NASCAR Shrinks Restrictor Plates to Reduce Speeds

Filed under: Denny Hamlin, Sprint Cup, NASCAR

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- After taking other steps last week to try to reduce the 200 mph-plus speeds of two-car tandem drafts at Daytona International Speedway, NASCAR has taken a more aggressive step by reducing the size of the restrictor plate.

The sanctioning body has reduced the size of the restrictor plate by 1/64th of an inch, which should cut about 10 horsepower from the engines.

Previously in Speedweeks, NASCAR made changes in an effort to minimize the ability of cars to hook up together in two-car drafts. Although Dale Earnhardt Jr. won the pole at slightly over 186 mph, the two-car drafts have reached speeds upward of 206 mph.

"We want to get those speeds knocked down a little bit," NASCAR spokesman Kerry Tharp said. "That 206 is a little quick."

"Every time we get on track with these cars and NASCAR makes a change, it's going to have to be a learning curve we adapt to," said Denny Hamlin.

That learning curve was going nowhere early Wednesday, however, as coastal showers halted all activity on the track until mid-afternoon, when practice finally got underway.

 

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Source: http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2011/02/16/nascar-shrinks-restrictor-plates-to-reduce-speeds/

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