Self Ban on testing

[Chris]

Found an interesting article on Jayski... seems the teams are looking about signing a 'gentlemans agreement' type contract where no teams will test anywhere (IF I understood it correctly)  Here's the story

Self-Ban on testing contract? #99-Carl Edwards said a contract is circulating among teams that would impose a self-ban on testing. The deal would go beyond NASCAR's one-year moratorium at venues that host races in the top three series. "I've seen a contract that was written that (owner Jack Roush) said he's willing to sign, I'm willing to sign, that says if everyone will agree to this, then we won't test at all," Edwards said. "I think that's fine. That's great." Edwards favors two-day race weekends, though he knows it would cost tracks a day of gate receipts even as it saves teams travel expenses. His ideal weekend is "showing up and throwing the green flag."
"As long as everyone does the same thing, I mean, hell, what does everyone need all this practice for?" he asked. "…This is NASCAR Sprint Cup racing. We all know how to race. We've all been to these tracks before. Maybe you do a deal where guys who haven't been there before, they get a few hours of practice

[Tonyfan14]

Seems like a good idea but the likely hood that you will get ALL the teams to agree to this is very unlikely.

[20forLogano]

Seems like a good idea but the likely hood that you will get ALL the teams to agree to this is very unlikely.

Agreed.  I say 75% of the teams will sign it but there will be a few that say tough crap.  I do think though it is a decent idea.

[DougS]

I'm not going to hold my breath on this one. This coming from a guy that owns 1/7th of the cars in the top 35. What do you think one of those yates teams will be doing all year next year??



"This is NASCAR Sprint Cup racing. We all know how to race. We've all been to these tracks before. Maybe you do a deal where guys who haven't been there before, they get a few hours of practice"

Well if no one liked the Jimmy and Carl show thats all they're going to get next year with this thought process. I think that Jimmy and Chad and Carl and Bob have above the grade communication skills that will lead to a runaway between the two cars. Oh Kyle will have moments of brilliance but remember there were several times they came off the truck junk and needed every minute of practice to figure it out. Not to mention 10 finals races of worthless data because they were junk. (which makes me think that when Rousch rolled out the GEN3 COT, Kyle was on his run and JGR didn't bother to keep advancing his cars, sort of like HMS last year due to Jimmy & Jeffs chase run)

[Chris]

I'm not going to hold my breath on this one. This coming from a guy that owns 1/7th of the cars in the top 35. What do you think one of those yates teams will be doing all year next year??

"This is NASCAR Sprint Cup racing. We all know how to race. We've all been to these tracks before. Maybe you do a deal where guys who haven't been there before, they get a few hours of practice"

Well if no one liked the Jimmy and Carl show thats all they're going to get next year with this thought process. I think that Jimmy and Chad and Carl and Bob have above the grade communication skills that will lead to a runaway between the two cars. Oh Kyle will have moments of brilliance but remember there were several times they came off the truck junk and needed every minute of practice to figure it out. Not to mention 10 finals races of worthless data because they were junk. (which makes me think that when Rousch rolled out the GEN3 COT, Kyle was on his run and JGR didn't bother to keep advancing his cars, sort of like HMS last year due to Jimmy & Jeffs chase run)

Couple clarifications... First I think it should be pointed out Carl or Jack neither one started this petition.  Carl just stated it was brought to them by other teams, and they agreed they would sign it.
On a seperate topic,... I think if you'd go back and check you'll notice that teams that were in the chase in one year start out the year struggling the following year.  SO far it has seemed to happen every year.  IMO that would make sense because many of the teams NOT in the chase use the last 10 races as 'testing' for the upcoming year and get a head start on the teams in the chase.  The teams in the chase have to keep doing what they been doing all year for the most part.
You have to look no further back that this season for one example.  HMS had three cars in the chase in 2007.  Johnson it took him 4 or 5 (or longer) weeks to REALLY get going, in 2008.. and it seemed like Gordon never did get comfortable and totally figure his car out all season.  And Johnson has said all season, they test more than ANYONE in NASCAR... So I don't know if the #48 team would be so fast as to sign the petition or not (even if they HAVE won the last three years)

Now I know Roush also had two cars in the chase, last year... but also had 3 cars OUT of the chase,... so he had a couple that could do R&D the last 10 races,.. so they wasn't hurt as bad as HMS.  Roush didn't come out of the gates as bad as HMS.   Penskee had one car in the chase,...so they had one could race and one test... and even though they came out of the gates and won at Daytona,.. it was a fluke,.. by race #4 they were 15th and 23rd in the poiints.

Now, granted RCR had three cars in the Chase, and they did come out of the gates strong,.. That was not a normal ocurance.  I will say Burton and Harvick were out of it early... and only Boywer had a shot at winning the title.. so it's possible the #29 and the #31 did some testing while IN the chase. 
Same story with Hamlin and Stewart at JGR.. out of it early... so possibly they did some testing for 2008 the last few races of 2008

IMO I think you could look back at every year and see the teams that only have one or two cars and/or had all their cars have a shot at winning the chase,... they started poorly the following year.  I don't think this is anything new... IMO I think teams that have always been "out" of the chamionship hunt but 'comfortably' in the top 25 or 35 have started testing for the following season during the last races of the season.

FINALLY... I think one thing needs to be pointed out.  Since they have started using the CoT now at all the tracks and all the races... it's a good possibility this trend may go by the wayside.  Always in the past teams worked on aero, etc.  Now about the only things they can work on is new engine packages.