Midterm: COT passing in places, struggling in others

The conclusion of yesterday's Lenox Industrial Tools 300 marks the halfway point in the Car of Tomorrow's abbreviated, 16-race debut. As such, it's time for me to issue its midterm report card -- but first some overall observations.

For starters, despite the numerous e-mails I've received predicting otherwise, the NASCAR world still spins on its north-south axis. The mass defection of longtime NASCAR fans has not occurred. Hendrick Motorsports has not won every single COT Race. Nor has NASCAR conveniently looked the other way every time HMS presents its cars for inspection. That said, it's a mixed bag for the COT.

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Safety
Grade: A

From the very beginning, the primary goal of this new design has been to increase driver safety. The safety enhancements designed into the car all seem well thought through and faithfully executed. Thankfully, there have been no real-world tests of the car's crashworthiness. So far, so good.

Performance
Grade: C

This one's harder to grade than I thought. To be sure, it does not handle as well as the current car. The center of gravity is higher, the roll center is higher, it still doesn't rotate through the center of corners very well, it's as aero-sensitive as ever and it's easy to overdrive the thing. As Jeff Gordon put it yesterday, it's a rhythm car. I'd rather see a car that can be pushed harder than that.

But the current car is dancing on the knife's edge of being genuinely too fast for many of the tracks it races on, e.g. Atlanta, Lowe's, Texas and Las Vegas. In lieu of restrictor plates -- which no one will accept -- we're presented with the COT and its purposely suboptimal aerodynamic and suspension packages. It'll be very interesting to see how the COT develops into the racecar it will become.

Competitiveness
Grade: B+

She may not be much to look at, but there is no way to deny that this car has put on eight really good races. Average margin of victory: 1.75 seconds. Six of its eight races were decided by less than a second, with three of those decided by less than 0.07 seconds. It's must-see TV.

Dale Earnhardt Inc., Joe Gibbs Racing and Chip Ganassi Racing have proven that Hendrick Motorsports is not invincible. It's only a matter of time before all the usual suspects are competing at, or near, their pre-COT levels. I'd be remiss if I didn't offer a tip of the hat to Haas CNC Racing for its David vs. Goliath-like COT successes.

Manufacturer Brand Identity
Grade: D

Manufacturer brand identity plays a huge role in NASCAR's formula for success. And the COT is perhaps a bit of an improvement over the current car. But that's only because stickers in the shape of production car grills, headlights and taillights adhere nicely to the generic shapes designated to hold them.

The common template for all COT cars is to blame here. NASCAR has leveled the aerodynamic playing field for all manufacturers at the expense of the production car's basic shape and form (a key factor in most all car purchases). I'm not convinced that's good thing.

Aesthetics
Grade: D-

When NASCAR announced its intention to change the car, I imagined a car along the lines of what they race in Germany's DTM series or in Australia's V8 Supercar series, minus their huge wings. Deep down, I knew that was probably asking too much. As it ended up, sadly, I was right.

The COT is way too tall and way too chunky. The bolt-upright greenhouse and brick-like silhouette are not nearly as racy as the competition on the track is. NASCAR missed a great opportunity to field a sexier package. But you can see the sponsor logos perfectly.

Toughness
Grade: A

The robustness of the splitter and the wing that had so many people concerned at the start of the season has not proven to be a problem. The car's slab-like flanks, its energy-absorbing foam, the additional tubing and the equal-height bumpers have combined to make the car tough enough to both take it, and dish it out. At the end of Sunday's race broadcast, Larry McReynolds gave us the COT fact of the week: no team has needed to go to a backup car in these first eight COT race weekends.

Cost Savings
Grade: Incomplete

Campaigning two specs of car in one season is not a cost-effective way to go racing -- especially in light of the extraordinary testing programs teams have been forced to adopt. NASCAR's decision to go full-time with the COT in 2008 is the right move. Only then can any cost savings be realized.

If you wish to appeal for a change to any of the grades issued on this report card, you may present your case directly to Mr. McCarthy.