Finding the Fast Line Around the Track

I didn't start watching Nascar on a consistent basis until RG entered the series full-time with Childress in the 31 car. I love watching him but sometimes I get frustated. Your .2 tenths of the pole by running the correct line around California but when the race starts he changes everything. The fast line there is running high in 1 & 2 and running low in 3 & 4. But when I see Robby he's running high around the whole track most times. I hear it numerous times when driver's will ask there spotters what grove such & such is running becuase there .3 to .5 tenths faster than everyone else on the track. I don't want Robby to play follow the leader, but if the top ten drivers week in and week out are asking there spotter this question on every run maybe there up to something.

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Permalink Reply by wilks7 on February 23, 2009 at 10:39am

whatever they did to the car didn't work. If RG car handled better i am sure he would be right there runnin the same line as the others. maybe he tried to run low or whatever and he felt the car was going to spin out. so he ran the car where he felt comfortable

the need to get a handle on the handle....LOL

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Permalink Reply by JoCo on February 23, 2009 at 10:59am

My guess is the car was too loose in the turns--this is the fastest track on the circuit, and with minimal banking but wide turns you need a tight car to bring you inside

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Permalink Reply by Turtle7 on February 23, 2009 at 12:12pm

Good explanation RGFan. It looks like once again Robby and his CC have no idea how to get race performance out of the COT on the intermediate tracks. We saw them struggle all last year on these tracks and it looks to be the same this year. The TT COT chasis seemed to be an improvement late in 08. But, the only teams that have a lock on the intermediate tracks are the Roush boys.

Maybe Robby and Kirk will prove me wrong at Vegas!

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Permalink Reply by James Tallant on February 23, 2009 at 12:22pm

I heard Robby explain to Kirk that the car was so tight at one point he had to brake until the car would pivot over and at that point the car became loose off the corner. Corners are usually broken down into a few, and sometimes several, segments depending on how technical it is. Robby sounded like the car was so bad during the first 2 runs that he just wanted it freed up. After that we heard alot more detail about the cars behavior throughout the race...