NASCAR officials announced changes to the Cup Series’ superspeedway package on Thursday, ahead of the Oct. 25 race at Talladega Superspeedway.
After a new rules package debuted for the regular-season finale in August at Daytona International Speedway, the rear spoiler has been shortened to a height of 3.5 inches for the YellaWood 500, which marks the eighth of 10 races in The Chase presented by Mobil 1.
RELATED: Cup Series schedule | Chase standings
The adjustment reduces the spoiler size by an additional half-inch from changes made ahead of the Aug. 29 event at Daytona, in which the original 7-inch spoiler was reduced to 4 inches. That move, made in conjunction with a reduction in horsepower, was done to provide drivers more maneuverability in the pack-racing style of action that remains a signature of NASCAR’s superspeedway racing.
“It seemed like it was a win at Daytona,” Jamie McMurray, analyst and 2010 Daytona 500 champion, said on NASCAR Inside the Race. “All the drivers thought they could build a bigger run at Daytona than they had in the past. I applaud NASCAR for taking a little bit more off, taking that next step. The other thing to consider is that Talladega is about eight feet wider than Daytona, so this gives you a little more options if you can generate a run to be able to make a pass. So my anticipation is fairly high for seeing how this works out.”
Additionally, NASCAR has adjusted its stage lengths for the Talladega event to match the spring race, with the conclusion of Stage 1 set at Lap 98, Stage 2 at Lap 143 (a 45-lap segment) and the checkered flag scheduled for Lap 188 (45 laps), barring overtime. Original stage lengths were set at 60-120-188.
The intended goal of shortening the lattermost stages is to reduce the incentive for race teams to conserve fuel and instead incentivize a full-throttle race to the checkered flag.
MORE: Buy Talladega tickets
“We haven’t had stage points in a Chase format, and as we’ve seen this year, the stage points make a huge difference,” McMurray said. “You can have an average finish at the end if you’re able to capitalize on those stage points, and the fact that these guys are going to have to all go out and race to the end of all these stages and get as many points as they can, it’s going to be fun to watch.
“I’m sure that the teams will find a loophole in this somewhere, but as we talked about before, anytime you go with a rules change, it’s always fun to watch who can figure out the next little trick.”
WATCH: NASCAR video highlights