From the Marbles - NASCAR

Change is a-comin' to the Nationwide Series, and so far, everybody's pretty much happy with it. NASCAR is rolling out new Nationwide cars in the same way that the Car of Tomorrow became the de facto Sprint Cup car two years ago. Perhaps NASCAR learned a thing or two from watching the CoT in action, and perhaps not.

At Talladega on Monday, NASCAR introduced the new Dodge Challenger, Ford Mustang, Chevy Impala and Toyota Camry. Kevin Harvick, Jeff Burton, Kelly Bires and James Buescher of Phoenix Racing jumped in the rides to run them through their paces. The drivers, later joined by Colin Braun, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Justin Allgaier and Trevor Bayne, ran the cars alone, in single file and in drafting bunches. No bump-drafting, of course, but then, did you expect that?

Allgaier said the new car "drives like a dream," and other drivers and engineers expressed similar satisfaction, which is nice. For more on the technical specs of the new car, click here. And, as NASCAR Insiders points out, NASCAR "now has a problem on its hands. They have visually attractive and realistic-looking Nationwide cars competing with the less-than-handsome Cup Series CoT." (Sensing a problem afoot, NASCAR has indicated it will make changes to the Sprint Cup car in 2011.)

The car will roll out at Daytona in the summer, and will later run at Michigan, Richmond and Charlotte. Come 2011, it'll be the standard for all Nationwide races.

New race car receives favorable marks at test [NASCAR.com]

digg delicious
more

30 Comments

Post a Comment
  1. chrisd
    1. Posted by chrisd Thu Nov 05, 2009 5:34 pm EST

    Report Abuse

    I may be watching the Nationwide series more often with the cars looking like they do. I really like both the mustang and challenger designs. Come on Chevy put that new camaro to work in the series! That would be awesome!
  2. cg5995
    2. Posted by cg5995 Thu Nov 05, 2009 6:31 pm EST

    Report Abuse

    Sure wish the sprint cars were dressed up like that, some nice looking rides right there!!!
  3. Kim
    3. Posted by Kim Thu Nov 05, 2009 9:37 pm EST

    Report Abuse

    Nationwide looks like it's primed to become bigger than Cup at this rate!
  4. JOHNNY R H
    4. Posted by JOHNNY R H Thu Nov 05, 2009 9:42 pm EST

    Report Abuse

    You guys a joking, right???
    Lipstick on a pig is all it is! The COT with lipstick, nothing more nothing less!
    WAKEUP NASCAR before it is too late.
    Oh yeah! It already is, isn't it! LOL
  5. Rudy88
    5. Posted by Rudy88 Fri Nov 06, 2009 7:18 am EST

    Report Abuse

    Well JOHNNY - Seems that the drivers that drove it, loved it, so I guess it really doesn't matter what you think of it!
  6. linwood
    6. Posted by linwood Fri Nov 06, 2009 7:56 am EST

    Report Abuse

    NASCAR is now a joke to be called a sport.....as a long time fan,my first race was at Darlington in 1979 and my last was 'dega in 2009 ! At times I couldn"t wait for the weekend races to come be it Truck , Bush or WINSTON cup.The sport has fallen as fast as it rose. I at one time thought that the sport was bigger than any one team .....guess I was wrong NASCAR died with the death of Dale Earnhardt........seems like the tracks and fans that MADE nascar have been blown off for bigger and more , sadly to me all the " new tracks " are all the same , do you ( nascar ) think that fans are going to sit in front of the TV for hours and watch faintly popular drivers ride around for three hours..not me ! got to go cut the lawn
  7. anthony m
    7. Posted by anthony m Fri Nov 06, 2009 9:04 am EST

    Report Abuse

    Chevy refused to make the necessary changes to the camaro for it to fit in the N'wide series, so they'll go with the Impala. I guess with the money problems they're having, maybe their R&D couldn't come up with a package to fit.It would be nice if they could. The Mustang and Challenger at least look somewhat like the actual cars they are suppossed to represent, Put 'em in Sprint Cup and BURN the COT!!!
  8. art_tidesco
    8. Posted by art_tidesco Fri Nov 06, 2009 9:50 am EST

    Report Abuse

    I can't wait to see Danica blow the doors off the Nationwide series regulars in one of these :-)
  9. Willy Doer
    9. Posted by Willy Doer Fri Nov 06, 2009 9:56 am EST

    Report Abuse

    Art- (sarcasm) Right.......
  10. Willy Doer
    10. Posted by Willy Doer Fri Nov 06, 2009 9:58 am EST

    Report Abuse

    They look just like their factory counterparts...until you look past the front wheels, then sadly....they are all the same.
  11. RICK C
    11. Posted by RICK C Fri Nov 06, 2009 11:52 am EST

    Report Abuse

    Smart lookin cars.
  12. packerd_00
    12. Posted by packerd_00 Fri Nov 06, 2009 12:22 pm EST

    Report Abuse

    Art#8-If you believe in magic and I know you do.
  13. anthony m
    13. Posted by anthony m Fri Nov 06, 2009 1:22 pm EST

    Report Abuse

    Art-You aren't suppossed to drink the bong water.
  14. NostraChronus
    14. Posted by NostraChronus Fri Nov 06, 2009 3:58 pm EST

    Report Abuse

    linwood, by 9pm tonight, you'll be watching the trucks race from Texas.
  15. DC
    15. Posted by DC Fri Nov 06, 2009 10:25 pm EST

    Report Abuse

    Danica + New, racy Nationwide COTs that have gotten tons of favorable reviews PLUS look like a stock car + typical, scrappy, close Nationwide races (the racing in the Nationwide series has been fantastic this season. Beatin', bangin', and feudin'!) = the Nationwide Series may be the place to watch in 2010!
  16. DC
    16. Posted by DC Fri Nov 06, 2009 10:27 pm EST

    Report Abuse

    And yes, I said Danica. How will she perform? Who really knows...but she will bring attention.
  17. cjrocker91
    17. Posted by cjrocker91 Fri Nov 06, 2009 10:37 pm EST

    Report Abuse

    Chevy should run the Camaro.. .since this seems to be the pony car series now, of course that leaves Toyota hanging out to dry but oh well, more reason to bring back the Celica or Supra.
  18. Jerry
    18. Posted by Jerry Sat Nov 07, 2009 4:13 am EST

    Report Abuse

    RE: Camaro comments: Yeah, I agree. I was talking about this with my brother last weekend (not aware of the issues involved with the Camaro), and knowing that Ford was bringing the Mustang, and Dodge bringing the Challenger, it seemed like a no=brainer for the Camaro to be in the mix. I don't know enough about Toyota to know what could (possibly) qualify as a "pony car," but I would love to see Nationwide end up with the "American" cars being the Mustang, Camaro and Challenger, and whatever Toyota has to offer on a full-time basis...
  19. Catfan
    19. Posted by Catfan Sat Nov 07, 2009 4:20 pm EST

    Report Abuse

    Well, the new Nationwide COT cars do look better than their Sprint counterparts, but without the decals, you wouldn't be able to tell that Mustang from a school bus. That aside, I agree that next year's Nationwide series should be a lot more fun to watch than the Sprint series. Add Danica (and of course all of the Danica fans and haters), and it's at least given me something to look forward to in February.
  20. ABHORRENT BEHAVIOR
    20. Posted by ABHORRENT BEHAVIOR Sat Nov 07, 2009 9:01 pm EST

    Report Abuse

    You must all be the same....Do not deviate from the norm......think alike....get in a line and stay there....have no thoughts of individualism.....conform to our ideas......do what,when, and why we say.....our way or the hiway............might as well call it "A Clockwork Orange " racing league!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
  21. darrel.b@...
    21. Posted by darrel.b@... Mon Nov 09, 2009 2:49 am EST

    Report Abuse

    Chevy cannot run the Camaro. The CEO, Sheik Barrack Obama, will not allow GMC, that is, Governmental Motors Corp., waste money while it is under his guiding hand. That is, unless, Hendrick's Motor Sports should whine and want it, then it will probably be a GO! Yes, they may look better, but they're just COT's in disguise: that is, as previously mentioned, pigs with lipstick. If, like the COT, they run nose to tail like dogs in heat, then you'll just get to see the "little" versions of Daytona & Talladega. NASCAR is making too many rules and ruining the real racing to keep this sport off of life support! I mowed my lawn and raked leaves today and I've been a die hard NASCAR junkie since the time when Richard Petty was YOUNG!! It just ain't racin' no more! It's "Chicken Little Bumper Cars" mainly driven by pretty little chickens. You know, we kon't want them boys going too fast now, ya' heer? Except for Mark Martin today's generation of "drivers" are almost all running like they're scared [profane]less!! There are a few, damned few, who still think that the idea of a race is to win it! Well, I'm certain Mr. France will soon have a chat with them and put a stop to that nonsense!!! Oh, how I long for the good odl days with Dale Erhhardt, Sr. driving! Now there was a REAL race car driver. Guess that's why I like Kyle Busch; he remids me a lot of Dale!!
  22. Brad
    22. Posted by Brad Mon Nov 09, 2009 4:00 am EST

    Report Abuse

    at least they look like cars now, hopefully it gets back to just basic nationwide only drivers and the competation that you see in the truck series. Chevy should market it's Camaro, if they could afford to do a redone version of the impala they can do it for the camaro. I personally think that if the Nationwide series is to be a pony car series, Chevy needs to use a Camaro, and Toyota "should" look at its Lexus line up and throw in an LS 350, might as well market both sides...
  23. Brad
    23. Posted by Brad Mon Nov 09, 2009 4:02 am EST

    Report Abuse

    oh and darrell...Im pretty sure Mark Martin is like the cleanest driver on the circuit, along with Jeff Burton, so if your gonna sit there and diss the likes of Kyle Busch and Denny Hamlin and Brad Kesolowski who bump and run there way to the front, although tend to whine a little more than they should, then you should just sit down and shut the hell up...

From the Marbles

Add to My Yahoo! RSS

Jay Busbee

From the Marbles is a NASCAR blog edited by Jay Busbee. Email him, and follow him on Twitter.

Related Photo Gallery

Y! Sports Blogs

From the Marbles Recent Readers