NASCAR announced Wednesday that for the 2010 season, it will again prohibit teams in its three national series from testing on any race track that hosts a national event.In a slight modification to this season's rules, however, teams can hold test sessions on NASCAR-sanctioned facilities that host regional touring series.
Greenville-Pickens (S.C.) Speedway, Lime Rock (Conn.) Park, Colorado National Speedway (above) and Portland (Ore.) International Raceway are among a list of 14 tracks now able to host NASCAR teams.
How will this policy affect the Sprint Cup Series competition in 2010? It won't.
It's essentially the same situation that teams have faced this year in the first season of testing restrictions. Hendrick Motorsports topped the standings when teams could test at will. And Hendrick Motorsports is topping the standings when they can't.
Just as many predicted during the preseason, teams that fared well during the wide-open testing situation in past years are the same teams that are lead the way now after NASCAR instituted tighter restrictions. There has been no drastic fallout from the regulations.
It's doubtful additional test sessions out in Utah at Miller Motorsports Park, for example, are going to help a struggling team suddenly compete with Hendrick, Roush and Gibbs.
That proved to be true this year with the Chase for the Championship field mostly looking like it always has, in terms of teams represented.
Team mergers -- Richard Petty Motorsports joining forces with Yates Racing for 2010 -- and the trend toward satellite operations -- Stewart-Haas Racing uses Hendrick equipment -- will have more impact on the competition levels than the number of times and where a team can test.
The limit on testing would mostly affect rookies and someone like IndyCar driver Danica Patrick, who may try a limited stock car schedule next year. They will get plenty of seat time, but not on the tracks where they will actually race.
Even under the current restrictive testing situation, rookie Joey Logano won a race (rain-shortened, but a win is a win). Take that victory out of the equation, however, and Logano has struggled much like other mere mortal rookies.
The testing restrictions also hurt teams trying to take the next step to the elite level. But history shows those teams probably wouldn't have fared much better with wide-open testing anyway.
And let's be real. Teams are still testing, they're just using "test drivers" and rookies who need laps.
At one point, Roger Penske even considered building his own test track.
In the meantime, this testing moratorium has helped create a cottage industry benefiting "development" drivers and rural tracks that can make big money hosting a Cup, Nationwide or Camping World Truck series team for a three-day mid-week test.
NASCAR's intent was to save teams money and level the playing field a bit more.
It has saved teams money. But that's it.
