DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) — NASCAR is making two technical changes in hopes of limiting two-car hookups and 200-plus mph speeds before the Daytona 500.
Officials notified teams Sunday that it is adding pressure-release valves to cooling systems and reducing the size of the grill openings.
The changes will limit the length of time two cars can run bumper to bumper around Daytona International Speedway. Cars will have to break those formations to avoid overheating engines. That is expected to drop speeds that topped 206 mph in Saturday night’s exhibition Budwesier Shootout.
The 75-lap race featured a dramatically different style of racing as drivers hooked up in pairs because it was the fastest way around the 212-mile superspeedway. It was fast — Michael Waltrip topped 206 mph — and a stark contrast from the previous tight pack racing that fans have embraced at Daytona.
