Still more to learn about new car after first full year (cont'd)

Never the status quo

It remains to be seen how long race teams' creative geniuses will be content to be constrained by such a restrictive box, as Duchardt explained the transition to the new car.

"NASCAR had a goal and I'm assuming part of their goal was to get control over the aerodynamics of the car," Duchardt said. "In doing so, our body-building manufacturing has gone from a development process to a strict manufacturing process and trying to duplicate and meet the templates as quickly and as accurately as possible instead of trying to find the next pound of downforce or the next count of drag reduction."

"I think we still have some challenges in front of us as far as working with NASCAR and the teams," Loomis said. "There are certain race tracks that I think provide great racing. There are other race tracks that we really have to take a look at and see if there is a little something that we can do to work with the car to make it better."

Loomis used to sit in the perfect seat to make such judgments and he easily deferred the responsibility back to what's seen as the best minds in the business, even as he ponders his race team's future.

"I think that it's got to be the crew chiefs: The Chad Knauses, Steve Letartes, Tony Eury Jr.s and Bob Osbornes of the world -- the Kenny Francises," Loomis said. "Those are the guys that we have to listen to because they could really give us the feedback to help make [the new car] better for everyone in the sport."

"Everyone's done a really good job of figuring out what these cars really want," Hmiel said. "The drivers have decided that they're never going to drive like the old car, which is fine because it's a different car. Compared to the first day we ran these things, this car has come an awful long way, and compared to the first time we raced these things, it's come an awful long way."

"In the last 30 days it's come an awful long way, Hmiel said shortly before the Homestead finale. "So people are smart enough to figure it all out, and they haven't spent an awful lot of time complaining."

"It's a lot smaller window than we've ever had," Hoover said. "So from a team standpoint, it's us trying to be creative but stay in the box; and [NASCAR] trying to do their job as far as stopping us -- and so far, we've kind of been staying within the lines."

As promised, NASCAR has ratcheted up the penalties for technical violations with the new car, with the current, seemingly standard level being 150 points taken from the driver and car owner, a $100,000 fine for the crew chief and suspension of both the crew chief and his main assistant, the car chief.

Hoover said that system, which for better or worse is the new car's current most noteworthy legacy, creates an impenetrable bottom line.

"We are by no means going to get out of the box," Hoover said. "The penalty that comes with that is not worth it, in any way. As they say, the benefit of what there is to gain does not outweigh the circumstance [of getting caught]."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.