Track could burst bubbles
Drivers will get another crack at the new aerodynamic package in Sunday’s Bojangles’ Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway.
This weekend’s aero package is similar to the one run in July at Kentucky Speedway, with a few subtle differences. The spoiler will be reduced from 6 to 3½ inches and the splitter extension panel is shortened from 38 to 25 inches. The splitter will have 1¾ inches less overhang. The changes will lessen the downforce in the cars by 1,000 pounds.
The new package is designed to create more passing on the track, and Sunday’s race will be the last time the cars run this aero package.
“I’m really excited about this race and aero package. In practice, I ran around a few other cars and the balance doesn’t change that much,” Petty Motorsports driver Aric Almirola said. “As a race car driver, that is what we want. We want to have to lift off the gas and use the break pedal and drive the car and not just run wide open. We don’t want the balance to drastically change when we get close to a car.”
To compensate for the new aero package, Goodyear brought a softer tire this weekend after testing at Darlington, something it didn’t have at Kentucky. Teams get an extra set of tires for Sunday’s race and had a pair of two-hour practice sessions Friday to get used to things.
“There is no doubt about it is much better,” said Hendrick Motorsports driver Jeff Gordon, who will be making his final Darlington start Sunday. “The balance is going to be tricky. But I liked it at Kentucky and so far I like it here.”
Gordon said there’s a definite falloff in the tire the deeper you go into a run, not as bad as he remembers from his early days at Darlington. He said tires lost grip about two laps into a run.
Darlington native Trent Owens, crew chief for Almirola, said lap times were about two seconds slower 20 laps into a run because of the falloff from the tire during Friday’s first practice.
“From a crew chief’s perspective, it lets you work on the race car in a more mechanical way versus just worried about the aero platform on the car,” Owens said. “I like what I see here.”
Dealing with the new aero package and tire will make for a pressure-packed weekend for some teams, with only two races remaining before the Chase for the Championship begins. Both Gordon and Almriola are among those fighting for one of those 16 spots in the Chase.
Gordon has a 17-point lead over 16th-place Clint Bowyer, while Almriola is 35 back, and Kasey Kahne is 37 behind Bowyer for the final spot. All of those drivers can get off the bubble by winning on Sunday, which would clinch their spot in the Chase.
Almriola made his Chase debut last season after winning the second race at Daytona.
“I feel like we have shot,” Almirola said. “I have been proud of what we were able to accomplish this year. This has been one of our best seasons as far executing and running solid races.”