Robin Pemberton and Jim Hunter of NASCAR said they chose not to tell teams of the restrictor-plate change until Saturday morning. Credit: Autostock

NASCAR modifies plates after fast practice speeds

Decision contrary to Friday's conclusion after 198-mph practices

TALLADEGA, Ala. -- After publicly stating on Friday that they were not going to use different restrictor plates for the UAW-Ford 500 at Talladega, NASCAR reversed itself and mandated a 7/8-inch plate for Sunday's race.

	Dale Jarrett, last year's winner, was second-fastest in Friday's first practice. Credit: Autostock
	TO CHANGE OR NOT On Friday, NASCAR officials said the fast practice speeds at Talladega were not a problem and that they would not change restrictor-plate sizes.  •   Complete story, click here

NASCAR said that it made the decision on Saturday morning -- rather than Friday -- so that teams would not have all night to adjust engine setups before qualifying. NASCAR informed teams at 6:30 a.m. CT on Saturday.

NASCAR did not schedule an additional practice on Saturday. The first on-tracks laps with the new plates took place during qualifying.

Doug Yates, head engine builder for Robert Yates Racing, said that teams would have taken advantage of the prior notice. Such notice would have given teams time to find additional horsepower by working overnight to adjust to the change.

"As a racer you just wish you had a chance to work on it, and I'm sure that's why they didn't tell us earlier because we'd be home changing heads and cams and manifolds to match the new rule," Yates said.

"We tried to not make a knee-jerk reaction and send people back to Charlotte to work on things," said Robin Pemberton, NASCAR's vice president of competition. "We wanted to say no to keep the teams from gaining an unfair advantage.

"We didn't discuss it with drivers, owners or crew chiefs, knowing how they react to things. We decided to not let anyone know ahead of time."

NASCAR denied that it made the change to avoid flirting with the 200-mph barrier. Instead, officials said they were alarmed at the speeds posted by teams at the bottom of the practice sheet.

"It is not the top of the field, it is the entire field," Pemberton said. "Some of the teams father back have made larger increases, so it was just time to do it."

NASCAR's decision to change the restrictor plates for Sunday's race at Talladega is... ...exactly the right call. You have to keep the drivers safe ...unfair. How are teams supposed to adjust so quickly VIEW RESULTS

NASCAR mandated a tire test at Talladega last month, but speeds at that test did not compare to what was posted during practice on Friday.

Dale Earnhardt Jr., a five-time winner here, was one of the more vocal critics of the change, arguing that teams should had been allotted time to practice with the smaller plates.

"I'd like to have a little bit of [expletive] practice, you know, to figure [it] out," Earnhardt said before storming off to the NASCAR hauler to voice his complaint. "We have to guess on the gear, and I am a second off of what I ran by myself [Friday].

"That stuff right there shouldn't be going on, especially in the Chase. We should have some practice, at least 30 minutes."

The new plate has slightly smaller holes than the previous 15/16-inch version, which was used in practice on Friday. The new plates are expected to slow speeds about 4-5 mph. Speeds approached 199 mph in both practice sessions on Friday.

The new surface brought speeds to the brink of the 200-mph mark, but with fewer bumps in the turns, drivers said they felt more comfortable in the car.

"It is obviously safety first and that is always the most important thing," said Kevin Harvick, who practiced in the 197-mph range on Friday. "It didn't seem like [it is too fast], but it never seems like it is too fast until you hit something."

The move by NASCAR left teams scrambling to adjust their cars on Saturday. Because teams can run whatever gear they choose at Talladega, teams had to call their respective shops to coordinate optimal gears to coincide with the plate change.

	Dale Jr. Credit: Autostock
	FAST AND CURIOUS After two practice sessions Friday at Talladega Superspeedway, maybe the new surface won't be as bad as once feared.  •   Complete story, click here Staying sharpJeff Gordon looks for edge during Happy Hour at Talladega Smooth sailing?Jeff Burton sizes up the impact of the new surface at 'Dega Sign up for TrackPass now BUY THE NEXTEL i836

Not all teams changed gears, however.

Steve Letarte, crew chief for Jeff Gordon, said he would not make a gear change because his team is in the Chase for the Nextel Cup. A gear change without additional practice would be risky, Letarte said.

"I think some teams will [change gears]," Letarte said. "If I wasn't in the Chase, I'd probably change it. Putting more gear in it will be a little iffy without practice. We have to take the plate off to go through inspection anyway, so nothing changes."

"There are teams that have three cars, and one team did it [a gear change] and one team didn't," said Roy McCauley, crew chief for Kurt Busch. "There are a couple different ways of looking at it. You have got to work on your carburetor, but not much. It is not going to be that big of a deal."

Restrictor plates are stored by NASCAR officials and handed out to teams before each on-track session. NASCAR maintains plates with different sizes to adapt to different situations.

Speeds were up significantly at Talladega after the 2.66-mile track was repaved over the summer. Drivers have marveled at the track's grip, but the new surface increased single-lap speeds about 5 mph faster than the spring race here.

The UAW-Ford 500 is the final impound race of the season, which means teams ran two practices before a Saturday qualifying session.

NASCAR began mandating restrictor plates in 1989, and Bill Elliott set the restrictor-plate qualifying mark with a lap of 199.388 mph in May 1990.