With stagnating viewership, NASCAR officials are allowing drivers to put the pedal to the metal, relaxing both speed and contact restrictions, especially at high-speed (and capacity) tracks like Daytona and Talledega. Everyone knows what that means — more crashes! Yeeee-Haaaaw!
The relaxed restrictions will come starting at Daytona and include changes to rules and mechanics. Racers will be granted higher horsepower as a result of freer-flowing restrictor plates and bump-drafting will also be put back into play. As a final rollback to NASCAR past, the rear wing which came into being on the "Car of Tomorrow" will be replaced with the spoiler of yesterday, the duck-tail spoiler will be re-installed sometime during the season. The changes are coming about as both fans and drivers complain the racing has become too plain vanilla and isn't living up to the "Rubbin's Racin'" mantra. Let this be a lesson to you NASCAR, your fans don't want clean racing, nor any kind of fancy techo-nerdery. No, they want crashes, and you better deliver. [StarTribune]
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