Of Drafting Rules and Concussion Tests!

Concussion Testing:

The idea of concussion testing is a good one, but not all drivers careers can survive a "sit out!"

NASCAR has suggested to all three series drivers and teams that they should all head out and get baseline concussion tests, meaning get a baseline neurocognitive test.  Then, if they have a bad enough accident, it would be easier to determine how ditzy the hard hit made them.

But for now, it's not a mandatory request, but rather a suggested test.

This request dug up questions, where drivers were wondering what's up, how critical the results might be in a future event and what not.  The drivers are worried that if they get bumped around a bit and technically have a concussion, will they be forced to sit out races?

It's a valid question from their side of things considering their money making process (their job) seems to insist upon full-time participation.  And missing any days for any appearances or racing can be a detriment to one's career.

But there's also the safety of the drivers in a pack of racing cars.

When do you draw the line?

It's obvious that concussions have not been a huge factor that we can tell over the years, but as time goes on more entities in the business of NASCAR are concerned.

Hey, if Dale Earnhardt. Jr has to sit out some races for banging his head around, that's big.  Though in defence of the other drivers, they don't have the kind of "fame" buffer that Dale Jr. has.

But unlike other drivers, when Jr. misses races, Dale Jr. still has income from his production studio, race tracks, bars, real estate company and what not.

Other drivers don't have all those extra luxuries.

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NASCAR Nationwide Series teams preparing for new drafting rules...

Well, despite the fact that the new drafting policies being enforced on the Nationwide series never really prevented any big accidents in the Cup series, we're still seeing NASCAR promote and enforce this new draft control here.

The new draft control is the artificial induction of engine overheating if cars stay in tandem too long, by lowering the psi on cooling systems so they start venting earlier than normal if they don't get enough air.

If they're not careful, NASCAR might start enforcing half-lap spaces between cars while they're at it!

But be it as it may, it seems the teams took to it well enough in a January 12th test.

I wasn't fond of the new policies NASCAR is enforcing to prevent drafting, but then I started taking to the tandem draft process over the last few years.  It started producing fascinating, close and exciting results.

That is, until they started mucking with again, and then, produced the Gen-6 car in Cup.

Now, with the Gen-6 cars, there's no more slingshot win.  There's no more "late lead doom" at a race.  Now, if a car made it to the front with 10, 15 or 20 laps top go, they've been holding that lead through to the end.

The Gen-6 car might be good for all the other tracks that look like each other, but for Daytona and Talladega, it's created a wee bit of boring racing at the back end of an event.

I'm not saying I like the wrecks that come from close racing on restrictor place tracks, but single file finishes are starting to remind me of the day the winners would be out front by laps instead of spaces.

Just saying.

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