions for sidewall deflection/heat in turns. So many things it could be. or could it be monitoring the heat transfer from brakes to the bearings? Just guessing.

[pmossberg]

Finally a shot of the #43 Test Car