For Brad Keselowski, change is definitely for the better
Feb. 13, 2014
By Reid Spencer
NASCAR Wire Service
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- As far as Brad Keselowski is concerned, the more change the merrier.
After
last year's post-championship swoon, Keselowski believes the sweeping
modifications NASCAR has made to its Chase for the NASCAR
Sprint Cup format, its deterrence policy toward rules infractions and
its new group qualifying system all will benefit his efforts to win a
second title in NASCAR's premier series.
Enhanced
transparency of NASCAR's penalty and appeals process -- with violations
and their punishments spelled out in the rule book
in a six-level system -- drew rave reviews from the 2012 champion,
whose 2013 season was derailed last April at Texas when the rear-end
housings of both Team Penske NASCAR Sprint Cup cars were deemed illegal.
Keselowski
views the new approach to enforcement of competition rules as one of
the most significant modifications in a rapidly changing
landscape.
"I
think it's huge," Keselowski told reporters Thursday during Media Day
at Daytona International Speedway. "I think
it's the most under-reported thing you're talking about. It completely
changes the game, because we have this balance in this sport between
fair play and innovation, and it's a constant battle as to what teams
are fast each and every week.
"Fair
play and innovation are two distinct differences, and that essentially
comes down to the gray areas of the rule
book and how they're defined. That's being re-defined with this
literature and this process. I think it's tremendous for the teams and
tremendous for the fans… If it's fully executed, it could really reset
the field and the balance of who is fast week-in and
week-out and change it from maybe the arbitrary system that it was in
the past to a real balanced field."
The crime-and-punishment aspect of the rule book isn't the only thing Keselowski likes.
"I
think almost every one of the changes has benefitted my team as a whole
and is part of the reason for the optimism
-- maybe with the exception of the added spoiler to the back of the
car," Keselowski said. "That's probably the only change of anything
that's been done, and there have been a lot of them, that I didn't like.
"So
I think if you want an explanation as to how I think, we'd be here for a
long time, but I think all the changes
are beneficial for us. The Chase changes, I think, fit my driving style
the best. The qualifying changes definitely fit me very well, so I
think all of them are really positive for our team."
QUALIFYING REFINEMENTS
A
few small tweaks, introduced by NASCAR during Media Day at Daytona,
should spice up qualifying in the top three touring series this
year.
Based
on feedback from race teams, NASCAR will allow adjustments during time
trial sessions as well as during breaks between the sessions,
NASCAR Vice President of Competition and Racing Development Robin
Pemberton announced Thursday.
"Starting
in Phoenix (the first NASCAR Sprint Cup event using a new group
qualifying format), the teams will be able to adjust during
their qualifying rounds and in the breaks of their qualifying rounds,"
Pemberton said.
"If
it's during the round when the track is hot (active), there will be one
crew member over the wall that must wear a helmet, and he
can perform the adjustments which are tape, tire pressures and wedge
(as well as track bar). And then, during the breaks, it will be three
crew members when the track is cold, and they'll go over to perform
those duties."
NASCAR
also grouped the five road courses collectively used in the NASCAR
Sprint Cup, NASCAR Nationwide and NASCAR Camping World Truck
Series with the tracks shorter than 1.25 miles for qualifying purposes.
Time trials at those venues start with a 30-minute session that narrows
the field to the fastest 12 cars and sets positions 13-43, followed by a
10-minute session that determines the starting
order of the top 12.
"Through
feedback, they felt like the second or last round needed to be a little
bit longer (at road courses) to get multiple laps in
on the track, so this should optimize their track time," Pemberton
said.
At
tracks measuring 1.25 miles and longer, three sessions will determine
the starting order. The first, 25 minutes long, will winnow
the field to the 24 fastest and set positions 25-43. After the second
session (10 minutes), the top 12 will advance to a final five-minute
session to crown the pole winner and complete the starting order.
The
Daytona 500 will use its traditional single-car format to determine the
front row and Budweiser Duel 150-mile qualifying races to
set the starting order of the next 30 cars. Pemberton said adjustments
will not be allowed during qualifying sessions at subsequent races at
Daytona and Talladega because of the efficacy of the draft at those
restrictor-plate venues.
The NASCAR Nationwide and NASCAR Camping Word Truck Series will use the new format during Speedweeks at Daytona.
SHORT STROKES
Odds and ends from Daytona Media Day:
·
Greg
Biffle's contract with Roush Fenway Racing is up this year, but the
driver of the No. 16 Ford says he started negotiations on an extension
last season
and fully expects to be back with the organization next year.
·
Goodyear
debuted its multi-zone tread technology on racing tires last year at
Kansas and Atlanta. The tire maker also plans to run multi-zone
right-side
tires -- which feature a softer tread compound on the inner two-thirds
of the tire and a harder, more heat-resistant compound on the outer
shoulder -- at Texas and Richmond this season, with expansion to
additional tracks a possibility.
·
From
six-time champion Jimmie Johnson's point of view, changes in the way the
NASCAR Sprint Cup champion is determined won't alter his approach --
even
with race winners all but assured of a Chase spot and four drivers
eliminated after every three races in the Chase. "I still think the way
you win a championship is the same," Johnson said. "You've got to win
races."
·
Asked
whether the reappearance of his late father's car number, driven by
Austin Dillon, might cost him some fans, Dale Earnhardt Jr. had a ready
answer.
"I'm not over here counting my fans like poker chips," Earnhardt said.
"If they want to pull for the '3,' by all means, pull for the '3.'"
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