NASCAR: Low Downforce Is Big Hit at Michigan Test

As I noted on this very site, Monday’s test at Michigan International Speedway could be a hugely important indicator as to which direction NASCAR moves in for 2015 and beyond. And so it proved.

Various packages were on the table, with NASCAR demonstrating an open mind by literally throwing everything at the test. Broadly speaking, NASCAR’s ‘prime’ package seemed to revolve around a further increase in downforce with DTM-style dive planes and an even bigger spoiler (now resembling a coffee table strapped to the back of the car), as well as tweaks to the horsepower levels to help alleviate a recent trend of huge corner entry speeds – exceeding 200mph at many tracks over 1 mile and up. Alongside this, an alternative package was tested; one much more favoured by the drivers. This one involved very much the opposite route – leave the engine alone, and in fact take away downforce rather than add more. Throw in some new, stickier Goodyear tires, and we potentially had a package which would see the return of old-fashioned door-to-door racing of yore.

And you know what? As the test unfolded, that’s exactly what we got.

From 9am in the morning six ‘heats’ of 15-lap each were conducted, with ten cars participating. The initial heats featured the ‘prime’ package in full flow, complete with dive planes and double-glazed rear spoiler. Result? Not much difference. And considering the potential headaches that could occur with the fragile dive planes (think debris cautions, cut tires and so forth), this was hardly a ringing endorsement.

The next few featured drops in horsepower, all the way down to 750hp in some cases. But all this seemed to do was exacerbate a common problem with the Gen-6 – a faster and superior car cannot pass a slower car in front due to, you guessed it, dirty air. Far from promoting more side-by-side racing, which is NASCAR’s goal with this test and ultimately the 2015 package, the cars were according to NASCAR RaceHub reporter Bob Dillner ‘separated and single file by lap 2 in each heat. Honestly, the drivers really didn’t like it so much.’

Head of Team Penske’s Indycar arm, Tim Cindric, weighs in on Twitter over the lower-horsepower package.

Then came the driver’s choice package, with a reported 28-30% less downforce due to the removal of the radiator pan (a new feature for 2014) and a much smaller rear spoiler. But what was fascinating to note was the buzz around the garage area. Social media was visibly getting excited at this low-downforce test. When was the last time you saw teams and crew members getting excited at a test session?!

And they had good reason to be excited. As the low-downforce heats got underway, excitement and anticipation turned into heaps upon heaps of praise.

The mood amongst drivers and teams was overwhelmingly positive. Dilner noted that this combination was by far and away the teams’ favourite choice. Interestingly as Slugger Labbe’s comments show, top speed into the corners if anything increased with lower downforce. But crucially, speeds mid-corner decreased. Cars were not now glued to the racetrack, but instead had room to get loose or tight, and from this came chances to pass. Drivers could find lines organically, and suddenly side-by-side racing was not just possible but actively encouraged. With dirty air becoming much less of a problem, drivers could pick a line which suited the handling of their car and run it to their heart’s content, with much greater freedom to pass cars. At a wide track like Michigan, this must have felt like mana from heaven. No wonder there was so much talk of drivers ‘up on the wheel’.

It was great to see such a positive buzz. You get the sense that as much as drivers have been careful with their words since Denny Hamlin was slapped with a fine in early 2013, there has been a growing feeling that a move back towards old-fashioned mechanical grip and manhandling a racecar round the track is what the drivers – and indeed teams and fans – want. And this potentially puts NASCAR in a very awkward spot. They seemed to make it very clear leading up to the test that they favoured the prime package, which went down like a wet fart in an elevator in today’s test – particularly with the horsepower tweaks. And I worry that perhaps NASCAR will end up spending too much time behind computers with engineers in laboratories analysing data, when perhaps the key lesson of today’s test is to simply listen to the drivers. They, after all, are the ones driving the cars every week, and know best how to get the cars racing well as stock cars.

Denny Hamlin tweets his thoughts on the NASCAR aero package testing at Michigan.

From where I see it, everyone wins out of the low-downforce package. You still get the enourmous speeds, perhaps even more so (223mph at a non-plate track?!), but with corner speeds being much slower side-by-side racing becomes so much easier, giving drivers the confidence to really go for it and race hard rather than stringing out a handful of laps after a restart. A softer tire helps increase wear across a run, making tire strategy more of a legitimate move again, and with dirty air being negated a lot more, cars can now more easily move to the front or drop down the order, and vice versa. With any luck this will also mean more of a chance for smaller teams to make an impact and have a good run outside of the plate tracks. And crucially, the fans will be delighted. Gimmicks like the Chase elimination format are secondary – all NASCAR fans want is great racing week in, week out. And although this package isn’t perfect, it is certainly a step in the right direction towards achieving this.

NASCAR, over to you. No pressure or anything…