The good thing and sometimes bad thing about NASCAR is the willingness to test new things out, like expanding the restart zone. However, it also causes them to revert at times. Five races into the year, that restart zone is going to go back to the 2022 specs.
Starting this weekend at COTA, NASCAR fans will see the restart zone shortened to what it was last season. Elton Sawyer, the Senior VP of Competition, talked on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio about the change back.
Drivers and others at NASCAR thought this would help the leaders and help build a better product. That didn’t happen in five test trials.
“After some dialogue again, the drivers didn’t feel like, and I don’t know the industry did as well, that we really accomplished anything there that they were looking for,” Sawyer said. “So, starting at COTA we’ll go back to our 2022 dimensions if you will.”
“It didn’t quite give us what we’re looking for. So we’ll go back to the original dimensions.”
Check out his full comments below.
Drivers are just rolling with the rule changes. This is one that most will be more than happy to see. There were others that were very outspoken about the longer zone. They did not like it at all. You can probably guess who one of those drivers is…
Kyle Busch Hated New NASCAR Restart Zone
With a new lease on his career in the RCR No. 8 Chevy, Kyle Busch has been very vocal this season. One thing he doesn’t like is that new NASCAR restart zone. He, and many other drivers, will be cheering about this news as they see the new, er, old restart zone at COTA.
“The bigger you make that zone the more anticipation everybody has and the more accordion effect you get. I knew that going in and I was not a proponent of lengthening the zone, but… nobody tends to listen to me a whole lot.”
That was just part of what Busch had to say about the NASCAR restart zone. That was just after Fontana and it was something that everyone saw. Drivers anticipated and just drove into the rear of the guy in front of them. It caused too much of a gap and then when they couldn’t get the timing right, BAM!
I’m sure Kyle Busch will be very happy with the decision to revert the restart zone to the shorter length.
