Pony Car Talk

[Jr.]

http://www.autonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/CW/20060417/FREE/60417030/1111

Pony Car Talk

- NASCAR looking for ways to differentiate the Busch Series -


NASCAR continues to look for a way to differentiate the Busch Series from the premiere Nextel Cup Series, in answer to critics who suggest Busch has become Cup Lite, with near-identical cars and a plethora of invading Nextel Cup drivers.

One possible way: Change the Busch Series cars from sedans to the manufacturers’ “pony” cars—the Ford Mustang, Chevrolet Camaro, Dodge Challenger and Toyota Solara.

Sound farfetched? It isn’t.

“It’s under discussion with NASCAR,” said John Fernandez, director of Dodge’s racing operation. “It isn’t to what I’d consider the serious stage, but it is under discussion.”

Dan Davis, director of Ford Racing Technology, said, “We’ve discussed it. And I’d like to see it. We need to do something about the Busch Series.”

So, might 'the cat' finally 'be out of the bag' with the folowing statement?

Given the production schedule of the Camaro and Challenger, it is unlikely those cars would be able to enter the Busch Series before the 2008 season, with 2009 a more likely scenario.

By then Nextel Cup’s Car of Tomorrow redesign should be in place. One scenario would have the Busch pony cars built on modified platforms from the Nextel Cup cars used now, thus helping team owners who say the Car of Tomorrow seriously reduces the value of the old cars.

Manufacturers are hoping that if it happens, NASCAR will allow the pony car racers to resemble their production counterparts, with parity achieved through front and rear spoiler adjustment and weight. It’s also possible the reinvented Busch cars could be the first to use fuel injection.




If this actually happened I think that the Busch series tv ratings would be double the Nextel Cup... what do you guys think?

 

[1966D100]

I personaly like the idea myself, as long as they keep the body's to the original cars, like mustang to ford, Challenger to Dodge ect. Unlike nascars "one size fits all" body with different stickers....if anything maybe a different nose piece, but its the same.

What would be really cool, the cars are actual from the fatory, they have to work with what they have for areo-package and such from the factory. Then, A.) it'd probably keep the speeds down, since they want to create more "door to door" racing, yes, that type of racing gets fans, but from the drivers perspective, its a little nerv wraking, cause the only thing you need is some one to spin out in front of you, and you got no where to go but forward. B.) it'd continue the "Win on Sunday, Sell on monday" slogan of long past. C.) Hell, then we might get to buy a 5 or 6spd Challenger LOL.....but all that is wishfull thinking. If they do aprove of it, the closest to that i can see them doing in wind-tunel tested bodies true to the individual manufatures designs on the Nextel/Bush frames. Cause in all retro spec, that'd work out for the teams the best, because they know the latest frame set-ups they have by heart. If they had a stock mustang or Challenger droped on their door step and had to start from square one, most of them would go insane trying to estimate what set-up would work the best for what track ect.

.............but thats just my two cents on that matter

 

[Da-ho]

Well I guess anythings better than the way things are now. Personally I would dig a few nostagia type events with original spec early 70s cars *read superbird/ daytonas* with current cages and restraint devices of course but we know that aint gonna happen.:doh:

 

[1966D100]

I still kinda think they can do that with the factory cars (if they really wanted), mainly because most of the events over at Road America, with exception of the F1 and Indy events, most of those ARE production cars, that have been modified for saftey and competition, hell, most still have the original dash in'm with the heater vents still present :bwuhaha:

 

[69.5CUDA]

id love to see the "stock" come back to raceing

 

[Fishy]

So they basically wanna take the Trans-Am series and put it on oval tracks and call it NASCAR is what it sounds like to me.:hmmm: