Past, future converge in NASCAR's new Gen 6 car
With a moniker conjuring images of Brian France channeling Steve Jobs at an X Games-themed séance, the new Gen 6 race car was designed partly as a marketing machine.
After five seasons with a homogenized vehicle disparaged for an ugly and plain appearance that was an afterthought, the Sprint Cup Series will unveil a car littered with distinctive features. Chevy, Ford and Toyota painstakingly massaged the cars to resemble their showroom counterparts.
In theory, it's a cutting-edge, sleeker model intended to thrust NASCAR into the 21st-century digital conversation with a sexier look that could have social media networks humming.
Yet in application, could it also be a throwback of sorts?
Yes. In fact, in order for its performance to match its eye-catching veneer, NASCAR needs this newfangled product to flaunt an old-school bent.
"That's what this car is," Tony Gibson, crew chief for Danica Patrick, told USA TODAY Sports. "Some of the things we're doing in the wind tunnel and on the track is correlating back to when we ran in the '80s and '90s. So it's crazy how it's evolved back around to that. It's time to get the playbook out from 1990 and look at some of the things we did back then.
"I'm sure NASCAR will do adjusting. I don't think anyone hits it perfectly off the bat. But I think the racing will be better and will be exciting."
There is a two-pronged goal — enhanced aesthetics and improved action — and there is a distinct dichotomy in the source of both.
The uniquely styled characteristics were the result of manufacturers using high-tech tools — Toyota even employed a Southern California design studio that helped create the street edition of its Camry — to create brands that would remain distinctive at 200 mph.
But NASCAR entered the wayback machine with the car's guts.
Though the chassis remains virtually the same, the body has been reconfigured to de-emphasize the importance of aerodynamics. NASCAR has eliminated the "rear-end skew" that made the cars appear crooked and has given teams more flexibility to work with mechanical grip, particularly the angle at which the rear tire can be tilted to add handling stability. There should be more downforce and a greater reliance on the shocks, springs and other adjustable parts beneath the car that would make Junior Johnson happy.
In preseason testing, the redesign brought glowing reviews from drivers and fans.
"It's like Christmas," Fox analyst Darrell Waltrip said. "We have a new toy. Every year we get something, but this is like getting an iPad or iPhone."
But the practice sessions couldn't confirm if the car will deliver more excitement via side-by-side racing and passes for the lead.
There is urgency to improve the on-track product amid flat TV ratings, declining attendance and a lingering perception that the racing has become less exciting with a preponderance of 1.5-mile speedways that have shoved short tracks and their inherent fender banging off the schedule.
"As we have evolved into much more of a mile-and-a-half-oriented sport, it has become harder to have the good close racing that people want to see," veteran Jeff Burton said. "I think the racing is really similar to what it has always been, but I think the fans want more than that. A lot of effort has gone into making these cars so that we will have better races."
A look at other ways in which the new car is different and how it could impact NASCAR:
The politics of racing: The increased whine emanating from the garage isn't because the new car has more horsepower. The return of brand identity — only the rear deck lid is common across the three makes — also should recall the persistent lobbying by teams that was prevalent more than a decade ago when NASCAR made rules tweaks constantly to maintain parity among cars that weren't separated solely by headlight stickers and logos. "Anytime there is an opportunity, we're going to politic," said Steve Letarte, crew chief for Dale Earnhardt Jr.
NASCAR vice president of competition Robin Pemberton expects to hear it, but the growth of technology to measure competitive advantages should provide more leverage in challenging teams to improve their product rather than count on help from the sanctioning body.
Lighter is better: The Gen 6 will be 100 pounds lighter than its predecessor, which Joe Gibbs Racing's Denny Hamlin calls a game-changer. It should put less stress on the right side and allow Goodyear to build a tire that provides more grip while wearing more consistently — which might mean fewer races decided on fuel mileage and more on tire strategy that puts the focus on driving ability.
Brisker business? Three-time champion Tony Stewart said the Gen 6 partly was an acknowledgment that NASCAR forgot it was about the manufacturers building cars, and there'd be no better reflection of that than in the bottom line.
"I think we all agree that's going to be good for business over the next couple of years," said Lee White, president of Toyota Racing Development.
It also could hook the next generation of customers, as Letarte noted his 9-year-old son, Tyler, was able to delineate the makes when seeing their images on the Internet.
"To him, it looks like a street car," Letarte said. "If you're in racing, you want to watch cool cars go around the track. The simple fact is in 2013 we have cooler cars."
Follow Nate Ryan on Twitter @nateryan