Saturday Setup: Crew chiefs have differing opinions on new Daytona package

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Billy Scott has plenty of fond memories at Daytona International Speedway. Growing up two hours south near Tampa, it’s where he fell in love with racing as a child. His most recent trip to the “World Center of Racing” added another chapter to those memories: sipping the bubbly in Victory Lane after winning the 68th running of the Great American Race in February. It ranks at the top of his career accolades. RELATED: Daytona lineup | At-track photos “That’s why it was special on two counts. It was the Daytona 500, but this is the place where I grew up coming as a fan in the stands many times to watch races,” Scott told NASCAR.com on Friday afternoon in a sweltering Cup Series garage. Six months later, Scott and his 39 counterpart crew chiefs will be learning on the fly. When the green flag waves on Saturday’s Coke Zero Sugar 400, it will be the debut of the new superspeedway aerodynamic package with a shortened rear spoiler from 7 inches to 4 inches, the same height as intermediate tracks. The goal is to reduce drag, which will include a reduction of horsepower from 510 to 465 to adjust for the reduced downforce. With the only laps on track before Saturday’s green flag being Friday’s qualifying session, teams vary in their expectations for the new package. Some believe it will be a welcome change while others are still waiting to see how it plays out. “I’ll be honest, I don’t think it’s going to be as big of a change as everyone thinks,” Derrick Finley, 30-year veteran and current crew chief for Ryan Preece, stated. “We’ve raced here in the past with a lot less downforce, similar speed, similar horsepower. I don’t think it’s going to be as big of a change as you think. That’s my opinion. It could be wrong. “When I look at the aero balance, I look at the simulation, it scares you to death. But then I take the experience side of it, and we’ve raced here a lot with very similar and less downforce, and it’s kind of a normal Daytona race.” The opening 35-lap stage, which is less than a full fuel run, should be a good barometer for crew chiefs to get a baseline of information on how to adjust for the remaining 125 circuits. But until cars are three abreast for multiple rows deep, or a car pulls out of line to attempt to progress forward, it remains a great unknown. MORE: Friday recap “They are substantial changes,” Scott stated. “It’s a lot of drag, a lot of horsepower, a lot of downforce off. I think the biggest thing unknown that we’re looking to learn before Talladega [Superspeedway] is how do they drive now? You can look at the numbers on paper, at least a car by itself and see that it’s a drastic change. We have to make some consideration for that, but what it’s going to do in the pack is the interesting part.” There’s also the hope that the new package prevents drivers from saving fuel. The teams won’t fully understand how far they can stretch the tank until the first pit stop, likely at the end of the opening stage. Finley thinks, depending on the mileage, there’s an outside chance that teams could attempt to save even more fuel, only pitting at the two stage breaks. “Right now, we don’t have a good grasp on what type of mileage we’re going to see,” he stated. “When I look at the range from what we’re predicting, it’s anywhere from it’s going to eliminate fuel savings, or it’s going to create even more fuel savings. There are opportunities that if mileage is on the really good side that we won’t pit except for the stage breaks – but we will have to save to do that. So, we’re right back in the same situation to begin with.” Preece will take the green flag near the front of the field on Saturday, turning the fourth-best time in qualifying. Reddick, who has banked the most points at drafting tracks this season, will roll off from 17th position.