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 After all, Truex has led the most laps in each of the last four
points races and had a breakthrough victory last Sunday at Pocono.
Truex, however, is confident his Furniture Row Racing team has the
wherewithal to deal with any potential change that NASCAR happens to
make.
Earlier this week at Darlington Raceway, Jimmie Johnson tested a
competition package that featured less downforce and drag, the
result of a substantial reduction in the height of the rear spoiler.
Several reports suggested a change to the package could be made in
time for the Kentucky race weekend in mid-July.
"I have as many questions about it as everybody else," Truex said
Friday at Michigan International Speedway's media center. "What's it
going to be like? Is it going to do what they think? Is it going to
do what some of the drivers think it's going to do?
"Honestly, I think you could pretty much throw any rules package at
this team and we'd be able to figure it out. We've got a lot of
confidence in what we're doing, the way we work together, our
resources, how we use those resources. It's going to be different
for everyone, and it's just a matter of who can figure it out
quickest."
Carl Edwards, a longtime proponent of lower downforce, said he would
welcome a change to the package, even if it occurred during the
season.
"Are you kidding me?" Edwards said. "I'd be in favor of anything
that makes the cars able to race around each other and to put more
of the speed into the drivers' hands. I know NASCAR is all for the
same thing. Everybody wants this to be the best possible show for
the fans, and I don't think NASCAR is scared to make changes."
Recently, a number of drivers convened to form a representative
council, which met with NASCAR officials two weeks ago at Dover.
"I think it's really cool that they've been talking with the drivers
more," Edwards said, "and they've been more involved with it, and
without knowing really the details, I think we're heading in the
right direction.
"I have a sense that there will be some neat things coming up."
FORD ANNOUNCES RETURN TO LE MANS WITH GT RACE CAR
Fifty years after its 1-2-3 finish in the 24 Hours of Le Mans in
1966, Ford will return to the iconic endurance race next year with
an equally iconic car, the GT, based on the new ultra-high
performance supercar that will be available as a production model
next year.
Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates will field the Le Mans entry
as well as full-time teams in the TUDOR United SportsCar
Championship and the FIA World Endurance Championship in 2016. The
GT will makes its competitive debut in January in the Rolex 24 at
Daytona.
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That means NASCAR's Kyle Larson, part of the winning Daytona
Prototype team in this year's Rolex 24, will have to get used to a
new style of ride.
"It's going to be different," Larson acknowledged. "I'm already
nervous about that because, in the prototype, you always look ahead,
but I would imagine in those types of cars, you're always looking
behind for the prototypes to be coming.
"It'll be a different style of race, but I had fun doing the 24
Hours, and I'm excited to go back and try it again."
PIR SALUTES JEFF GORDON BY RENAMING TRACK IN HIS HONOR
Among all the honors accorded four-time champion Jeff Gordon, the
one conceived by Phoenix International Raceway is among the highest.
On Nov. 15 -- the day of the Quicken Loans Race for Heroes 500 at
the one-mile track -- PIR will become Jeff Gordon Raceway.
The race will be the next-to-last in Gordon's career as a full-time
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver. Gordon, a four-time winner at
Phoenix, will move to the FOX Sports broadcast booth in 2016.
"This has been a very special year for the fans and the tracks, and
you guys just took it to another level," Gordon told PIR president
Bryan Sperber during Friday's announcement at Michigan.
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