Truck Series Aero Test Set For Jan. 5

Sirius NASCAR Radio’s Sirius Speedway with Dave Moody has learned that NASCAR will conduct a “Spin Aero” test for the Camping World Truck Series January 5 at Dodge’s wind tunnel facility in Rochester Hills, MI. All four manufacturers are scheduled to take part in the test, as they and the sanctioning body attempt to learn more about how to keep race vehicles grounded as they are turned sideways or backward at high speed. Three similar tests were conducted earlier this year with Sprint Cup Series vehicles. Dodge’s facility the only wind tunnel in North America where a model can be rotated 360 degrees while at speed, allowing engineers to accumulate data on how cars and trucks react.

“We’re going to put a truck in the wind tunnel in high yaw,” confirmed NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Director Wayne Auton. “In laymen’s terms, that means `backwards.’” Auton said the test is unrelated to Ron Hornaday’s late-season crash at Talladega Superspeedway, which saw his Truck become airborne after turning backward, eventually barrel-rolling multiple times. “It’s just part of our normal winter house cleaning,” said Auton. “We haven’t run the (aero) numbers in a while, and it’s time we did.”