As the NASCAR Amp Energy 500 at Talladega Superspeedway approached, fans, teams, drivers, and NASCAR officials were on edge, fearing “The Big One,” the high-speed multi-car wreck that would eliminate half the field. Restrictor-plate racing—190 mph pack racing—with aerodynamically unsteady cars in a series where wrecking the competition is considered a legitimate way to win, breeds multi-car wrecks.
“Bump-drafting,” actually pushing the car ahead at 190+ mph, is commonplace in restrictor–plate racing. Used with caution, a pair of cars can create a draft and by gently pushing, can break away from the field. But because the cars lack downforce, bump-drafting is also a great way to spin a car.
Bump-drafting through corners is almost impossible to do safely. If the lead car feels loose and touches the brakes (easing off the gas can’t be done with restrictor plates, as the plate limits throttle response: back off, and the car loses a dozen places instantly) the pushing car will push the leader into a spin, and when anyone spins in a field of 43 cars running two or three wide, door-to-door and nose-to-tail, the only determining factor is luck. Skill, reflexes, experience mean nothing. Either the crash misses a given driver, or that driver crashes along with the rest.
It happened at the Daytona 500, it happened at Talladega in the Spring. Everyone expected it to happen at Talladega in November.
“Bump-drafting,” actually pushing the car ahead at 190+ mph, is commonplace in restrictor–plate racing. Used with caution, a pair of cars can create a draft and by gently pushing, can break away from the field. But because the cars lack downforce, bump-drafting is also a great way to spin a car.
Bump-drafting through corners is almost impossible to do safely. If the lead car feels loose and touches the brakes (easing off the gas can’t be done with restrictor plates, as the plate limits throttle response: back off, and the car loses a dozen places instantly) the pushing car will push the leader into a spin, and when anyone spins in a field of 43 cars running two or three wide, door-to-door and nose-to-tail, the only determining factor is luck. Skill, reflexes, experience mean nothing. Either the crash misses a given driver, or that driver crashes along with the rest.
It happened at the Daytona 500, it happened at Talladega in the Spring. Everyone expected it to happen at Talladega in November.
