NASCAR to Meet with Teams to Evaluate "Gen 6" Cars

NASCAR plans to meet with Sprint Cup teams to discuss whether tweaks are needed to the new "Gen 6" car before the next restrictor plate race.

"We'll do one-on-ones on that and see what they think," said Robin Pemberton, NASCAR's vice president for competition, on Tuesday. "A lot of people have opinions. The racing was as old school as it gets. If there's some things we're encouraged to look at, we will.

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New C-post template to be in place at Talladega

Per SportingNews, NASCAR will add a new template to its inspection process when teams go through tech May 4 at Talladega Superspeedway.

It's a template inspired by Hendrick Motorsports and five-time Cup champion Jimmie Johnson's team. Starting May 4-6 at Talladega, NASCAR will begin using an additional template for the C-post, the area of the car from the roof to the top of the rear quarter panel.

The new template, which will be used at all tracks beginning with the May 6 race at Talladega, will cover more of the area of the C-post. Currently, the template—a grid that goes over the car—has four checkpoints that cover the C-post area.

“The new template is one step further in confirming the (required) surface of the racecar,” Darby said in a statement released by NASCAR.

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Chevrolet Announces Plans to Debut New Racecar for 2013 Season

DETROIT – The countdown to the debut of Chevrolet’s next NASCAR Sprint Cup Series racecar is underway. Chevrolet announced today that for the 2013 season, Team Chevy will be racing a vehicle based on a new nameplate to the brand’s lineup.

Taking advantage of the new NASCAR rules, which allow manufacturers to display more of their brand identity in their racecars, the new Chevrolet racecar will closely resemble the production version. Both cars will be unveiled in the coming year.


“We are keeping the wraps on the new car for now and will continue to prepare for next season by testing camouflaged vehicles,” said Jim Campbell, vice president, Chevrolet Performance Vehicles and Motorsports. “We know that Chevrolet fans are eager to see the new racecar and we hope that the prospect of being able to own one just like it will make the wait a little more bearable.”

The current Chevrolet racecar, the Impala, took three out of top five spots at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Sunday including the win by Tony Stewart. Since 2007, the Impala has dominated the series, taking the checkered flag 79 times. Chevrolet drivers have also won five NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Manufacturers' Championships, and Jimmie Johnson (4) and Tony Stewart (1) have collected five NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver's championships in the Impala.

“The Impala has been a critical part of Chevrolet’s success in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and we are confident the new racecar will allow us to remain the most successful name in NASCAR Sprint Cup Series history,” Campbell said.

A legacy of racing competition runs deep in Chevrolet’s 100-year history, dating to co-founder Louis Chevrolet’s passion for racing automobiles. Chevrolet has won the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Manufacturers’ Championship 35 times. Chevrolet Corvette Racing has taken seven class trophies at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. A Chevrolet-branded V-8 racing engine won the Indianapolis 500 seven times between 1988 and 2002.

As Chevrolet continues to define itself as a 21st Century global automotive leader, motorsports remain integral to the plan. The racing version of the Chevrolet Cruze, which since its 2009 debut has become the bowtie brand’s best-selling car globally, claimed the World Touring Car Championship (WTCC) Cup in 2010 and 2011, and is the first ever General Motors-branded vehicle to win such honors in a FIA-organized series.

Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world's largest car brands, doing business in more than 140 countries and selling more than 4 million cars and trucks a year. Chevrolet provides customers with fuel-efficient vehicles that feature spirited performance, expressive design and high quality. More information on Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com

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SHR tries to determine cause of fuel-injection malfunction

Tony Stewart, regarded as a master of fuel conservation, was attempting to save gas Sunday when a caution came out on lap 247 of 312. Running 13th and hoping to make it to the finish without another pit stop, Stewart went to one of his old gas-saving tricks — shutting off his engine. The problem: It wouldn't come back on.

"Turned it back on, and it never re-fired," Stewart said. "I honestly don't know why. It's not really my department."

Immediately after the race, Addington huddled with engine specialists at Hendrick Motorsports, which provides engines for Stewart-Haas Racing.

"We'll keep working with them to try to figure out what happened," Addington said. "We've got to dig into it and find out what happened, when it happened and what caused it." (via USAToday.com)

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