I'm wondering what's going to happen to all the old chassis's kicking about in both the Cup & Busch series besides going to ARCA???
http://www.nascar.com/2007/news/headlines/bg/10/28/nationwide.cot.2009/index.html
Do you think they'll end up in the Busch East/West, NCATS & Mexican series possibly with a spec engine
http://www.circletrack.com/featuredvehicles/ctrp_0606_nascar_engines_testing_ls1/
and a composite body?
http://www.circletrack.com/featuredvehicles/ctrp_0704_nascar_racing/index1.html
If this can be done cheap enough, then our NCATS teams would stand a fighting chance at the All-Star race in Irwindale???
Bodine let the cat out of the bag on Sirius last week about the Nationwide COT, stating he was going to build a Busch car for 2008, but what would be the sense, when the car will be changing a year later, so he's going to try and win another NCTS championship next year!
I'm also thinking NASCAR will go with the Pony style bodies for the Nationwide series. I hope so. 😉
I have no doubt that NASCAR's going to force NCATS/Mexico to move to the Grand National (aka Cup/Busch Cast-off) spec, no matter what they're saying about cost-saving or whatnot, as the bigger teams are making a stink over it, and NASCAR traditionally makes sure that the big teams don't suffer...
I would like to see them go with the pony cars too. That series needs its own identity. 🙂
Some interesting stuff here as NASACR steps into the Technology of Racing a little deeper.
I don't know how many people saw the interview with Chip Gannassi on Speed, but when he was asked about the Car of Tomorrow(COT) he said the cost was very very high and it has all the Teams in over the head, at least if they were in water they better keep their mouths closed to keep from drowning !! Good way to look at it.
But is it really that big of a deal?
When NASCAR went from the full size cars in the early 80's to the Smaller Cup Cars, the Buick Grand Nationals, Monte Carlo's, Thunderbirds...the same deal for the Teams back then were under the same pressure to spend money to keep up with the building of new cars. It obviousally didn't hurt anyone back then and I don't think it will hurt Teams now.
NASCAR has changed over the years from the 'Good Old Boys' format of racing, to today's Multi Million Dollar operations that are deep into technologies in order to go faster and still be safer. When the COT was first mentioned everyone knew they had to move cars in order to stay racing and they also knew they were going to be spending money.
The trickle down effect of the current cars is something NASCAR had to take into consideration and by slowly changing rules in all the series they have found a way to addapt the current inventory into other series.
Everyone figures NASCAR is killing the Teams buy bringing in new cars but the truth is every race team would be building new cars anyway at the Nextel level, and buy changing to the COT it has allowed the other NASCAR divisions to rep the benefits of some huge savings on buying up the ex sisting stock of Cup Cars. When they change the 'Busch' Cars to COT the same effect will take place and the cars will trickle down through the other NASCAR divisions.
When all these cars finally reach the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series it will be great for all the Teams and HUGE savings for everyone. Right now to build a new NCTS Roller you are looking at spending at least $30,000 by the time you are done.
The Cup cars right now are selling for anywhere's between $6500.00 and $25,000 complete with the very best componets money can buy. By the time all those cars hit here in 2010 they will be down to around $5,000 to $15,000 and the NCTS will benefit big time.
Where will the current NCTS cars go.. to the Ontario Sportsman Series and that is why it is critical that the OSS stays successful as a series, and knowing that you can understand why NASCAR does not bash the OSS, in stead, backs the efforts of the OSS, but not in branding....YET !!
NASCAR is doing the right thing much to everyones disbelieve and eventually everone will gain from this process.
Might as well kiss the small teams goodbye, especially the non-Cup affiliated Busch teams, once this all comes around...Assuming everything comes down the pipe as you indicate it will, I have no doubt that the relationship between NASCAR and the OSS will change dramatically once NASCAR's done flooding the market with the NCATS-cast-offs...
Mind you, I will give NASCAR credit for thinking of safety, without having 2-3 guys die before doing something like usual...