How A Smaller Restrictor Plate Can Improve NASCAR Superspeedway Racing In The Modern Era

It is no news that short-track racing in the NASCAR Cup Series has been a pit of problems since the introduction of the Next Gen Cup car. But one shouldn’t use this as an excuse to turn a blind eye to the persistent issues with superspeedway racing as well.

Denny Hamlin sure isn’t. The Joe Gibbs Racing veteran spoke on Actions Detrimental about how there’s too much drag in the car on plate racing tracks and proposed a solution for it.

It is extremely hard for drivers to break out of line on superspeedways because of the amount of drag the cars experience when not running directly behind a drafting partner. It is the engine’s horsepower that enables this coupled with the aerodynamic tendencies of the seventh-generation racer and Hamlin wants to see it reduced.

He said, “If I’m going to fix superspeedway racing, I’m going down 150 horsepower or whatever it might be and then taking a ton of drag out of the car.”

Tapered spacers, a newer and smaller version of a restrictor plate, restrict the engine output to 510 HP on superspeedways. Subsequently, larger spoilers on the cars prevent them from going at excessive speeds by dragging down the outer body. The driver continued to contend that getting the large spoiler out of the picture and opting for an altered tapered spacer would allow drivers to make better passes.

He concluded, “It’ll allow us to make more aggressive three, four wide moves. When we get a run we’ll take it versus just staying in line. That was my fix.” Heeding to him in this matter will also break teams away from the recent trend of fuel mileage racing. Drafting can be an interesting strategy to follow but not when it comes at the cost of entertainment or ethical racing.

Why do drivers prefer tapered spacers over restrictor plates?

A tapered spacer is a NASCAR-issued device that is fixed atop the engine’s intake manifold. It manipulates the engine’s horsepower to ensure that every car is on a level playing field, along with keeping top speeds in check. The spacers allow a power of 510 HP in Talladega, Daytona, and Atlanta whereas it is increased to 670 HP in other tracks.

The size of the tapered holes in the spacer is what allows the power to be influenced. The biggest difference between a tapered spacer and a restrictor plate is that the former has a better throttle response. This is something that drivers love about it.

Opting for spacers with narrower holes in them would restrict the horsepower further and fix the passing issue on superspeedways, according to Hamlin. The driver has just added to the already tall list of tasks that he wants the officiating body to carry out. It is a question as to whether he will be listened to.