NASCAR Ford Race Cars Should Stay Grounded With New Fix

NASCAR Ford driver Ryan Preece has an unfortunate knack for going airborne at superspeedways. Twice at Daytona, his No. 60 Ford Mustang Dark Horse has been involved in bizarre flips: once in 2023 when it pirouetted midair, and again this year when it reared onto two wheels before toppling onto its side in Turn 3. In response, a new fix issued by NASCAR should help keep Preece’s race car – and the entire field – on four wheels at drafting tracks.

NASCAR pit crew member Bozi Tatarevic detailed the changes in a recent post on social media. The change applies to the A-pillar of the NASCAR Ford, Chevy, and Toyota race cars, adding flaps that will deploy if the race car yaws or lifts. These flaps are kept in place by magnets and are connected to the existing roof flaps. If a roof flap deploys, the cable will pull the corresponding A-pillar flap open.

Testing was conducted at Michigan Speedway and the GM Aerodynamics laboratory, giving engineers the opportunity to test their function when the race car yaws. Race cars that have already been built are able to be modified to accommodate the new A-pillar flaps. Notably, the flaps do not obscure a driver’s vision when installed, and on-track testing helped engineers ensure that the flaps will not flutter or lift when a race car is mired in traffic.

The A-pillar flaps will debut at Daytona in August. Tatarevic stated that the change will not make the race cars slower, and that it will not impact their ability to draft at superspeedways. This change will also only affect Cup Series race cars and will not be implemented in the Truck or Xfinity Series.

The NASCAR Ford teams are on a bit of a losing streak. The last time a Mustang visited Victory Lane was back in early June when Ryan Blaney brought his No. 12 Mustang to the win at Nashville Superspeedway. Blaney is also the highest-positioned NASCAR Ford driver in the standings, slotting in seventh in the Cup Series. Chevy’s William Byron is currently leading.