New Rules Starting with Hotlanta...

[4me2c]

RULES PACKAGE

The race at Pocono Raceway will feature the 2019 rules package with a tapered-spacer engine generating around 550 horsepower. Changed for the earlier race this season, the cars will feature aero ducts — an adjustment made after running the non-duct package at Atlanta Motor Speedway. This change will also take place at Darlington Raceway and Homestead-Miami Speedway later this year.

Each team will be provided with three sets of Goodyear Eagle Speedway Radials for practice, one set for qualifying and seven sets for the race (six race sets plus one carried over from practice or qualifying).

In order to give drivers more versatility regarding lane selection, the track will also feature the PJ1 application in all three corners — the first time it’s been laid down on the Pocono surface....!

[4me2c]

RULES PACKAGE

Watkins Glen will feature the 2019 rules package for road courses, and that means no aero ducts and a tapered-spacer engine expected to reach 750 horsepower.

For tires, the Goodyear Eagle Road Course Radials will be used, and each team will get three sets for practice, one set for qualifying and five sets for the race (four race sets plus one set transferred from practice or qualifying).

Watkins Glen is a faster and less technical road course than Sonoma Raceway, so this week’s race will require a different tire setup. Because of all the speed at Watkins Glen, the tread compound used will be more heat resistant.

Goodyear will also bring its wet weather radials for use at Watkins Glen should NASCAR decide that conditions warrant. Each team is allowed up to three sets of “wets” for practice/qualifying and up to three sets for the race.

[4me2c]

RULES PACKAGE

Sunday’s race will feature the 2019 baseline rules package with the smaller tapered spacer, so engines will run with horsepower of about 550. Aero ducts will be used this week, along with the radiator pan, splitter and spoiler from the baseline rules package.

Michigan is a relatively smooth track, so Goodyear notes the challenge will be providing a tire that produces adequate wear. Each team will get three sets of tires for practice, one set for qualifying and eight sets for the race (seven race sets plus one set transferred from qualifying or practice). Teams will have inner liners in the tires.

In addition, NASCAR announced PJ1 will be used on the track for the first time.

[4me2c]

RULES PACKAGE

Bristol will employ the 2019 baseline rules package, which includes a taller, 8-inch by 61-inch rear spoiler, a larger front splitter and a wider radiator pan. For short tracks like Bristol, the aero ducts are not used, and the larger tapered spacer is in play giving engines about 750 horsepower.

Goodyear notes that each team will be allotted three sets of Goodyear Eagle Speedway Radials for practice, one set for qualifying and nine sets for the race (eight race sets plus one set transferred from qualifying or practice). Unlike most other NASCAR short tracks, teams are required to run inner liners in their right-side tires at Bristol.

PJ1 will be used at Bristol this weekend to give drivers an additional racing groove. At Bristol, PJ1 will be applied to the bottom lane. Goodyear, NASCAR and the track will monitor the track condition throughout the weekend.

On a Side Note :

NASCAR, Goodyear targeting 2021 for new tire in Cup Series
By
George Winkler NASCAR.com August 16, 2019 at 8:32 AM

Goodyear has been working with NASCAR on plans to introduce a new tire in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series in 2021. Instead of the 15-inch tires currently used, the targeted size of the new tire is 18 inches and the change would coincide with the introduction of the Generation-7 vehicle. ...!

[4me2c]

RULES PACKAGE

The race at Darlington Raceway will feature the 2019 rules package with a tapered-spacer engine generating around 550 horsepower. After a change earlier in the season, the cars will feature aero ducts this weekend.

Each team will be provided with three sets of Goodyear Eagle Speedway Radial tires for practice, one set for qualifying and 14 sets for the race (a season-high number of sets). This means that they will have to go an average of just more than 26 laps per set to finish the race. This is the first time teams will run this combination of left- and right-side tires at Darlington. Like last season, these tires feature the same tread compounds, only with an update to the construction to align what is run at other tracks.

[4me2c]

RULES PACKAGE

The race at Indianapolis will feature the 2019 rules package with aero ducts and a tapered-spacer engine generating a targeted 550 horsepower.

Each team will be provided with three sets of Goodyear Eagle Speedway Radial tires for practice, one set for qualifying and nine sets for the 400-mile race (eight, plus one transferred from practice or qualifying).

This is the first time teams will run this tire combination at Indianapolis. A tire test at the 2.5-mile track on June 4-5 prompted officials to adopt the tire setup previously used this season at Pocono Raceway, another high-speed track with a different configuration but the same length. The Indianapolis track applied a sealer to the racing surface in May, ahead of the Indianapolis 500.

[4me2c]

RULES PACKAGE

The race at Las Vegas will feature the 2019 rules package with aero ducts and a tapered-spacer engine generating a targeted 550 horsepower.

Each team will be provided with three sets of Goodyear Eagle Speedway Radial tires for practice, one set for qualifying and 10 sets for the 400-mile race (nine, plus one transferred from practice or qualifying).

The Monster Energy Series gets a break from its string of hard-wear tracks with its trip to Vegas.

“Las Vegas is widely known on the NASCAR circuit as a track that does not wear tires,” said Greg Stucker, Goodyear’s director of racing. “That is an important concern for Goodyear and the race teams because when tires don’t wear, they don’t shed rubber and therefore retain more heat. What that requires us to do is bring tread compounds that will wear more and help the tire run cooler. We’ve done a lot of development work in this area, with a number of tracks that have ‘smoother’ surfaces. We’ve come up with a successful right-side tire that accomplishes that, and we now bring that to multiple tracks — Texas (Motor Speedway), Kansas (Speedway), Michigan (International Speedway) and Kentucky (Speedway), in addition to Las Vegas.”

[4me2c]

RULES PACKAGE

The race at Richmond will feature the 2019 rules package with no aero ducts and a tapered-spacer engine generating a targeted 750 horsepower.

Each team will be provided with three sets of Goodyear Eagle Intermediate Radial tires for practice, one set for qualifying and 10 sets for the 400-mile race (nine, plus one transferred from practice or qualifying).

Richmond Raceway is a high tire wear track so Goodyear is focused on selecting tread compounds that rubber-in the surface to create various grooves on the race track.

“Richmond is simply one of the more high-wear tracks on the NASCAR circuit,” said Greg Stucker, Goodyear’s director of racing. “What we’ve seen this year with this higher downforce package, with the cars more ‘in the track’ and with less lateral slip, wear is down a bit compared to 2018. Saying that, tires are still very important at Richmond. The tread compounds we bring do a good job rubbering in the track, creating multiple racing grooves throughout the race.”

[4me2c]

Jones fails post-race inspection at Richmond
By
Staff Report NASCAR.com September 22, 2019 at 12:33 AM

The No. 20 of Erik Jones failed post-race inspection at Richmond Raceway. Jones had finished fourth in Saturday’s Federated Auto Parts 400, the second race in the 2019 NASCAR Playoffs’ Round of 16, but the disqualification bumped him to last-place 38th.

The Joe Gibbs Racing driver’s Toyota will go back to the NASCAR Research & Development Center in Concord, North Carolina.

Team Penske’s Brad Keselowski, who was fifth, is now credited with the fourth-place finish.

Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series director Jay Fabian said the No. 20 entry failed its pass through the Optical Scanning Station and the issue dealt with the car’s rear-wheel alignment. He indicated inspectors did not find a part designed to fail to gain an advantage during the race.

“At the end of the day, the result is the same — it failed,” Fabian said.

Jones receives just one point rather than the 42 he would have earned had he passed inspection and is now 45 points under the playoff cutline with one race left (Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval) before four drivers are cut from the postseason field.

This means, instead of claiming the top four spots in the race, Joe Gibbs Racing holds just the top three spots at Richmond: Martin Truex Jr. won, Kyle Busch finished second and Denny Hamlin came in third. Jimmy Makar, Senior Vice President of Racing Operations at Joe Gibbs Racing, told reporters the organization did not have immediate plans to appeal the penalty.

The disqualification is the first in NASCAR’s top series since tougher post-race penalties and a new, expedited inspection process were installed this season. Four Xfinity Series teams have been disqualified this year, and one Gander Trucks team has been sent to the end of the finishing order.

“We’ve set the standard early in the year in what we expect, and teams have done a good job reacting to that,” Fabian said when asked if he was surprised the series’ first disqualification came in its 28th race of the year. “I think obviously as the pressure mounts and the season goes on, it doesn’t surprise me to see them pushing a little further and trying to get a little more out of their stuff, and like I say, sometimes it just crosses that line a little bit, and that’s all you need to fail.”

[dara]

I'll check the new scores on the contest.... but I'll let 4me2C keep the scoring for Hamlin, lol.