Inside the Halls of Petty: Preparing for COT at 'Dega

Well, the first restrictor-plate race for the Dodge Avenger is this weekend. We are going to learn a lot about this new car. We are also going to find out what to expect when we get to Daytona for Speedweeks. Last month's test down at Talladega went as good as anyone could have hoped for, but race conditions are always different than a test. The cars are different animals than the older ones, but they still have four tires and a steering wheel.

Let's look at the differences between the new car and the old car at restrictor-plate tracks.

Inside Petty

"A couple of weeks ago the Nextel Cup Series went down to Talladega for a test of the new cars. Everyone left with a good feeling about the racing that will go on down there," said Robbie Loomis, VP of Operations for Petty Enterprises.

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• The technical process that goes on Friday morning will be an anxious time for all of us. That is a part of the race weekend that you guys don't get to see. NASCAR has an overall template that measures every section of the car, down to the thousandths of an inch. At a restrictor-plate race the process can take all morning and into the afternoon because the body plays such a huge role in how your car works. We've all seen that the Avengers are being allowed less tolerance than ever before and we haven't even gone to a restrictor-plate track. I think it's great for NASCAR to stick to their guns when it comes to this.

• The setups that go underneath these Avengers are a little different than we have seen. These cars are tight by design. That doesn't come into play that much at Talladega because it is a wide-open track, especially with the new asphalt. But the fact that these cars are not so dependent on the aero packages means you can get a little more aggressive with what you are allowed to do. NASCAR still mandates your rear spring-shock package, though.

• At the test we saw how much the draft affects these cars. The Avengers punch such a bigger hole in the air that the guy behind you gets a heck of a run. That will make for more passing, again, especially with these cars not being so aero-dependent. That has been the main deal with the past cars. You could get right up to the guy in front of you, but it was hard to make the pass. This was especially true at the front of the field. In past races at Talladega you would have the Pied Piper leading the field and the only way he would get passed would be on pit road. This should mean more lead changes. We know the fans will love that.

Of course, all of this could be thrown out of the window if NASCAR changes the size of the restrictor plate and the length of the wicker. Right now the restrictor plate is 31/32 of an inch and the wicker is 1 inch. These are the same measurements that we left the test with last month. However, if the speeds are too high, NASCAR has reserved the right to make these changes. An average lap speed of over 200 mph has long been the "line in the sand" that NASCAR has drawn. If we get close to that you will probably see them reduce the size of the restrictor plate. That will slow us down considerably and will probably be the only change they would make. I really don't see them making wicker changes, but you never know.

This is an exciting time to be a part of the Nextel Cup Series. Changes like these don't happen very often and everyone is curious to see their effect.

See you in Victory Lane,
Billy Wilburn