Photo – Andy Lyons/Getty Images
With so many unknown’s coming into this past weekend of action at Indianapolis, the general post race consensus is that the début of the new high drag aero package was a disappointment. Although, the finishes for both the XFINITY Series and Sprint Cup Series races came down to the last few laps, fans and drivers were not happy with the new package as it created some flaws throughout the weekend.
One flaw stemmed from how much heat the higher spoiler seemed to create for the drivers inside the cars. It was also visible for spectators as drivers such as Kyle Busch seemed to collapse after Saturday’s XFINITY series event by sitting by his car after the race. Busch’s comments in the media center confirmed the suspicion when asked if he has ever been this hot during a race.
“No and it’s going to be a long recoup tonight (talking about Sunday’s race). Certainty this is just hot. This drag package, all we’re doing is trying to get all the drag built out of the cars now and we have no driver cooling or anything like that. It’s hot.”
Sunday’s Crown Royal presents the Jeff Kyle 400 at The Brickyard was not much better from a heat standpoint. Although the day seemed a bit cooler, the heat in the cars was again a struggle for the drivers throughout the race. But the disappointment that really came from the drivers was that the new aero package seemed to hurt their ability to pass, except on restarts. Outspoken Team Penske driver Brad Keselowski confirmed this and noted the excessive heat inside the car when asked about the overall package.
“Well, it was really hot and that is part of being a driver. I can’t complain because this is what we signed up for. Besides that, I think we were all expecting there to be more drafting than there was. I don’t think the draft was much different than last year and the penalty for being behind someone in the corner was more significant.”
Kyle Larson piggybacks on Keselowski’s comments as he was upset with the package and the racing it created on Sunday.
“It was terrible,” said Larson. “It was really bad. There was lots of grip by yourself and then as soon as you get within like five car lengths of the guy in front of you, it’s no grip. So, I don’t know. Restarts are intense. But, other than that, it’s pretty bad.”
With the disappointment, expressed by multiple drivers in their post-race comments, it seems the new package was a failure at Indianapolis. But the point of this situation is that NASCAR is looking for feedback and looking for insight from drivers so they can create the best product possible.
With the uniqueness of the Indianapolis track, it cannot be the sole measure in trying to develop better racing with the new high drag package. The track has struggled to produce exhilarating racing throughout an entire race in the past. As of now, Michigan International Speedway is the next race for testing this specific aero package. So there is another chance to see what kind of racing this package can produce.
Keep in mind, NASCAR is worthy of commendation for trying to create a better race as that is what fans truly want. But fans will need patience as NASCAR continues their efforts toward that common goal. What fans want cannot be created overnight, so their patience and understanding will go a long way.