NASCAR announces new 2024 Cup Series rules package for short tracks, road courses
NASCAR announced Wednesday a new Cup Series rules package for short tracks and road courses for the 2024 season.
The rules package will introduce aerodynamic changes designed to promote more competitive racing on those track types.
“The key new component for short tracks and road courses is a simplified rear diffuser with fewer vertical strakes,” Zack Albert of NASCAR.com wrote. “The configuration will cut downforce up front by keeping the engine panel strake-free and retaining the splitter stuffers from last year’s package. To compensate for the reduced downforce, competition officials have introduced a slightly taller rear spoiler, up from two to three inches in height with the same length across the rear deck.”
The changes will go into effect for the circuit’s first points-paying short-track race of the season, scheduled March 10 at Phoenix Raceway. The one-mile track hosted a two-day test session last month, with six teams trying out the new configuration components. NASCAR received positive feedback from the test.
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NASCAR vice president of vehicle performance speaks on changes
“One of the things going into the Phoenix test, we said, ‘let’s do a simplified diffuser,’ said Dr. Eric Jacuzzi, NASCAR vice president of vehicle performance. “‘Let’s see what it does when we put it in traffic,’ and what we actually found was it appeared to be an improvement. Then another interesting effect was that it did not lose rear downforce when it yawed, which is an issue we fight with the current car. So we felt that the car, the drivers would be able to slide around more on the short tracks and really have to be less careful about putting power down.
“We felt that would be a benefit, and that was the big takeaway from the driver feedback. At the test, they felt they could really tell that it was more forgiving. They felt they could slide the car, not crazy but certainly much more than they regularly could without having a performance penalty.”
Bristol Motor Speedway and Dover Motor Speedway are not currently slated to use the new aero configuration. The final decision is pending on how it performs at Phoenix, Richmond Raceway and Martinsville Speedway during the first quarter of the Cup Series season.