This Nascar Sprint Cup Series Weekend Preview is one of a series of weekly articles leading up to the race at Kansas Speedway on October 18th.
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When NASCAR developed a new aerodynamic package for two-mile tracks run without restrictor plates, it hoped to improve racing at tracks like the Michigan global Speedway.
But when the 10-race Chase begins September 20 at Chicagoland, the original rules will be used.
“We’ve seen some good things with that package”, O’Donnell said. “Feel like that’s the best decision for the sport”. “We have good momentum leaving the Glen and we just need to keep that rolling into the next few months”.
Drivers are dealing with a high-drag rules package for this race, and there’s been a lot of uncertainty over how the cars will handle in traffic. Jones said Jeff Gordon, wholl make his final MIS Sprint Cup appearance at MIS on Sunday, was among his racing heroes.
With four races to go until the Chase field is set, 10 drivers are locked in: Jimmie Johnson, Kevin Harvick, Joey Logano, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Matt Kenseth, Kurt Busch, Brad Keselowski, Martin Truex Jr., Denny Hamlin, and Carl Edwards.
Fighting a loose-handling No. 18 Toyota, Kyle Busch spun off Turn 4 during final NASCAR Sprint Cup Series practice and slid through the infield grass, destroying the front end of his auto.
That left Kenseth confident about his team’s ability to adapt.
Kenseth said his personal preference was for the low downforce. This choice comes after NASCAR put track-specific packages in place for a handful of races recently – including this weekend at Michigan.
Keselowski warned that the high-drag package will cause parts to overheat, particularly in the drivetrain.
“There were some drivers that got real hot and were very vocal, so now we all have to run with the ducts open to cool the cars, which has always been an option”.
Edwards said he might have had something for Kenseth and Hamlin.
“I’m sure that will be different when there will be a lot of cars around, but the draft is not really that effective”. Its definitely warmer than the normal package.. “I think that’s the only attitude you can have right now because no one knows what’s going to happen”.
Michigan is wider and faster than Indianapolis.
“So our messaging all along was that we had the intention of keeping the Chase where it was with the 2015 rules package”, he added. Busch was sixth in qualifying Friday, but going to the backup vehicle will force him to start from the back in Sunday’s race. Indy is really one lane. The sanctioning body is “pleased” with what they’ve seen with the 2015 package and given the teams’ current workload, the industry agreed it was in everyone’s best interest to stay the course – for now.
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Asked if he foresaw a sweep by JGR Toyotas, Kenseth said, “Maybe the 1, 2, 3, but I didn’t think I’d be in the three”.
