Car of Tomorrow

Future of the sport unveiled with new-look concept vehicle

NASCAR has announced that the Car of Tomorrow will begin Nextel Cup Series competition in 2007. Teams will use the newly designed race car for 16 events next season, beginning with the spring race at Bristol.

Some of the benefits of the Car of Tomorrow:

Look into the futureCNN's Sanjay Gupta looks at NASCAR's Car of Tomorrow Sign up for TrackPass now BUY YOUR NEXTEL DRIVER PHONE ALSO A five-year project, the Car of Tomorrow offers important safety and performance upgrades. It also addresses cost reduction, providing teams with a more efficient car to produce and tune.  •   Complete story, click here DAYTONA TEST NASCAR made a giant step toward a hoped-for "universal car" for use in the Nextel Cup Series when Brett Bodine tested the latest Car of Tomorrow prototype at Daytona Jan. 12.  •   Complete story, click here ATLANTA TEST At Atlanta last fall, Petty Enterprises, Richard Childress Racing, Roush Racing, Hendrick Motorsports and Dale Earnhardt Incorporated tested versions of the Car of Tomorrow.   •   Complete story, click here

Safety Benefits

• "G" forces spike reduction

• Cockpit intrusion protection

→ Roll cage is 2 inches taller, 4 inches wider
→ Roll cage moved rearward 3 inches
→ Left-side door bars covered with steel plate
→ Door bars configured for impact attenuation
→ Driver's seat moved 4 inches to the right
→ Double left-side frame rail (intrusion, EA backstop)
→ Fully enclosed driveshaft tunnel
→ Truck arm cross member for controlled crush
→ Left-side suspension moved left 1 inch
→ Match bumper heights front, rear and side
→ Exhaust thru right frame rail
→ Re-configured floor pan (no OEM floor pan)

• Fire protection

→ Less fuel volume (17.5 gallons from 22 gallons) and stronger container

Cost Reduction

• Fewer cars in car owner's inventory

• Tighter parameters (quicker, easier and cheaper to build)

→ More closely matched grill area (Most cooling air will enter through space below bumper)
→ Headlights straighter to match production vehicle (Less aerodynamic)
→ Windshield angle more upright and more closely matches 2007 street cars

• 3D inspection at track followed by R&D Center validation using coordinate measuring system

Other Benefits

• Enhanced TV Camera Locations

→ Camera pod designed by Broadcast Sports Technology (BST) mounted on all cars (Roof camera as used today along with additional side-mounted cameras located between the B & C posts)
→ Other possible camera locations (low front, etc.)

• Improved manufacturer's identity