After recently adding a left-side debris shield to prevent fires, NASCAR is evaluating whether to make further safety enhancements because of incidents at Bristol Motor Speedway.
The Fords of Josh Berry, Austin Cindric and Chad Finchum caught fire because of rubber buildup during Saturday night‘s 500-lap race, which featured a new right-side tire with heavier wear.
Managing director of communications Mike Forde said NASCAR officials met with all three teams after the race and did a thorough inspection of two Chevrolets at the R&D Center this week.
“There wasn’t anything that really jumped out at us and said, ‘Yeah, this is exactly what happened. Here’s the fix,‘ ” Forde said on the latest episode of the “Hauler Talk” podcast. “We have been in conversation with Team Penske, and they have some theories as well that we’re looking into. So more to come, and it’s still a little bit early in the process. There may be some changes for New Hampshire.”
After some issues at Richmond Raceway, NASCAR mandated a left-side debris shield starting in the playoff opener at Darlington Raceway. The device, which will be used at all remaining tracks but Talladega Superspeedway, helps keep excess rubber from entering the engine headers and causing the fires to ignite.
During the debut season of the Next Gen car in 2022, NASCAR made several cooling upgrades to rocker panels after a spate of fires that also exclusively involved Fords.
“It doesn’t seem like it can just be a coincidence where it’s just Fords, so maybe there is something there,” Forde said. “That’s part of what we’re looking into and having discussions with Penske, and that’s part of the investigation into if this is a Ford problem, or if there’s some kind of setup or how their headers are designed. That is part of the fact-finding we’re on right now.”
Forde said a right-side debris panel also could be mandated.
“That probably won’t happen because we don’t believe that is the cause of the issue,” he said. “We’re still digging into it, working with the teams and the engineers here at the R&D Center. If there is something that needs to be addressed for New Hampshire, we certainly will.”
Other topics covered by Forde and NASCAR senior director of racing communications AmandaEllis during the 33rd episode of “Hauler Talk,” which explores competition issues in NASCAR:
— How NASCAR made the decision to add an extra set of tires during the Bristol race.
— The most caution laps at Bristol in 60 years.
— The decision to rescind the free pass from William Byron after causing a caution.
— The suspension of two members from Denny Hamlin‘s crew and the team‘s option to defer the penalty.
— Previewing a new tire at New Hampshire Motor Speedway this weekend.
Click on the embed above to listen or search for “Hauler Talk” wherever you download podcasts to hear it on your phone, tablet or mobile device.
Nate Ryan has written about NASCAR since 1996 while working at the San Bernardino Sun, Richmond Times-Dispatch, USA TODAY and for the past 10 years at NBC Sports Digital. He is a contributor to the “Hauler Talk” show on the NASCAR Podcast Network. He also has covered various other motorsports, including the IndyCar and IMSA series.
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