Fords find rule change creates template troubles

By Marty Smith, Turner Sports Interactive
January 29, 2002
3:58 PM EST (2058 GMT)

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Some help that quarter-inch NASCAR gave the Ford contingent turned out to be.

At the conclusion of Winston Cup Series testing at Daytona International Speedway on Jan. 17, NASCAR yielded to Ford drivers’ incessant pleas for aerodynamic help.

Ford teams, who pleaded for a half-inch reduction, were allowed to shave a quarter-inch off the height of the rear spoiler heading into Speedweeks 2002.

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Apparently, that has now caused more headaches than relief.

A longtime Ford team owner told NASCAR.com Sunday morning that the quarter-inch provision has forced a vast change in the Taurus’ rear decklid, and therefore makes the provision moot.

The source, which wished to remain anonymous, said that in order for Ford teams to fit the Taurus template, they have been forced to raise the rear deck lid one-half to three-quarters of an inch to meet the minimum height requirements for the rear spoiler. Therefore, in the end, the rear spoiler is actually higher than it was before the test.

For races at Daytona and Talladega Superspeedway, all four Winston Cup manufacturers have 57-inch wide rear spoilers. With the change, the spoiler height for Dodges and Pontiacs is 6.5 inches and the spoiler height for Chevrolets and Fords is 6.25 inches.

NASCAR announced in November that modifications to the current aero package might be necessary to assure parity amongst the various manufacturers. It was also announced that “ . . . these modifications could continue through the weeks leading up to the Daytona 500.”

NASCAR vice president of corporate communications Jim Hunter said additional changes could be made once Speedweeks gets under way for Winston Cup teams with nearly four hours of practice on Friday, Feb. 8 -- the day before Bud Pole Qualifying for the Daytona 500.

Hunter said NASCAR had no plans to take any cars to a wind tunnel once Speedweeks began, primarily due to the difficulty in scheduling tunnel time.