9/2012
NASCAR passed a rule that will curb the ability of
teams to set their cars up in a way that gives the driver easier
rear steer.
The technical bulletin issued by NASCAR
goes into effect next week at Chicago, when the Chase for the
Sprint Cup championship begins,
Drivers have alleged for months that Hendrick made gains in the
rear housing this season that gave its cars an aerodynamic
advantage. NASCAR has maintained through the complaints that the
Hendrick teams weren't breaking any rules, which four-time
champion Jeff Gordon reiterated.
"When we presented it to NASCAR for approval, they didn't act like
it was something they had never seen before," Gordon said. "I
don't even think we were the first ones to do it."
Gordon also alleged most everyone in the garage is doing the same thing now, which Kyle Busch confirmed -- with a caveat.
"We all started working on it once we saw what they were doing,"
Busch said. "It's follow the leader. You really don't have many
secrets here in the garage area very long. We started going to
work on those kind of things, too, and trying to manipulate some
of the same things they were doing."
Starting
next week, NASCAR is limiting the amount of movement of the
bushings located in the rear suspension to a quarter of an inch. The
bushings are sleeves made of rubber or other materials located near
the rear mounting points. Hendrick teams found a way to make them
softer and softer in an effort to let the truck arms move and help
steer the rear of the cars in the turns.
