# NASCAR Fans???



## taddy1340 (Dec 10, 2004)

Any NASCAR fans? Before the COT many of the drivers biaatched because of the craziness at Talledaga and restrictor plate racing. Now they say it's too boring and not exciting enough? I suppose there's a happy-medium somewhere....

http://sports.espn.go.com/rpm/columns/s ... d=tab4pos1

Bigger, boxier, better? The COT is for Gordon and Johnson
By David Newton
ESPN.com
(Archive)
Updated: October 8, 2007, 1:30 PM ET
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TALLADEGA, Ala. -- Visibility was tough behind the COT. You couldn't see hand signals the driver ahead may or may not have been trying to give and you couldn't see cars ahead of it.

Handling behind it wasn't too bad, although the air did flow differently than it would behind a traditional car to make side drafting a bit difficult.

Passing was kind of fun, but the way traffic was so crazy, hanging back in single file was the smart way to go.

No, this wasn't Jeff Gordon's analysis of the Car of Tomorrow in a restrictor-plate race after Sunday's dramatic victory at Talladega Superspeedway.

This was the view behind what one NASCAR fan driving down Interstate-20 late Sunday night labeled his "Camper of Tomorrow."

At least that is what was written across the back.

But it just as easily could have been Gordon or any other driver talking about the COT's debut on a restrictor-plate track.

"This car needs a little bit of work," Gordon said. "We were here testing for two days and I don't feel like we did enough."

Greg Biffle, one of 13 drivers who saw his day end early because of a wreck, agreed.

"It's unfortunate we've got to race like that because we can't see out of the cars," he said, referring to the view being blocked by the rear wing and taller greenhouse. "That's what most of these wrecks were caused from because we just can't see anything."

Jeff Burton, one of four drivers parked prematurely because of a blown engine, was most disappointed in the single-file racing that went on for much of the 188-lap event as drivers tried to avoid the "big one" that happened anyway.

"It was a little boring out there for us," he said after a last-place finish that practically eliminated any chance he might have at the title. "Just going around that top lane single file is not what any of us want."

Ryan Newman, in a Simon Cowell-"American Idol" sort of way, said the racing was "crazy" and "not very good."

"To see single-file racing and the guy that wins the race is sitting in the back all day just lounging around, that's not racing to me," he said after a fifth-place finish. "I mean, I was driving around with one hand running 15th just riding, on and off the gas. It's not racing.

"I hope it wasn't what NASCAR intended with this car."

Say what you want about the COT, it has left the Hendrick Motorsports teammates of Gordon and Jimmie Johnson in complete control of the Chase for the Nextel Cup.

Gordon was second and Johnson sixth in the Chase's first COT event at New Hampshire International Speedway. They were 11th and 16th a week later at Dover and 1-2 at Talladega.

There are only two COT events left in the 10-race Chase, but they easily favor these two who are separated by only nine points in the standings.

After a week in the old car at Lowe's Motor Speedway in Charlotte, the new car returns at Martinsville, where Johnson and Gordon finished 1-2 in the spring.

It will return a few weeks later at Phoenix, where Gordon won and Johnson finished fourth earlier this year.

Those hoping to climb back into contention could be so far back by then that you could put Gordon and Johnson in the Camper of Tomorrow and it wouldn't matter.

Gordon already is 63 points clear of third-place Clint Bowyer and 154 ahead of fourth-place Tony Stewart. Nobody else is within 200 points.

It's no different than the regular season when Gordon built more than a 300-point lead on the field, much because of HMS' success at COT races. The organization won the first five COT events and six during the regular season.

But Sunday was different. Sunday had as much to do with strategy and avoiding the big wreck as it did with a technological advantage.

Gordon and Johnson drove around in 30th to 38th place much of a hot, humid afternoon while the rest of the field battled for position. Gordon became so bored that he admittedly yawned for the first time in a race.

Johnson spent so much time coasting that he couldn't give a fair evaluation of how the COT worked in packs of 30 and 40 cars as many anticipated.

At the end, the pack was small enough and there was only 15 or 20 good cars, it was pretty controlled and pretty easy to draft with people. So I can't say that I was really involved enough in the race to give a good opinion of it. 
-- Jimmie Johnson

"At the end, the pack was small enough and there was only 15 or 20 good cars, it was pretty controlled and pretty easy to draft with people," he said. "So I can't say that I was really involved enough in the race to give a good opinion of it."

That didn't stop Gordon. He would like to see NASCAR do a lot more experimenting with the height of the wicker before the next plate race, the 2008 opener at Daytona.

"That wicker creates so much drag that when you lose the momentum you stop," he said. "You just slow down and go backwards so fast, that I think that it is too much.

"Now, you take that down, it makes the car go faster, not as much drag, now we need to do something with the restrictor plate. But we can't do that without testing it."

In other words, the car needs to be tweaked, which is likely to happen after two weeks of January testing in Daytona.

"If the fans in NASCAR want to see us three wide lap after lap after lap, then we got to tone things down a little bit so we have something that we can manage," Gordon said.

"But still, it was a great finish. Regardless of whether I won or not, I knew it was going to be wild at the end."

David Newton covers NASCAR for ESPN.com. He can be reached at [email protected].


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## fargodawg (Sep 20, 2005)

I personally foundthe race a little lame, thankfully went to Cabelas and the Sioux game so I DVRd the race and was able to watch in double or triple timeduring a lot of the single file top-line "racing" kind of looked like a pilot car leading them around the track. almost looked like the cars handled too well. liked when they got racey because of the handleing it seemed like they could go wherever they wanted. I am undecided about the COT for the plate races as it is now. but dotn mind it for the other races. thought I was close to on my own in the NASCAR world on this site.


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## bandman (Feb 13, 2006)

All's I gotta say is RCR/DEI motors this year made me wanna uke: X1000!
They did a GREAT fricken job of wasting talent and taking the wheel right of guy's hands (ESPECIALLY a certain someone)! :******: This week really summed up the year w/ what 3-4 blown engines?

Bring on #88, Mountain Dew, & Hendrick Motor Sports! :beer: Definitely time to get back in the winner's circle.

(The COT will find it's groove/place with more and more time & input.) Restrictor plate races rock by the way!


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## fishless (Aug 2, 2005)

COT stands for IROC, not only is it ugly its BORING too watch. I think NASCAR could have done alot better job designing a car. Dont like it at all.


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## lunkerlander (Aug 26, 2007)

I know, whats so exciting about the COT when its slower than the previous ones.


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## HUNTNFISHND (Mar 16, 2004)

We are never going to have exciting racing at Talladega or Daytona unless they remove the restrictor plates and that will never happen. They should just make these 50 lap heat races because the first 138 laps were forgetable.

Jeff Gordon is the greatest driver of all time! He should be clinching his sixth championship by now if it wasn't for this stupid chase format!


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## RIVER RATT (May 26, 2007)

I think the race sucked...I dont like the COT at all...The night race at bristol was boring too...The two best races to watch, outside of the daytona 500 was lame...Unless thay make some changes to the COT befor the 500 next year, it will look the same as it did on sunday...As for DEI/RCR moters uke: good luck...Now you know the real reason JR is jumping to hendrick...I dont know if the raceing will be better next yaer, but Iam looking forward to seeing that Mountain Dew chevy finish races...


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## hagfan72 (Apr 15, 2007)

COT=BORING!!! How many thought the Night race at Bristol was boring too?!?! I thought that would be impossible, but it isn't!!


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## taddy1340 (Dec 10, 2004)

Decent race last night with the late cautions and green/white/checkered. I was happy to see Gordon win, but Boyer impressed me. Barring catastrophe, which is always a possibility, looks to be a 3 car chase.


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## mnbirdhunter (Sep 15, 2005)

I'm not a real big fan of the COT. Jeff Gordon has pretty much been unstoppable all year and there isn't a doubt in my mind that he will win the championship this year. It's going to be hard to beat the #88 car next year though now that he's with Hendrick.


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