BRISTOL, Tenn. -- For the most part, NASCAR's Cup Series drivers appear eager to wave good-bye to the wings that have adorned the rear decks of their cars since 2007.

The wing was introduced along with the new car part-time during the '07 season and was used full-time the past two seasons. But after Sunday's Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway, the fifth race of the 2010 season, the wing will be replaced by a rear spoiler.

Welcome return

It's official -- Bristol will be the final race with the wing on the Cup car as NASCAR announced Martinsville will be the first event with the spoiler.

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"I think NASCAR changed it because the fans didn't like the look or the appearance of it, more so than the drivers," said Greg Biffle, driver of the No. 16 Ford. "I really felt they went to double-file restarts [last year] because the fans love that action on the restarts. This is sort of the same thing. They got a lot of criticism like, 'It doesn't look like a race car. We want a spoiler back on it.'

"NASCAR consulted us on what our opinion was and we thought we were OK with the spoiler and thought the car might even be better with the spoiler, so they pursued that and obviously determined to put it back on the car. But I think [the decision] was driven by the fans and the [lack of] popularity."

Kurt Busch, who drives the No. 2 Dodge, said he has an idea of what to do with all the wings that will be discarded.

"Me and Biffle raced each other this past Thanksgiving weekend over the offseason," Busch said. "I've got an old Crown Vic, he's got a Chevy Caprice and we go dirt racing. I put a wing on for rear downforce. That's about all they're going to be good for -- the aesthetic look."

Everyone seems to agree that the Cup car looks better sans wing. And the hope is that it will produce better close racing as well.

"The spoiler is preferable," said Mark Martin, driver of the No. 5 Chevrolet. "Aesthetics-wise, it looks like a race car; it looks like a stock car. It looks like a NASCAR car just the way I remember them, going all the way back to the '70s. That side of it is great.

"The racing will continue to get better and [the spoiler] is one small part of that. It will make cars more competitive. They'll race better, pass better, and run in packs better."

“

NASCAR consulted us on what our opinion was and we thought we were OK with the spoiler and thought the car might even be better with the spoiler, so they pursued that and obviously determined to put it back on the car.

”

-- GREG BIFFLE

Then again, there are those who defended the wing. Denny Hamlin, who drives the No. 11 Toyota, was one of them when asked about it Friday.

Hamlin said anyone who thinks the new spoiler will prevent cars that get turned around at high speeds from going airborne is mistaken.

"I think the wing gets a bad rap to be honest with you," Hamlin said. "I don't think it's the reason for all these world troubles that we're having. I was watching that ride into the wild thing [television show] on Showtime [Thursday] night, and [former driver] Davey Allison was at Pocono and got turned around backwards and flipped over.

"It happens, it has always happened, it's going to continue to happen. As long as we're running over 160 miles per hour, it will happen no matter what."

Hamlin definitely appeared to be in the garage minority as a wing defender, however. Kasey Kahne, driver of the No. 9 Ford, said all the drivers will have to adjust to the spoiler -- and look forward to a two-day test next week at Charlotte Motor Speedway that should help them begin to do just that.

They'll need to make the most of the test, because NASCAR already has said the spoiler will be in place for the Goody's Fast Pain Relief 500 at Martinsville Speedway one week from Sunday.

"I'm looking forward to the spoiler. I think it should be pretty good," Kahne said. "I think the wing has changed NASCAR racing a little bit, and the spoiler will change it again a little bit. That's the way it's going to be and we really won't know how much until we get 43 cars on the track and we're at Texas or something like that, or Phoenix maybe.

"Everybody is going to have to change their driving a little bit because the side-by-side stuff is definitely going to be different."

Biffle said he learned that much and more during a recent spoiler test he participated in at Texas Motor Speedway, which later was followed by a larger test involving nearly all the Cup teams at Talladega.

"When we tested it at Texas, Tony Stewart, Kurt Busch, Brian Vickers and myself were the first ones with the thing on the car and I have to admit I think it's going to be better racing," Biffle said. "I think the car showed signs of a little better corner exit, which is where this car has really struggled. We've struggled to get turning and racing each other off that corner exit.

"We'll just have to wait and see. I was by myself and felt the difference, so I think it'll be better overall. We'll know next week for sure."