By JIM McCONNELL
Drivers insist "bump drafting," or running into the rear bumper of the car in front of them to make both cars go faster, became necessary when NASCAR mandated the use of horsepower-sapping restrictor plates at Daytona and Talladega superspeedways.
That hasn't stopped the sanctioning body from regulating the controversial practice twice already this season.
Responding to a number of incidents during the Budweiser Shootout, NASCAR established "no zones"--areas entering the corners where bump drafting was prohibited--prior to the season-opening Daytona 500.
The subject faded into the background as the Nextel Cup Series moved on to a series of shorter tracks, where the cars aren't subject to restrictor plates, but resurfaced earlier this month when NASCAR announced another safety-oriented rules change.
When the 43 cars roll onto the track for the start of the Aaron's 499 Nextel Cup race Sunday at Talladega, their front bumpers won't be reinforced with heavy steel plates as many were two months ago in Daytona.
In theory, at least, the "soft" bumpers are intended to limit drivers' ability to simply roll up behind another car and slam into it at full speed.
"I give NASCAR 1,000 percent credit for being proactive. Hopefully it's the right thing," Tony Stewart said. "It's something we discussed with them in February. You know, if it's something that makes the racing better for everybody and keeps everybody out of that situation, then it's done its job."
Stewart has been widely credited with bringing the issue of bump drafting into the public consciousness. That's because the defending Nextel Cup champion basically called out NASCAR after the Bud Shootout turned into a wild slam-fest.
Stewart, never one to shy away from speaking his mind, said somebody was going to get killed if NASCAR officials didn't do something to stop the incorrect use of bump drafting in the corners.
The no-zones seemed to accomplish their intended mission, namely making drivers more aware of where they were on the track when they rammed into the back of another car. But several drivers joked about the nebulous nature of the restrictions, pointing out that it's hard to know whether you're bumping someone in a prohibited zone when you're going 185 mph.
That won't be an issue now. Without a ¼-inch steel plate running from one end of the front bumper to the other, drafting anywhere on the track will become more of a finesse move than it has been in the past few seasons.
The possible penalties for aggressive bumping could be steep. Either aerodynamic changes in the car's ultrasensitive nose area or damage to the radiator would seriously impede a driver's ability to turn laps and finish races.
"I like it because it is going to take a lot of the bump drafting out of play," Jeff Gordon said. "I think it will make guys have to think a little bit more about how they pass. That goes back to the type of drafting I learned early on when we used the air to push the cars around instead of the bumpers. I like that, I am curious to see how we are going to be able to manage that, because a lot of guys really like to use their bumpers, so we will see how that goes.
"I've been hoping for something like this for a while because I think the bump drafting has just gotten out of control. NASCAR took the first step in Daytona by incorporating some penalties. This is the next step."
Dale Earnhardt Jr., who was as vocal as Stewart in his insistence that the new bump drafting rules were much ado about nothing, said this week that soft bumpers are unnecessary when drivers employ the proper technique.
"The real effective way of bump draft is to once you get a run, right before you get to the guy, you sort of come off the gas and you get the bumpers and then you put the throttle back down, once you're in the slipstream of the draft you're able to actually push the guy along all the way down the straightaway. You just have to let go of him before either one of you start to arc the car into the corner," he added. "If you do it right, the person that's on the receiving end is appreciative of the help."
Another driver, Jeff Burton, has become known as a watchdog when it comes to NASCAR safety issues. He isn't buying into the hype surrounding the "soft" bumpers.
"I don't think we've done anything but cause a lot of work without accomplishing anything. That's my opinion. Maybe I'll be proven wrong, but when I look at it, I see an extremely strong front bumper. I don't think it's going to keep anybody from running into the back of the guy in front of him at all," Burton said.
Others have questioned whether NASCAR will be able to properly police the new bumpers and prevent teams from slipping through the inspection process with illegally fortified front ends.
There's one thing everyone can agree on, however: When it comes down to the last few laps of Sunday's race, there's going to be plenty of contact--soft bumpers or not.
"Guys are going to go for the win," Gordon said. "They're going to be using their front bumpers. They won't care whether it overheats or not."
To reach JIM McCONNELL:
Email: jmcconnell@freelancestar.com
AARON'S 499 Sunday, 1:30 p.m. |