Nascar Race Today

CONCORD, N.C. - NASCAR officials asked Sprint Cup teams to try different aerodynamic and horsepower packages as they continued to look for the answer on how to improve racing on intermediate tracks.

They didn't necessarily get an answer Wednesday at Charlotte Motor Speedway - they will always be looking to improve the racing. But they hope they got enough feedback by word of mouth from the drivers as well as the data downloaded by sensors put on the cars in order to make an educated decision for the 2014 rules package.

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NASCAR had the drivers run five races of 15 to 40 laps with different mechanical alignments. The final two alignments included drivers using a tapered spacer, which reduces horsepower by limiting airflow in the engine. That is possibly the most controversial idea. Drivers would prefer a full allotment of the approximately 850 horsepower the Cup cars generate.

The test was open to the public for viewing but media members were not allowed into the garage for the final two hours.

Drivers, crew chiefs and manufacturers met with NASCAR officials after each mini-race to discuss their views.

NASCAR officials hope to have a rules package done by next week. Although no more testing is planned, NASCAR might go to select tracks a day early next year to give teams more track time to test with the new technical specifications.

The focus is getting cars to be able to pass easier on the tracks where aerodynamics plays the biggest role - typically tracks 1.5 miles and 2 miles in length.

"What we're attempting to do here is to get closer competition and more passing, closer competition, the cars running closer in the pack, passing more with an eye for the fans," NASCAR vice president Gene Stefanyshyn said. "We're using various metrics to look at that, like the first-to-fifth time differentials, the time differentials between the 10 fastest laps, those types of things."

Four primary changes for 2014 were tested with all packages Wednesday:

* No minimum heights for the front and rear of the cars.

* Splitter with a square leading edge instead of curved.

* Side skirts with 4 inches of minimum clearance (was 4.5 inches for right side, 5 inches for left).

* A rear fascia 1.375 inches higher.

Then NASCAR mixed and matched those changes with several others during the test Wednesday.

* Use of the tapered spacer to reduce horsepower from approximately 850 to 750.

* A 9-inch-high rear spoiler, then a 8.375-inch high spoiler and then a 7.75-inch high spoiler. The spoiler used last year was 7.25 inches.

* A 1.5-inch-high roof strip.

* A 43-inch-by-13-inch radiator pan.

In the mini-races, there was some passing but nothing that appeared more dramatic than in recent races at CMS.

"You will never get 100 percent agreement on everything," Stefanyshyn said. "So really you're kind of looking for the 70 percent answer here that kind of leads you in the right direction."