Daytona International Speedway just got faster.
Or at least that’s the hope.
On July 15, NASCAR announced updates to the Cup Series’ superspeedway package for the Coke Zero Sugar 400.
The rear spoiler will be shortened from 7 inches to 4, making it the same height as intermediate tracks, in an effort to reduce drag. The horsepower will also drop from 510 to 465 to account for reduced downforce.
NASCAR hopes the changes will provide more opportunities for drivers to pass and less reliance on fuel-saving strategies to gain positions. It expects single-car runs to be 3 mph faster while speeds for cars in a pack won’t be affected much.
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The adjustments will take effect for the regular-season finale on Aug. 29. It remains undetermined whether the final superspeedway race of the season — at Talladega in October — will adopt the new practices.
Denny Hamlin, who served on a committee for the updates, broke down the reasoning.
“What we’re essentially trying to recreate is Atlanta at Daytona and Talladega,” he said on “Inside The Race.” “It happens organically at Atlanta, the space between the cars, because the cars themselves are grip-limited, and the fuel-mileage (racing) really doesn’t happen because you have to be on offense constantly. If you watch the pack, there is no saving. Guys are dicing it up the entire race.
“So this is what we’re aspiring to get to at some point. And it’s going to take chunks here and there. This is our first bite of the apple at this, so what I believe is that from the numbers that I’ve seen, it’s going to be roughly a 33% gain in the right direction.”
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: NASCAR just changed a rule — and hopes it makes cars faster at Daytona
