NEW RULES AND REGULATIONS
NASCAR racing in the wet – on ovals? It seems unthinkable, but so did racing on dirt and street tracks until very recently.
Series officials have approved the use of specially designed wet tyres for “limited use” on several of the shorter ovals, including Phoenix, which hosts the series finale. The package will include windshield wipers, rain lights and mud flaps, as per the road courses, but NASCAR has made it clear that it will not race in full-blown rain, more likely in light drizzle, damp or drying conditions.
NASCAR has ruled out a repeat of Ross Chastain’s ‘Hail Melon’ Martinsville wall-ride move, when he charged the barrier at full speed to gain places on the final corner of last year’s race. In future, any “unsafe manoeuvre” will be penalised by a time or lost-lap sanction, to prevent it from being attempted again.
“It just felt like that we needed to make a move,” says senior vice-president of competition Elton Sawyer. “We needed to step in, and we will officiate that differently as we move into the 2023 season.”
Another significant issue that was
