Bowyer's Nationwide Car Going Through Inspection

By Jen Dunnaway

Editor

Just like in the Sprint Cup Series, Nationwide cars must measure up to a set of rigid body templates to ensure that the cars are aerodynamically equal (and that they "all look the same," as the common complaint goes). NASCAR inspector Dann Fenwrick told me that the bodies of these older-style Nationwide cars actually keep their shape better than the Sprint Cup CoTs, which are so safe and crushy that even just racing hard can leave their panels warped. Clint Bowyer is one of those drivers pulling double-duty in both of NASCAR’s top series—he’s leading the points in Nationwide, and he’s a major contender in the Chase at the Sprint-Cup level—so he’s got both cars’ sets of issues to deal with. His Nationwide Series crew chief Dan Deeringhoff was on hand for the inspection, and briefly argued with the inspectors over an issue with the car’s front right corner. He told me they’d be back for another inspection after practice and that it was a good thing they had so many—otherwise he’d be tempted to change things around in the interim! Watch Clint’s No. 02 Chevrolet (and, briefly, Scott Wimmer’s No. 29) going through the templates below.