Several noteworthy changes will take effect in the second year of the NASCAR Cup’s Next Gen era.
A series-first street course, wet tyres on short ovals, a returning seven-time champion, a retirement tour for a Daytona 500 winner and former champ, as well as big driver moves and the arrival of two red-hot rookies should provide all the ingredients for fireworks.
Here’s how NASCAR is getting wild for its 75th season in 2023, ahead of the Daytona 500 that kicks off the championship this weekend.
1. New rules and regulations
NASCAR racing in the wet – on ovals? It seems unthinkable, but so did racing on dirt and street tracks until very recently. Series officials have approved the use of specially designed wet tyres for “limited use” on several of the shorter ovals, including Phoenix, which hosts the series finale. The package will include windshield wipers, rain lights and mud flaps, as per the road courses, but NASCAR has made it clear that it will not race in full-blown rain, more likely in light drizzle, damp or drying conditions.
NASCAR has ruled out a repeat of Ross Chastain’s ‘Hail Melon’ Martinsville wall-ride move, when he charged the barrier at full speed to gain places on the final corner of last year’s race. In future, any “unsafe manoeuvre” will be penalised by a time or lost-lap sanction, to prevent it from being attempted again.
Chastain’s now-famous move to secure qualification to the Cup final four at Martinsville won’t be permitted again
Photo by: Lesley Ann Miller / Motorsport Images
“It just felt like that we needed to make a move,” says senior vice-president of competition Elton Sawyer. “We needed to step in, and we will officiate that differently as we move into the 2023 season.”
Another significant issue that was raised last year was the rear-impact crashes that led to concussions for Kurt Busch and Alex Bowman, which has led NASCAR to revise the rear-end ‘clips’ and bumper structure of the cars. This has been designed to allow for more “crushability” in rearwards impacts, to avoid the force being transmitted directly to the driver.
Revised mufflers for the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and Chicago Street Race have been adopted, while the sport’s three manufacturers – Chevrolet, Ford and Toyota – have been allowed to redesign their cooling vents on the hood, as well as implement new nose designs.
Road courses will no longer feature stage breaks, to add…
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