NASCAR: No aero package changes for Chase

The Chase for the Sprint Cup will unfold without any of the aerodynamic changes NASCAR continues to experiment with this season.

Steve O’Donnell, NASCAR’s executive vice president and chief racing development officer, said Friday at Michigan International Speedway that the Chase – NASCAR’s 10-race playoff system -- would go on with 2015’s original aerodynamic package.

“We’ve seen some good things with that package – a lot of work has been done leading up to the final 10 races,” O’Donnell said. “We feel like it’s the best decision for the sport. It’s important that we go back to our original plan.”

Despite that decision, which was announced to drivers, owners, crew chiefs and other key members of the sport, a high-drag aerodynamic package will still be tested during Sunday’s Pure Michigan 400. A low-drag package will be used at Darlington (S.C) Raceway in September.

The different packages are NASCAR’s attempt to improve the quality of the sport’s competition, hoping to increase passing and provide more excitement. O’Donnell said results of the experimental packages will be used to help formulate an aero package for the 2016 season.

Sunday’s high-drag package will be the same one used to poor reviews at the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in July. In that race, cars didn’t drafted as easily as expected on the Brickyard’s narrow straightaways, with passing still difficult.

The low-drag package scheduled for Darlington is the same as was run at Kentucky Speedway in July. That package was considered more of a success, with more passing and competitive racing.

“A lot of great things happened in that race,” O’Donnell said. “That race was one we want to learn from and take forward, and apply it to Darlington and do the same thing. There were a ton of positives from that. So we want to make sure we dial in and make sure we’re on the same page, especially as we’re looking forward to 2016.”

There’s hope that Sunday’s high-drag package – which features a higher, 9-inch spoiler, a rear fascia extension panel, a 2-inch leading edge on the splitter and 43-inch radiator pan -- works better on Michigan’s wider track and 18-degree banked turns than it did at Indianapolis.

“The racetracks are just massively different,” said driver Matt Kenseth. “Indy is one of the toughest tracks to pass that we go to, no matter what the package. I think (Michigan) will be different.”

Said O’Donnell: “Our intention is to see what happens Sunday and then do the same at Darlington. We’ll have a direction ... based on what we’ll see on the racetrack, and head in a direction, wherever it may lead. We’ll dial it in quickly for ’16 so everybody can go to work on it.”

The announcement came Friday night, after Cup teams had practiced for nearly 2½ hours to prepare for the experimental package and then qualified earlier in the evening.

And had changes been announced for the Chase instead of the status quo, they might have been welcomed.

“I don’t believe that it’s too late to do anything the right way,” driver Brad Keselowski said in a conference call with reporters earlier in the week. “If everyone believes that one package is heads and tails above another package, then we’ve got to find a way to make it work and get it in front of our fans.”

This story was originally published August 15, 2015 at 7:37 AM with the headline "NASCAR: No aero package changes for Chase."