NASCAR drivers have each been asked about the string of uneventful races so far this year, and Carl Edwards was no different when it came time for his Friday media session at Richmond International Raceway.
Edwards, though, was one of the few to offer a solution. I thought it was pretty interesting, so I'm posting it below:
NASCAR hates it when I say this, but I firmly believe that we should not be racing with downforce, sideforce and all these aerodynamic devices. We do not need splitters on the race cars and giant spoilers.
What has happened, in my humble opinion...(is) it is pretty common sense that if all the cars are very similar and all the drivers are really good – which we all think we are – and we are all within a tenth of a second of each other but are relying on this clean air and downforce to make the cars go that speed, then by definition, if the guy in front of you is disturbing the air, then your car is not going to be able to go as fast as it could in clean air.
So why don't we get rid of these aerodynamic devices and race cars on racetracks with tires that are softer? ... That is my opinion on how to make the cars and the drivers able to do more and put it in the drivers' and crew chiefs' hands. I think that is important.
I don't know if that will make more exciting races, but it sure as hell will make a guy able to go up through the field if he has a fast race car, and I think that is exciting.