One year later for NASCAR's COT – Is it any better and what is the future?

At this time last year, drivers, teams, owners, media and the fans were all talking about what was about to be introduced, the controversial Car of Tomorrow, it was NASCAR’s answer to controlling the series better including limiting changes that crew chiefs could make to their cars and to save the teams money, having the same car run on all four types of racetrack, so what would be the future for this ugly, yet more safer car for the Cup Series?

Last Year after the conclusion of the Bristol race, I wrote this:

“Despite throwing the COT in the mix, I really didn’t see a difference between yesterday’s race and years past. The action was all the same, beating and banging for 500 laps and if at the end you were within the top 3 spots, you had a shot to win.Most of this race was dominated by Tony Stewart and Denny Hamlin, even the #18 car got in on it by leading a couple of laps, but it all changed with first a fuel-pump gone bad and then Jimmie Johnson cutting down a tire and not getting on the apron quick enough, that gave Busch the lead. Then it began…

What a final couple of laps showdown, Kyle Busch leads, Jeff Gordon second, Burton third and Harvick/Biffle fighting for fourth. When it went green for the green-white-checkers, it was on with Burton grabbing second on the high side going though one and two and fighting Busch for the lead, but it wasn’t to be for Burton, Kyle Busch holds on by inches to win the first COT race and gets 600th victory for Chevrolet. Now that’s Bristol racing at its finest.”

Since that debut race at Bristol one year ago, everyone including NASCAR has gone through a learning curve for this car and now that it has run in 19 races and has gone full time in 2008, there is some pros and cons to this one:

Pros, the impact of the COT has been felt in several ways,
1) the COT has created better racing at most tracks it has be run on including under the lights in Phoenix, 2) the same COT can run on all four types of tracks, you can test one day at Talladega and run the same COT the next weekend at Bristol or Phoenix. 3) the jury for the safety aspect is for the most part in and the results are good, I have seen this car take a beating and still keep going, since its debut, there has been one wreck recently that stands out to me, Jeff Gordon’s wreck at Las Vegas two weeks ago when he lost it coming off turn 2 and hit head on into a concrete wall that was curved and while the front end was totaled, Jeff was able to walk away, and in the process speck to the media with no problems, that was good to see that Jeff was standing right there a couple minutes later after the wreck.

Cons are simple to state, while NASCAR has not only limited the crew chiefs changing the COT which is good in some ways, they have created a simply zero tolerance policy that has meet with NASCAR handing down several heavy penalties against drivers, teams and crew chiefs that are for the littlest thing out of place or changed and that in some cases were hard to handle including their one size basically fits all penalty that everyone who was handed a penalty received

The most outspoken one came back at Las Vegas when in Carl Edwards and the #99 team was hit with – docked 100 driver and 100 owner points, crew chief was suspended for 6 races, fined $100k and on probation, plus a twist if you will, if the #99 makes the chase, they will not receive the extra 10 point bonus for winning the Las Vegas race and all this for a oil lid that was found several inches off and it was reported that the rear window had loose bolts on it… Personally I find it hard to believe that 3 threaded bolts all backed off during the race and came off, now going into Bristol, Roush-Fenway racing will not appeal and I think that’s wise, they wouldn’t have won, I think the penalty would have been raised.

As for the future of the COT, NASCAR said it,”get use to it, it’s here to stay” (paraphrased) and it is, the future is somewhat bright for this car, it is still ugly and does have a couple more safety issues to address, however, so far in the first four races of the 2008 Cup Series Season has made racing better, but like I said, there is still two big safety issues and one ugly look holding the COT back from being successful.

What are the safety issues? First is the tires (No, I’m not bashing Goodyear, however I just want good racing period.) and second, the front grill, wiping the front grill with the strips in front of it is dangerous and a crew member can get hurt. Comments.

- Racedriven