Texas: In the loop

'In The Loop' - A Loop-Related Review of the Car of Tomorrow's Debut

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (April 11, 2007) -- With the return of the traditional car this weekend at Texas Motor Speedway, it's worthwhile to look at which drivers adapted the best to the Car of Tomorrow.

The long awaited "COT" debut at Bristol has come and gone, as has the follow-up event at Martinsville. With two of this year's 16 COT races in the books, both have been won by Hendrick Motorsports drivers: Kyle Busch at Bristol and Jimmie Johnson at Martinsville.

Loop Data from those two events, however, shows that the Hendrick stable isn't the only one who can boast COT prowess. A couple drivers from Joe Gibbs Racing have also fared well in the new car. Actually, according to the Driver Rating, JGR had more success then HMS did in the COT races -- at least in one case.

On Sunday, the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series takes a short hiatus from the Car of Tomorrow at Texas Motor Speedway; the COT returns in two weeks at Phoenix Martinsville.

While statistics such as Speed in Traffic were vital on short-track terrain, stats such as Green Flag Speed, Green Flag Passes and Fastest Laps Run are more indicative of success at a track like Texas.

The loops stats equals good news for Joe Gibbs Racing, specifically Stewart and Hamlin. Both have performed well in the Car of Tomorrow and have tremendous pre-race stats going into Texas. Then, in two weeks, the circuit heads to another COT race at Phoenix. If the future mirrors the past, Stewart and Hamlin could very well improve on their top-10 standing.

-credit: nascar