Tomorrow Is Today: NASCAR Bringing COT Full-Time Next Year

NASCAR’s Car Of Tomorrow To Run Full-Time In ‘08

NASCAR will implement full usage of the Car of Tomorrow (COT) for the ’08 season, a year earlier than previously planned, according to Jenna Fryer of the AP. The COT originally was scheduled to run 16 races this season and be phased in over the next two years. NASCAR VP/Competition Robin Pemberton said, “The majority of car owners actually came to us and said ‘Now that we are up and running the car, it doesn’t make sense to have two parallel programs moving forward.’ It seems to us that everyone is working on the [COT] now and ready to use it exclusively.” Pemberton added, “We feel like making this decision now gives teams an idea of what is coming and lets them put more resources into the new car.” Fryer noted “most drivers have been critical of the COT ... but they preferred going to one program.” Also, “some smaller teams have been “satisfied with the results and think the COT has helped them compete with the big-budget operations.” Driver Jeff Green said, “It does help level the playing field somewhat for the smaller teams.” However, Jeff Gordon, who has won two COT races, “is hesitant because the car has yet to race on a 1.5-mile track.” He said without racing on such a track, “I don’t see how we can just go completely forward with it” (AP, 5/22).

BOOST FOR TOYOTA: In N.Y., Viv Bernstein reports the Toyota teams, which have “struggled in their first season of Cup competition, figure to be among those who will be helped the most” by the switch. Toyota Racing Development President & CEO Jim Aust said, “It benefits us tremendously if we can just concentrate on that particular car as opposed to having to split our resources and concentrate on either one” (N.Y. TIMES, 5/23). ESPN’s Rusty Wallace said the move will help single-car teams and will “really help” Toyota. Wallace: “They can’t get the cars to run and if they simplify everything and go with the (COT) ... it will be a lot easier” (“NASCAR Now,” ESPN2, 5/22).