NASCAR’s rules package now allows in-cockpit adjustments
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HAMPTON, Ga. — NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers began the process of shaking down their cars with the new 2015 rules package here at Atlanta Motor Speedway Thursday, and one of the changes involves allowing drivers to manually adjust the track bar from inside the car.
“To be honest with you, I think that’s going to be an opportunity for us drivers to screw ourselves up more than it is to help us,” said Carl Edwards, driver of the Joe Gibbs Racing No. 19 Toyota.
“I ended up playing with it for a few laps and then put it right back where it was because it wasn’t doing exactly what I wanted it to do.”
Sunday’s Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 at AMS will be the first race for the series using this year’s new rules package, which features a reduction in both horsepower and downforce.
The ability for a driver to raise or lower the track bar is one of the changes in play as well.
The track bar is located underneath the rear of the car. By raising or lowering the right side of the bar, a driver can alter the position of the rear axle in relation to the car’s centerline.
Any changes affect the weight distribution of the car and how it moves through the corners on the track.
Drivers can make adjustments via a switch located inside the car, although the location of the switch seems to be based on driver preference. Edwards’ switch is located on his steering wheel, while fellow driver Kyle Larson (Chip Ganassi Racing) said his is installed on the left side of his seat.
“I wanted it to be easy to get to,” Edwards said. “The one thing I’m nervous about is inadvertently laying on it during the race; that could be disastrous.
“The other thing that makes me nervous is the switch sticking or something and having the track bar going all the way to one end or the other. So I probably will not mess with mine too much.”
Larson, last year’s Sprint Cup Series Sunoco Rookie of the Year, said he played with it during the opening segment of Thursday’s test, but initially wasn’t pleased with the results.
“I just thought it affected my exit of the corner where I was hoping it would free up my center of the corner,” he said. “It didn’t really touch that; it just got my exit really loose when I went up.”
Larson said he was able to make changes from inside the car in other series, and that it will take some time to get comfortable with when and how much to use this piece in his Sprint Cup entry.
“When I ran Midgets and stuff like that, we had shock adjusters; in Winged Sprint Cars you have wing valve adjusters,” he said.
“It’s nice that they allow us to put a little bit more into the drivers’ hands.”
A crew member adjusts a track bar in the garage. NASCAR’s rules package now allows drivers to make this adjustment from the cockpit during races.