The COT-one year later

[DexterMorgan]

Whats everyones thoughts on this car? It was brought in to cut cost, increase saftey, create more parity, and increase competition by eliminate the aero push.

There is no question that the saftey aspect is there, no problem with that. Nascar deserves a big A plus on that.

The other aspects of the COT have failed miserably. Beyond miserably. For every Dover race you have 6 Texas/Phoenix/Atlanta races that go with it where the race is awful. I dont see how the much improvment has been made. There are still only 2 or 3 teams that have this car figured out from this point last year. The aero push is still there, even at Phoenix. The parity is rare that only 12 drivers have won races this year, and only 6 different teams. To compare in F1, 5 different teams won this year in roughly half the events. The cost factor is a complete 180 from what was intended. There is no question beyond a shadow of a doubt that the COT has increased the cost of this sport expoentially.

Now what do I believe needs to be done? Dexter does this mean we should abandon the new car and go back to the Twisted Sister? No of course not, that is not realistic. What I think needs to change, and change next Monday is this. The strict rules on the mechanical portions of this car need to be loosened up. Think of of the car as a maze. The more routes you have to get out of the maze, the more people that will solve it. If the car isnt so damn difficult to figure out, more teams will figure out and thus be competitive. Nascar needs to be out there testing round the clock. They, along with Goodyear, need to invest their own money into the development of the car to provide a better show. If the show is better, people will come to the race track and watch it on TV. When people are doing that money is being invested into the sport. Its a spend money to make money attitude.

What do you guys think?

 

[mghtx]

There is no question that the saftey aspect is there, no problem with that. Nascar deserves a big A plus on that.

I was given to understand that most, maybe not all, but most of the safety features could have been done to the old car.

This COT, to me, seems like Microsoft's Vista. Tons of money put into it and the reaction is "this is it?"......."this is what we have to work with?"......"this is what we waited for?"....."I'll stick with XP thanks."

Unfortunately the teams don't have the option of going back. When the drivers started talking about it nascar got out that big red button to shut them up.

 

[dpkimmel2001]

From what I understand the first and foremost reason for the car was safety. That followed by cost. Finally, they had hoped to make the car less dependant on aerodynamics. I don't think that parity was even mentioned.

I don't think that anyone can argue that it is a much safer car. So I think that they've accomplished what they set out to there.

As far as the cost goes, I thought that while initally it did cost more to produce a single COT as opposed to the old car, they don't have to produce as many. I thought that they were able to take the same car to Bristol as they could take to Atlanta?

Less dependant on aerodynamics, who knows, unless you drive one. They have always had that problem. As of 10/14 nascar stated that there will be no rules changes for the COT for next year. They want to give teams more time to work with the car 'as is'. This was the first full year for this car. Some of these tracks they've only be to twice. They worked with the old car for a long time and never resolved the aero push.

There will never be parity. There isn't in any sport that I know of. Someone is always better than someone else.

 

[DexterMorgan]

Well I think by parity I think they mean that the guys like Robby Gordon or Bill Davis will have more of an impact in the sport. Remember Bill Davis was a consistent race winner earlier this decade with only a 2 car team? The COT has made the big dogs bigger, and the small dogs much smaller.

mghtx-fantastic analogy.

 

[Easy Money]

Mo money means mo speed, always has and always will.