I'm confused about the NASCAR COT cars...

[Sixpipes]

So this car has been in the making for 5 years. It came about as a direct result of Dale Earnhardt's accident. OK, they had to do something, but this is what is going on IMO.

The COT car will be used exclusively in 2008 for all Nextel Cup races. Seems it might be markedly safer than the old car. However, the COT car was the slowest of all three venues (see also Busch and the truck series) at Dover a couple of weeks ago. If the Nextel cup cars were so unsafe, what about the Busch series or the truck series with regards to safety. Do you have to survive a couple of years in the lower ranks before you graduate to the "safe" cars? Since when did the premier series drivers drive a car that was SLOWER than the minor series cars? I hear all of NASCAR boasts about driver safety, but does that only apply to the top line guys? Economics and safety are just as important to the young drivers and the teams that have to produce different cars for different tracks. I'm sorry, I don't think there should be minor leagues when it comes to driver safety and if NASCAR is only catering to the elite series while ignoring safety improvements in the "minor" leagues, then shame on them. My $.02. :cool:

[gbgary]

i think the trucks are already pretty much like the COT cars. they all have the same chassis i believe, the bodies are all very similar, so the only real differences are the drivetrains. i could be wrong though. they don't go as fast either so i think they factor that in too as far as safety is concerned.

as for DE's death, it was his own reluctance to wear the hans (sp) device that killed him.

[Sixpipes]

as for DE's death, it was his own reluctance to wear the hans (sp) device that killed him.

I know Earnhardt still wore the open face helmet and sometimes didn't even have it tightened down, but NASCAR is not going to put themselves in a position where they basically are saying "he got what he deserved". So they try to impose restrictions on the cars that are still flying around the track at unsafe speeds regardless. It is an inherently dangerous sport and it just seems stupid to have the best guys in the slowest cars. :cool:

[Fuzion]

they don't go as fast either so i think they factor that in too as far as safety is concerned.


I dont know how many seconds it takes for a NASCAR car to make a lap at TMS but last night i went to the truck races and they were making one lap in right under 30 seconds. They move a whole lot faster than i thought they did.

[Mark #2]

Have you noticed how oddly shaped the old cars are that are running at Pocono? Those things are all jacked around.

The COT cars will get faster when they soften up the tires and give them some more front allowance on the splitter height. They are in too small a box on the front heights. I think that they will give them some allowance soon to get them off the bump stops.

[TP Derrick D]

Don't know what to make of the COT, it looks funny and haven't grown on me yet. I still like the cars from the 70's & half the 80's when they were real manufacture cars w/ 426,427 & 428's not the 358 ci max now although I can live with that,its just now the cars look the same body wise except grille opening & headlight/tailight stickers. I guess I just liked the Torino's vs Monte Carlo vs Cyclone vs Buick vs Charger .... you get the picture.