Around Iredell Sports

2007 Sep-27

Car of tomorrow still has doubters

By Mike Mulhern
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The car of tomorrow hasn’t been a driver favorite, because its high center of gravity makes it awkward in the corners.

And it hasn’t been a crew chief’s favorite either, because NASCAR has been picky about the body-template tolerances and unwilling to let teams do much to make the cars easier to drive.
The result has been some very boring races, with one or two drivers dominating.

Even Jeff Gordon, the Nextel Cup points leader, is expressing doubts about the car of tomorrow and worries about using it on high-downforce tracks next season, where its problems could be magnified. The first good look at that will come Oct. 29 during car-of-tomorrow testing at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

Teammate Jimmie Johnson tries to be positive about the new car, which won’t be used this weekend at Kansas Speedway but will be used in four of the tour’s next eight stops.

“There is a lot to be learned,” Johnson said. “Typically, I look at these opportunities and say, ‘Hey, this is good for us.’ We typically learn stuff faster, and we should be able to take advantage.

“But at Talladega — with how easy the cars drive and how smooth that surface is — it’s just going to be hairy. It’s going to be great for the fans, but it’s going to be one of those frightening races, because of the points situation, not because of safety, but because of what we all have to lose.”

But there are some increasing doubts among some drivers about the safety of the car of tomorrow. In its body design, it may incorporate better safety points, but if the car is out of control, then it becomes dangerous. Some drivers were worried about that at Dover International Speedway, where the car of tomorrow was used.

For the 12 drivers in the Chase, last Sunday’s race at Dover was wilder than usual. Johnson said it was “a crazy weekend” for him and crew chief Chad Knaus.

“Being four points out of the lead after what we went through is exciting for us,” Johnson said. “Kansas is one of our better tracks — we ran really well there last year…. Unfortunately, we had a tire problem, which seems to have happened to us there lately. But we led a lot; I think we led the most laps.”

Johnson, who knows well how important the chemistry between driver and crew chief can be, said that Carl Edwards, who won at Dover, has a keeper in Bob Osborne, and that it was obvious during their time apart last season, which even car owner Jack Roush now admits was a mistake.

“They didn’t want to split up, and now they’re back together and rebuilding that relationship, which I think is a great thing,” Johnson said. “It’s something I’ve been able to experience with Chad — understanding the stress they went through and the relationship has been tried with the split … and now to be back together and doing well.”

The experience that Edwards and Osborne gained during their run at the 2005 title (they came up only 35 points short) should help them this time around, Johnson said.

Running for the NASCAR championship under the Chase format “is one of the most challenging things I’ve ever done,” Johnson said. “My experience last year in winning the Chase helped me a lot for this year’s mental approach. It really gives an advantage to past champions.

“I’m not saying a new guy like Denny Hamlin or Clint Bowyer, young to the sport, can’t do it. But it’s a tough, tough deal to fight through week after week. Experience helps you find all the good things about yourself, and even the bad things.

“It depends on who is losing his cool. It really tests everyone’s emotions, not only the driver’s, but the crew members’ and crew chief’s.

“The most despondent I was last year was after Talladega (last fall), when on the last lap I was coming around to get the checkered flag (battling for the win with Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Brian Vickers) and was wrecked. Thankfully there is a lot of water under the bridge. But that was probably one of the most frustrating times in my life.”

Johnson said that he thinks this Chase will stay close until at least the last couple of races.

“Once we get down to two races to go, there might be more of a clear favorite,” he said. “But if you look at where Denny is, in 12th — 11 guys could have a bad day, so he’s not that far out. “I was a lot farther out and came back over five or six races last year. So I’m not counting anyone out.

“But, like last year, so much of it isn’t in your control, and depends on what happens to other people. Each week it changed so much it was impossible for me to predict. And I tried to understand what was going on, but all I did was make life difficult.

“So this year I’m not even worried about the way it shakes out from week to week.”

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