Originally Posted on Foxsports.com on April 27, 2009
Nascar has mandated that the teams utilize a "soft" bumper at Talladega this weekend. The rule change is a direct response to the complaints at Daytona about bump drafting.
As you will remember, Tony Stewart was the most vocal after the Bud Shootout that the bump drafting was out of control. Stewart believed that unchecked, bump drafting in the corners would result in the death of one of the drivers. In response, Nascar instituted a new rule that bumping a car from behind in the corners would result in a rough driving penalty. Infamously, Tony Stewart was the first penalty receipient when he bumped Matt Kenseth on the straight away by slamming together the sides of their cars and driving Kenseth into the grass. Kenseth received his own penalty for bumping Stewart at the end of pit road. Kyle Busch received a penalty at Daytona for rough driving as well.
In the intervening races, other drivers have been penalized for rough driving. The new rule probably won't limit Nascar's discretion in penalizing drivers who bump draft at Talladega, but it will increase the odds that the driver doing the bumping could damage his own car in the process.
In essence the rule removes or disallows some of the bracing that teams placed in the nose of the cars. Previously, the bracing would allow drivers to hit the back bumper of the car in front of them without damaging their own car. The "softer" bumper will crumple if it impacts another car. The crumpling could result in radiator damage, and will definitely result in a loss of aerodynamics (which is crucial at Talladega).
Why would a driver want to hit the car in front of him (or bump draft)? Cars at Daytona and Talladega can travel faster lined up together than any one car can travel by itself. In other words, a line of three cars will easily over take a lone car on the track. This is because of the restrictor plate that limits the horsepower via a limit on the fuel-air mixture going into the engine. The "draft" or stream of air behind a car (which is punching a hole in the air so to speak) allows the second car in line to pull up on the front car. A bump by that second car on the straight stretch will cause the front car to accelerate, which in turn speeds up the drafting cars. Bumping a car in the corner, when the steering wheel is not straight, leads to "Big Ones." Restrictor plates were required at Talladega and Daytona to slow down the cars after several horrific accidents (i.e. "The Big One").
Despite the new rule, I think drivers will find a way to bump draft. The softer bumpers will have some impact on the race, but the drivers will still be able to bump draft. The bumpers are not paper, and will survive some contact. Dale Jr. has already predicted that it will not stop bump drafting, and while Tony Stewart has endorsed the new rule as a step in the right direction, I don't think even he thinks it will eliminate bump drafting.
The more interesting question is which driver will adjust to the new bumper the quickest? The veterans have raced Talladega before the reinforced bumpers existed, while the new young guns have only raced during the bump drafting hey day. Dale Jr, Jeff Gordon, and Tony Stewart have figured out restictor plate racing and excell at it. Jimmie Johnson has created more than his fair share of Big Ones at Talladega, while Elliott Sadler can't seem to stay off his roof or on four wheels. Dale Jarrett won the last race at Talladega, and Mark Martin always looks good.
Given that it's Talladega, restrictor plate racing, and a new rule, anything can happen, and probably will.
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