'What Would You Change'

[call_me_andrew]

Yes children, that wonderful time of year is upon us. I've been looking forward to it, and I'm sure Stan hates it.

For the most part I'm going to build on the ideas I used in last year's thread. I've had some time to think about what cars I would like to see in a possible breakaway series so I've worked those into this thread.

http://www.motorsportforums.com/foru....php?t=116341&

Sprint Cup:

I'm going to keep with the Daytona Prototype based engines (sans rev limiters) and maybe with increased compression so they'll produce about 700 horsepower (down about 85 horsepower from the current engines). Then I'll lighten the cars by 400lbs rather than 200lbs so while they're less powerful, they'll have a better power to weight ratio.

I'll raise the roof from 53 to 57 inches (to add drag). The bodies will be silhouettes of production cars with a 110 inch wheelbase. Instead of one single sheet metal shell, several fiberglass pannels will make up the body so they may be easily changed. Cars will be wind tunnel tested to ensure they all have roughly equal downforce and drag. Reward weight will be used if one vehicle becomes too dominant. A four-link independent rear suspension will replace the two-link live axle.

The rear wing will be similar in shape to the Daytona and Superbird wing. It will mount to the decklid as a straight single-element and be adjustable. The splitter will mount to the airdam and the airdam is placed where it would appear on the production version of the car.

The oil tank would be moved from behind the drivers seat to the "passsenger's seat". The fuel tank will then be moved from below the trunk to behind the driver's seat. As the cockpit is the most protected part of the car, this would help protect the fuel tank. The fuel intake port would be in front of the rear tire. An onboard pneumatic jack would be used to replace the jackman (for safety purposes).

Goodyear would only make 3 sets of tires: soft, medium, and hard. Soft tires would be used at short tracks and road courses, hard tires would be used at Pocono, Indy, plate tracks, and Darlington, and medium tires everywhere else. Since the left side tires are softer at ovals, just the right side specification tires would be used at road courses. Groved tires would be used at plate tracks to reduce grip (thus reduce cornering speed).

Nationwide Series:

Get rid of it! Replace it with a much expanded Whelen Modified Tour. Use modified DP engines again to achieve 600 horsepower and require engines to last two race weekends.

Point system:

Throw the baby out with the bathwater! Get rid of the chase and replace the old system with my 200, 173, 162, 154... system.

The 30 fastest cars on time qualify for a race. 31-38 will hold the cars with the most owner's points not in the race by order of speed. And the field size will be reduced from 43 to 38.

[BenRoethig]

-Upgraded side graphics to simulate the look of doors.
-4.5L DOHC engine similar to the IRL formula with cylinder deactivation for the plate tracks.
-increase in wheelbase from 110in to 115in to make it closer to existing sedans
-Nameplates based on vehicle class.
Sprint cup: Full size sedan. Avalon, Impala, Taurus, and Charger
Nationwide: Mid-size sedan: Camry, Malibu, Fusion, Avenger.
-5 Point bonus for pole position.
-Reverse 7 race rule. Spring cup drivers can only race in the nationwide or trucks series seven times in a season. Afterwards, entry receives prize money, but no driver or owner points.

[harvick#1]

are you really sure you want that, if the gas tank blows some how, the driver is in serious danger.

The oil tank would be moved from behind the drivers seat to the "passsenger's seat". The fuel tank will then be moved from below the trunk to behind the driver's seat. As the cockpit is the most protected part of the car, this would help protect the fuel tank. The fuel intake port would be in front of the rear tire. An onboard pneumatic jack would be used to replace the jackman (for safety purposes).

time for some fun

a Hard and Soft Compound Goodyear brings each week and teams have to use both sets (make things they must use the Hard compound 4 times (2 on road courses) that will make stradegy all that more interesting

dump California and Texas and replace the dates with Iowa Speedway, Rockingham, Darlington, and Nashville

shorten both Pocono races to 350 miles

pitstops will be just like IMSA rules (when fueling, no one is allowed to change tires) crews can adjust the car but no tires or unbolting any lugs until fueling is complete by fuelman. (whould make for real pit stradegy)

Single file restarts for the final 100 miles (tired of the lap cars deciding the race)

[Jonesi]

Next year:
Traveling medical team, with training & equipment at the level of F1/CC/IRL medical teams.
Add some adjustment into the CoT, so when the cars don't handle right, something can be done about it.
Eliminate The Chase, discard of driver's worse 4 races, some slight adjustment to the points.

A few years out (due to TV contracts, etc):
Reduce schedule to 32 races.
Go to a modern engine, about 4 liters, overhead cam four valve, fuel injected, etc.
Alternative fuels.

[Lee Roy]

Update the engine to a more current model.
Fuel Injection.
Do away with the past champion's provisional (or limit it to champions from the past 10 years).
Single file restarts the last 25% of the race distance.
Add a couple of dirt track races to the schedule, or make Martinsville a dirt track.
Severly limit the number of Nationwide races that a full time Sprint Cup driver can compete in.

Just a question on a permanent traveling safety group. Where would the Emergency Medical Technicians get practical experience during the year?

[call_me_andrew]

are you really sure you want that, if the gas tank blows some how, the driver is in serious danger.

Well the fuel tank is now safer because it's in the most secure part of the car. So if it's damaged bad enough to blow, chances are the driver is already dead. I actually got the idea from the Ford GT. The fuel tank on that car is between the driver and passenger seats.

I also have an idea for changing the splitter height rule so that the splitter is only measured when 500lbs of weight have been added over the front tires.

[dwboogityfan]

Firstly I would NOT change the car in the Cup Series. We need to give the COT another couple of years before panicking.

The changes I would make are the following:-

1) Change the qualifying procedure. I would make the only drivers 'locked in' to the race the top 12 in points and if required the current series champion. The rest must qualify on time. This would end the farce of the Past Champions provisional as well. The scrapping of the top 35 rule would help those teams lower down the order to make more races.

2) On tracks of 1.5 miles or more in length change the field from 43 to 45 cars.

3) Award five bonus points for a pole position. Qualifying is a great skill and deserves to be rewarded.

4) Reduce the length of some races from 500 to 400 miles. For example the 2 Pocono races and Californias races.

5) Rearrange the schedule. The season should end at Daytona (the home of NASCAR), move Homestead to July, put the Southern 500 back at Darlington and give dates to Kentucky and another road course. Take a race away from New Hampshire and Pocono to keep the current 36 race schedule.

6) Run a non-points exhibition event in different countries at the end of the season. Similar to the Motegi races run in the late 90s. Target markets should be Asia, Australia and Europe (in particular the UK of course!).

7) In the Nationwide Series award financial prizes for the top 5 non-Cup drivers in each race.

[damattarulz]

Get rid of the damn "top 35 locked" crap! the only thing this does is penalize new upcoming teams and drivers. The race should be about the top 43 fastest qualifiers...end of story.

BUT, if NASCAR is so worried that Jr., or Gordon, or Stewart, etc., might not make the race for ratings sake, give out provisionals for qualifying incase of a blown tire, or engine, during their qualifying run.

You could give each driver, car, or owner one or two qualifying provs, and pole winners can get extra ones. A driver could use the prov incase of a mechanical problem beyond their control. They then get a redo qualification run.

[Aussie12]

1. Put Rockingham back on the schedule: Phoenix/Texas/Las Vegas/California can do with one race less.
2. Give Darlington a second race: Phoenix/Texas/Las Vegas/California can do with one race less.
3. Softer barriers everywhere: frontstraits, backstraits, dog-legs, pit walls and inside walls.
4. Ditch the Chase: 10 cars? 11 cars? 12 cars? No one can agree so just dump it.
5. Allow international fans to order merchandise and not charge a fortune for postage: US$40 postage for two NASCAR Day pins? Come on guys. Be serious.
6. Get rid of the ‘don’t-pass-below-the-yellow-line’ rule on superspeedways: if they’ve got the guts to run there, let ‘em at it.
7. Everybody qualifies on time: that’s right, you heard me.
8. Travelling med team: how long have we been harping about this one?
9. Get the NASCAR PTB to look at threads like this one.

[Jonesi]

5. Allow international fans to order merchandise and not charge a fortune for postage: US$40 postage for two NASCAR Day pins? Come on guys. Be serious.

They want WHAT??

6. Get rid of the ‘don’t-pass-below-the-yellow-line’ rule on superspeedways: if they’ve got the guts to run there, let ‘em at it.

The rule's not there to protect the moron who goes below the line, it's there to protect the dozen racers (who know better), who get taken out in "his accident" when he loses control.