Nascar Race Today

CONCORD, N.C. - There were no official green or checkered flags, but NASCAR began racing toward the 2014 Sprint Cup season Wednesday at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

During the final test of the Generation 6 car before finalizing rules for next season, 30 cars participated in four simulated races as NASCAR tried a variety of aerodynamic, engine and suspension combinations.

Vice president of innovation Gene Stefanyshyn said NASCAR was pleased by the turnout for the test, which is geared toward improving competition on 1.5-mile superspeedways. Six cars participated in a similar test in mid-October.

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"It is different when you have 30 cars vs. the six, so it was important to come back with the field of cars that we did," vice president of competition Robin Pemberton said. "It gave us a different view on some of the answers ... with aerodynamics playing such a key role."

The first "race" was 30 laps (the final three were 40) and tested a package that Pemberton described as the "tightest," which was intended to measure the impact of a rear-oriented package in traffic. Kevin Harvick was the winner by 4.9 seconds over Ryan Newman, and Pemberton said drivers didn't like the handling as much while running behind another car, but conditions improved when out of line.

"That gives us direction to work in, and you can never have enough cars when you test things like this," Pemberton said.

The one constant during the four races was the elimination of minimum front height rules, a change that's expected to be implemented for 2014. Among the other items being tested Wednesday:

--Varying spoiler heights

--Roof strips

--A splitter with a square leading edge

--A trimmed rear fascia

--A tapered spacer that will reduce engine horsepower to about 750 (a reduction of about 80-90 hp)

Each of the four races was followed by meetings with crew chiefs, drivers and manufacturers.

Stefanyshyn said NASCAR would be finished with compiling and analyzing data by Thursday morning. Pemberton said NASCAR hopes to set the 2014 rules by next week.

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Among the statistics being evaluated were the speed differentials from first to fifth and between the 10 fastest laps.

"We're attempting to get closer competition and more passing," Stefanyshyn said. "Running closer in the pack and more passing with an eye toward the fans."