As drivers and crew chiefs prepare for Talladega Superspeedway and the first Car Of Tomorrow (COT) race on the massive 2.66 mile tri-oval, one notion is becoming prevalent. The UAW-Ford 500 on Oct. 7 is going to be exciting.
The COT is the culmination of a seven-year project undertaken at NASCAR's Research and Development Center in Concord, N.C. While safety is the number one reason the COT was built, during the development process NASCAR also discovered ways in which the COT could improve competition and allow teams to be more cost efficient.
When asked about what he expects from the COT at Talladega Superspeedway, 2004 Series champion Kurt Busch exclaimed, "It's going to change the element of how Talladega races, and I think it will be twice as exciting."
After posting a disappointing 25th at New Hampshire last weekend, Busch should be anxiously awaiting his Oct. 7 return to NASCAR's Most Competitive Track. Of all the Chase contenders, Busch currently has the best average finish at Talladega Superspeedway with an average finishing position of 10th. In fact, Busch has not finished lower than 8th at Talladega since the Aaron's 499 in April of 2004. And while he hasn't visited Gatorade Victory Lane in a NEXTEL Cup car, Busch does have a win at Talladega, coming by way of the IROC Series in April 2003.
It may not seem like success in an IROC car would translate into success in a COT, but Busch sees it differently. "The larger the wicker is, the larger the drag that's built into the car, and it's easier for the car behind to catch up. It reminds me a little of the IROC cars, the way the cars are drafting right now. If you get cut off from the draft, you lose it in a hurry. But if you stay in it, it's a very aggressive draft. It's going to be exciting."
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