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NASCAR Cup Series Teams to Benefit from Innovative Solution at Michigan International Speedway
In a move aimed at enhancing safety and efficiency, NASCAR has introduced a new lift system that will assist teams in recovering cars with flat tires. This change, effective at the upcoming race at Michigan International Speedway, allows teams to equip their cars with lift devices attached to the rear shocks.
The decision comes in response to ongoing challenges with the Next Gen cars, which have been prone to significant damage when drivers continue racing with a flat tire or become stuck on the track. The new lift system addresses this issue by enabling cars to be elevated slightly off the ground, allowing safety teams to tow them back to the pit area more easily.
Elton Sawyer, NASCAR’s Senior Vice President of Competition, discussed the development of SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, highlighting the positive impact of the Next Gen car while acknowledging its difficulties. “What we observed immediately at Auto Club two years ago was that when this car experiences a flat tire, or especially when all four tires are flat, it essentially becomes immobile,” Sawyer explained.
The lift system, designed in collaboration with Öhlins—NASCAR’s official shock absorber supplier—features quick-connect devices installed along the A-posts of the Cup Series cars. When a car becomes stranded, track service workers can use an air hose to inflate the lift devices, raising the rear of the vehicle and allowing it to be safely transported to the pits.
Previously, recovering a car with a flat tire involved manually pushing or hooking it, a process that was both time-consuming and inefficient. The new system streamlines this process significantly.
Sawyer further elaborated on the system’s functionality, stating, “Once we arrive at the incident, we connect the lift devices, inflate them to raise the rear of the car, and then when the car reaches the pit lane, there’s a valve that can be activated to return the car to its normal position.”
This innovative approach aims to reduce downtime and ensure that drivers can return to competition as swiftly as possible, while also enhancing overall safety during race events. With this new system in place, NASCAR continues its commitment to improving the racing experience for teams, drivers, and fans alike.