RELATED: XFINITY drivers take rules package for a spin
SPEEDWAY, Ind. – Saturday’s NASCAR XFINITY Series race had a race-record 16 lead changes, a race-record eight leaders and a down-to-the-wire battle that saw William Byron eke out a narrow .108-second win over Paul Menard.
So was the new rules package built specifically for the series at Indianapolis Motor Speedway a success?
“When you look at the metrics, it’s the most leaders we’ve had, most lead changes, closest finish. So certainly on the quick recap, some really great metrics,” Steve O’Donnell, Executive Vice President and Chief Racing Development Officer for NASCAR, said afterward.
“But, you know, as we said before, there’s a lot for us to digest, to go back, talk to the teams. … We’ve got to do the same thing with drivers, crew chiefs, and see where we’re at and kind of evaluate and go from there.”
The rules package included a taller rear spoiler, use of a restrictor plate and aero ducts (openings in the lower front ends of the cars) to promote passing and negate the aero advantage usually enjoyed by the race leader on the 2.5-mile IMS track.
The restrictor plates didn’t provide the pack racing typically seen at Daytona or Talladega, the only other tracks where plates have been used by the series on a regular basis, but did slow the cars by 15 mph or so.
“We never thought this would be Daytona or Talladega,” O’Donnell said. “You know, the first objective to us was could you close that gap from first to second? And we certainly saw that … with the leader really not getting out that far today all day long.”
Previous races for NASCAR here have been lacking in the number of passes and close proximity of the cars. Lower downforce rules packages have helped somewhat at other venues, but Indy has been one of the tougher nuts to crack.
For the XFINITY Series, Saturday’s package might not be the answer, but it seemed to be a good starting point with plenty of data provided.
“The package was really interesting,” Joey Logano (Team Penske Ford) said. “You had to race really smart.”
Race winner William Byron (JR Motorsports) said the package “allowed us to pass on the straightaway but you have to drive it. You can’t just coast around out there.”
While O’Donnell and other drivers were pleased, at least one driver was nonplussed.
“Whether or not the race was more exciting? Probably,” said Kyle Busch, the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series driver who had won the last two XFINITY Series races here and three of the last four. He added the plates “took the driver out” of the equation.
Busch finished 12th in the No. 18 Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing.
While the package is for Indy only, O’Donnell said officials will evaluate the data and determine if there are other tracks that might benefit from a similar setup. Nothing at this point is on the books.