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End of the Bump Draft era???
Bump-drafting era gone unless COT matches up
By Tom McCarthy, NASCAR.COM
July 9, 2007
03:32 PM EDT
"... Someone's gonna get killed out there." With those words from Tony Stewart following the 2006 Budweiser Shootout, the sun began to set on the era of unregulated bump-drafting.
When the green flag dropped on Saturday night's Pepsi 400, the last race for the current car at a superspeedway, I wondered if the race might signal the end of the bump-draft era.
I'm not sure of bump-drafting's exact origin, but I do know that from NASCAR's very beginning, drivers have been laying a bumper to the car ahead to encourage its driver to go faster. My guess is that bump-drafting as we know it began about two laps into the very first restrictor-plate race. Since then, drivers have taken it as a legitimate and accepted race tactic to advance through the pack.
The first time I can recall coming across the term "bump-drafting" was after the NAPA Auto Parts 300 Busch Series race in February 1999 when Andy Hillenburg sent Casey Atwood flipping down the Daytona frontstretch with an ill-timed bump.
From that point on, we mere spectators became aware of bump-drafting's rules of the road. That being: Don't bump-draft in the turns or tri-ovals of superspeedways.
If you're like me, you kinda like bump-drafting and dread it at the same time. I mean, come on. Pushing and shoving at 190 mph is pretty exciting to watch, even if it is incredibly unsafe to experience.
In the beginning, NASCAR was smart to let the drivers police themselves on the track. But drivers being drivers, and bumpers being as stout as they were, the practice continued. When it works out, it's really fun to watch. Remember Dale Earnhardt Jr. forcing his way through the pack and ultimately into the lead at Talladega last October after being a lap down? The only way you wouldn't is if you didn't watch it (watch video).
Ultimately, self-policing didn't work. With each race, drivers grew braver. Bump-drafting mutated into slam-drafting. And slam-drafting became a genuine safety problem.
When Stewart spoke up in 2006, NASCAR took action. Prior to that season's spring Talladega race, it was announced that smaller diameter tubing would be used behind the front bumpers. Penalties would also be handed out to drivers who used the bump-draft too aggressively or at a dangerous point on the track.
Fast forward to Saturday night's highly anticipated race. I'm ready for a grand, last hurrah for bump-drafting with the current car and what do we get? An almost complete absence of bump-drafting.
Oh sure, there was some bump-drafting, but that was mostly on fresh tires. After about 15 laps, the tires went off significantly and the cars were a true handful. From the looks of things, I doubt many drivers felt very good about being shoved as they approached turns, whether it helped them gain track position or not.
Early on, I saw only one bump-draft that resulted in a pass for the lead. That was on Lap 41 when Carl Edwards pushed Clint Bowyer to the point. Then it wasn't until the last few laps that Kurt Busch pushed Kyle Busch into the lead and Edwards nudged Jamie McMurray into the lead for good.
Maybe it was the track conditions. Maybe it was the less-robust front bumper construction. Maybe it was NASCAR's -- how shall I say this -- encouragement for teams to play by the rules. The result was a race that could have been, but was not, dominated by a recurring problem.
So there will be no more races at the big superspeedways for the current car. When Talladega rolls around, it'll be the Car of Tomorrow on the track. The question is: will bump-drafting remain in check with the COT?
On one hand, those COT bumpers do line up perfectly flush, front to rear. Talladega is still wide and smooth. It's also a Chase race. And winning is still all-important.
On the other hand, the reduced diameter and material thickness of the tubing behind the front bumper of the current car remains unchanged for the COT. Any damage to the splitter will likely cost an over-enthusiastic driver his shot at victory. And NASCAR remains committed to monitoring on-track behavior.
To be sure, the temptation for drivers to bulldog their way into the lead will still be there. Whether or not they can resist it is yet to be seen. I suggest you take out a bright red magic marker and circle Oct. 7 on your calendar.
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