[h=2]NASCAR: Rules changes made for superspeedway races, tire allotment[/h] Friday, 13 January 2017


Kelly Crandall / Image by LAT

NASCAR issued updates to its rulebook Friday night for all three national series.
Among the highlights is a change in restrictor plate hole size for superspeedway (Daytona and Talladega) events; roof hatch requirements for superspeedway races; toe board energy material requirements; and for just the Cup Series, a change in spoiler height.


There is also a change in tire allotment for the Cup Series.
Notable updates:

• At Daytona and Talladega, the restrictor plate hole size is now 7/8ths of an inch, a change from 57/64ths of an inch.
• A roof hatch – an alternate exit for drivers above his or her head – is now mandatory at the superspeedway events. It remains optional at all other events.
• Following Kyle Busch's accident in the Xfinity Series race at Daytona in February 2015, when he broke his right leg and left foot, work on a stronger foot box has been in the process. Friday, NASCAR made it a requirement for teams to use a toe board absorbing material at superspeedway events.
• As the Cup Series moves forward with a lower downforce package, the spoiler size for this season has been reduced from 3.50 inches to 2.37. Last season, NASCAR ran a lower downforce package at both Michigan races as well as Kentucky with a spoiler height of 2.5 inches.

Drivers in all three series will also now be allowed to wear biometric devices (i.e. activity trackers) in the cockpit. However, they cannot have telematics capability and must operate on their own internal battery power. Eligible biometric devices include Garmin, Misfit, Polar, Samsung, Tom Tom and Jawbone.

• These devices cannot connect to any vehicle electrical system
• Data generated by the driver biometric device may only be stored within the driver biometric device itself. External data loggers are not permitted.
• Also, data stored on the driver biometric device will not be permitted to be downloaded during qualifying for the race.

Cup teams will also be given fewer sets of tires in 13 of the season's 36 races.
Those races are: Daytona, Phoenix, Fontana, Martinsville, Bristol, Kansas, Kentucky, Bristol, Chicagoland (Chase race), Kansas (Chase race), Martinsville (Chase race), Phoenix (Chase race), Homestead-Miami (Chase race)
Teams will be allowed more sets of tires in eight of the season's 36 races.
Those races are: Talladega, Sonoma, Daytona, New Hampshire, Watkins Glen, Darlington, New Hampshire (Chase race), Talladega (Chase race)