NASCAR to unveil NextGen lifter for flat tire dilemma

NASCAR hopes it has found a solution to Cup Series cars with flat tires getting beeched and requiring a lengthy process in returning them to pit road.

Speaking to SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, NASCAR Vice President of Competition Elton Sawyer says a lifter system will be place to nurse cars back to their teams.

“Yeah, so it’s a system on the rear of the car that works around the shock absorber,” Sawyer said. “So as everyone knows, the NextGen car has just been really, really good for our racing. I think we’ve had some phenomenal racing.

“What came with that, and we noticed that immediately at Auto Club (Speedway) two years ago was when this car has a flat tire or four flats particularly, it can’t go anywhere.

“You’ll notice on our Trucks or an Xfinity car, they’ll spin out and have four flat tires and they can limp back to pit road. …

“We’re hoping that the fix will be (this) quick connect that will be connected or installed … that when the track service worker gets there, they basically can take an air hose, if you will, and pump that up to the rear tire (which) will lift up and then give the drivers the ability to drive back to pit road.

“Today we’re having to hook ’em up or push ’em. We are way too far in the middle, if you will, or deep end of having cars get back to pit road so they can start their service.”

Sawyer says there will be a valve to get air to the lfiters that will pick the back of the car up.

“Then, when they get to pit road, there’s a valve (where) they just hit the valve in the rear of the car and it will go back down.”

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