Everyone who follows NASCAR knew that new rule changes were coming. Everyone also knew or had a sense that the schedule could be mixed around. We got both, new rules and a new schedule.
Some of the new rules were a reduction on horsepower, and testing bans. There was also a rule put in place that will limit how often teams work together and use the same packages on their race car.
NASCAR Team Owner Phil Parsons had this to say about the reduction of horsepower:
"The first thing that stuck out to me is that for the first time since 1974, we're going to have a reduction in horsepower for these engines - that excludes Daytona and Talladega from back in the late '80s when we went to restrictor plates. When they went from big blocks to small blocks in the early '70s, that was the last time we had horsepower reduction, and it's going to be a fairly significant one here, going from about 900 to 725."
As you can see from a team owner's perspective is that Parsons isn't a huge fan for the reduction of horsepower. It's been a while since there has been a reduction in horsepower but when you really think about it a reduction in horsepower is just another way NASCAR can keep their drivers safe.
Legendary Crew Chief Larry McReynolds had a ton to say on how the reduction of horsepower would effect the racing week in and week out:
“Well, NASCAR acknowledges the racing is good, but they know they can get it better, and when I talked to Kerry Tharp and Gene Stefanyshyn – I spent about 30 minutes on the phone with them this morning – I asked them the ‘Why?’ And the ‘Why’ is to create more passing for the lead, to create bigger packs of racing. They didn’t just wake up last week and think, ‘Oh, we think we’ll change the rules.’ They’re trying to make the racing better. Now, the one thing we need to clear up, as far as the technical rules – the horsepower, the aero – it does not go into place until race number two, when we go to Atlanta Motor Speedway. It’s not in play for the Daytona 500. NASCAR has been here since 1949 and I’ve been here for 34 years since 1980. Even though a lot of things have changed, there is one thing that has not changed: they always are looking at competition, cost and safety, and it looks like to me that at least two of those areas, they are hitting and hitting hard.”
Look at the size of that quote. A quote that size kind of leans towards novel territory. All kidding aside though, McReynolds knows what he's talking about, so when he has that much to say on a certain subject you sit there and listen and soak it all in.
Now onto the testing ban placed on NASCAR race teams. Six-Time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson had this to say on the ban:
“I think the ‘no on-track testing’ is going to be appreciated by crew members and everyone that is a part of these test sessions. It should save some money. It’s going to put a heavier focus on our simulation program, our seven-post rigs … the things we do at the race shop to enhance the race cars. It’s also going to make our practice sessions all that much more important. The start of the year, they are going to be full-on test sessions, trying big package changes on the race cars. We’ll all be fine-tuning, so that can make things entertaining and fun. Then, we’ll just have to see if the thing that’s out there – tire tests. What do tire tests look like? That might be an opportunity that race teams have a chance to go and learn and get data sets from these race tracks.”