Drivers in Michigan 400 say passing opportunities tough to come by
BROOKLYN, Mich. — Sprint Cup drivers wrestled with NASCAR’s new high-drag aerodynamic package during practice Saturday at Michigan International Speedway, logging high speeds but hitting a figurative wall as they tried to create passing opportunities.
Part of NASCAR’s plan to juice competition, the high-drag package gets another test in Sunday’s Pure Michigan 400. The ultimate goal is to make passing at the front easier between cars that are more or less equal, but teams struggled to create those opportunities in Saturday practice.
“It’s going to be tough to pass,” said Jason Ratcliff, crew chief for pole winner Matt Kenseth. “We’re so aero-dependent. The more cars you have racing in front of you, the more difficult it is. I think everybody is fighting similar things.
“We just have to find a good compromise between when we’re in clean air and when we’re not. You can get a draft on them, but you can’t get enough of a run (to pass). When you pull out, the car slows down too much.”
The four Joe Gibbs Racing drivers — Carl Edwards, Denny Hamlin, Kyle Busch and Kenseth — danced around the track in Saturday morning practice, running front-to-back and side by side in attempts to produce what might happen on-track Sunday.
“It’s very difficult to run around other cars, but we expected that with the huge rear spoiler and the wake that’s created,” Edwards said.
Kenseth won the pole Friday with a speed of 197.488 miles per hour. Practice speeds in race trim Saturday approached 195.
Teams were absorbing Friday’s NASCAR announcement that its 2015 rules package will remain in effect for the 10 Chase for the Sprint Cup races, with the probable exception of Talladega Superspeedway, where cars might be slowed in the wake of Austin Dillon’s dangerous crash at Daytona International Speedway in July.
Some drivers had hoped that NASCAR’s experimentation with a low-downforce aero package — and resulting improved competition — at Kentucky Speedway last month would encourage officials to use a similar package at some Chase tracks.
“In some of the dialogue, some of the folks wanted to push forward potentially, but when we looked at all the things that have been done, the preparation that's been done, the amount of work our industry has put into these races, which we truly appreciate, we think we're going to have the best racing for the fans with the 2015 package for all 10 (Chase) races,” NASCAR executive vice president Steve O’Donnell said Friday.
NASCAR’s decision to stay with the status quo in a season in which up-front passing has been relatively rare at some tracks generally was not a popular move in the garage, although drivers who disagreed with the decision would not comment publicly.
Some drivers have been frustrated by the fact that the current aerodynamic package often makes passing difficult. Pulling out of a line to pass often causes a driver’s progress to stall and drops the car several positions. The aero package typically is a plus for cars until they encounter traffic.
Kevin Harvick and Martin Truex Jr. led Saturday's practices. The first practice was interrupted when Kyle Busch wrecked in the fourth turn, damaging his Toyota and forcing the team to a backup car.
Busch qualified sixth but will start in the rear of the field.
Starting in the top five will be Kenseth, Hamlin, Edwards, Dillon and Tony Stewart.
