There are so many, I just had to start another one

I've been involved in NASCAR since the early 70s, and it is clear that the COT is the result several factors, the first of which is too much money and technology flooding into NASCAR.  NASCAR has never been about the technology, it has always been about lining the France family pockets first, then competition and fender banging racing.  The idea of "stock cars" went away in the 90s with the near demise of V-8 engine based vehicles.  Within 10 years, I doubt if you'll find even a V-6 in anything but a super car or pick-up truck.  NASCAR must do something to protect the formula that has brought them success.

Another factor is car make is becoming irrelevant.  Like you see on the news, most Toyotas have more American made parts than any Ford or Chevy.  Daimler-Chrysler isn't even in the ballpark since most of those cars are engineered in Germany and fabricated in Mexico.  I wouldn't be surprised to see NASCAR abandon auto manufacturer support (other than as advertisers) in favor of other sponsorship money from more consumer oriented companies.

If you look back into history, then project forward in time, it is not hard to see that within ten years NASCAR will be a 100% spec car series.  In fact, it wouldn't surprise me to see NASCAR eventually forced to supply the teams with the bodies and engines in a manner similar to the IRL, putting the team emphasis on setup and driving skills.

NASCAR has evolved to where they can now make major policies in days instead of decades.  The COT is just another step in this process.  If spec cars will result in close racing and controlled costs for NASCAR (notice I did not say for the teams), I guarantee you that is where NASCAR will go.  In fact, if we're all still here in 10 years, I'll put $100 on it right now.

mdw442:

There are so many, I just had to start another one

I've been involved in NASCAR since the early 70s, and it is clear that the COT is the result several factors, the first of which is too much money and technology flooding into NASCAR.  NASCAR has never been about the technology, it has always been about lining the France family pockets first, then competition and fender banging racing.  The idea of "stock cars" went away in the 90s with the near demise of V-8 engine based vehicles.  Within 10 years, I doubt if you'll find even a V-6 in anything but a super car or pick-up truck.  They have to do something to protect the formula that has brought them success.

The second factor is if you think about it, car make is becoming irrelevant.  Like you see on the news, most Toyotas have more American made parts than any Ford or Chevy.  Daimler-Chrysler isn't even in the ballpark since most of those cars are engineered in Germany and fabricated in Mexico.  I wouldn't be surprised to see NASCAR abandon auto manufacturer support (other than as advertisers) in favor of other sponsorship money from more consumer oriented companies.

If you look back into history, then think ahead in time, it is not hard to see that within ten years NASCAR will be a 100% spec car series.  In fact, it wouldn't surprise me to see NASCAR eventually forced to supply the teams with the bodies and engines in a manner similar to the IRL, putting the team emphasis on setup and driving skills.

NASCAR has evolved to where they can now make major policies in days instead of decades.  The COT is just the first step in this process.  If spec cars will result in close racing and controlled costs for NASCAR (notice I did not say for the teams), I guarantee you that is where NASCAR will go.  In fact, if we're all still here in 10 years, I'll put $100 on it right now.

I have not  read any of the other COT threads yet.  One thing I'd call this post is more of Big Picture Racing, the reason I say this is because about 2 years ago maybe when this COT had really shaken eveyones butts up online, and the opinions were flying like food in a food fight.  I said why doesn't NASCAR just completely re-vamp this thing and give the cars fuel injection and traction control and have 43 monitors that would be like a black box but with active communication with those boxes.  If a team had over ridden the commands that NASCAR had set up then NASCAR could just reset those commands and the said team would be SOL...  Well I was told it was wishful thinking putting it nicely.  Besides the money and I might add that even now with the current configuration NASCAR and teams alike spend a lot of money by keeping technology at such a restricted level.  Restrictor plates won't be needed if they have computer control fuel, horsepower, and even aero packages for races.

I would agree in 10 years this thing called NASCAR is either gonna flourish or it's gonna be like the IRL/CART just tottally s-u-c-k and it will become a huge loss and we'll all have to focus some other form of racing.  NASCAR conviently uses the verbage as the New Generation  but for over 20 years they have been making these covers with the likes of Ford, Chevy, Dodge and it really ain't stock at all.  So with this new COT all it does is claim it will be better racing because of these said facts that NASCAR keeps talking about.  I guess when they get 43 of these COT on the track and go at it flat out then we'll be able to understand what all the hype has been about.       

Onslow - dude - besides being one of my favorite TV characters, you are fast becoming one of my favorite posters

NASCAR already has your black boxes with live real time telemetry in all the cars and you can be sure they monitor them constantly for anything "funny".   If you notice, rules infractions are way down this year - especially after Daytona.

You are on the right track

Yeah I kind of got away from the specifics a while back.  But in keeping with tradition and all I look back at all the drivers and crews and they have never been rule abiding types.  Some of my Favorites are Junior Johnson, Holman/Moody and Bud Moore.  So allowing these teams to go buck wild with the controls at NASCAR might be a more reasonable thing.  But if NASCAR wasn't fair and pulled for a specific make or driver as we've seen before then it would not be very good.  Another thing that you mentioned was NASCAR or Manufactures issuing components as to keeping the field fair.  About the Black Box one of the best safety pieces they have onboard.  I would also guess that when Jeff Gordon kissed the wall at Pocono I think it was; that box may have had something that read the impact forces and that was directly given to the engineers for evaluation.  I will say I do like much of the engineering and research that is being introduced.  Now if Goodyear could give these teams a compound that was more reliable that would make for better racing and wouldn’t be so sensitive to the teams air pressure and camber settings.