Rad_Capz wrote: I watched the shootout and was wondering what caused all the dramatic sparks every time a car gets even a little bit sideways. At first I thought maybe they were hitting the rims on the pavement but in some cases they drove out and continued racing without pitting. I believe Kyle did it a couple times with no serious contact and there was no noticeable affect to the car. It almost looked like there was something intentionally placed on the cars to cause the sparks for "show" appeal. Does anyone know what causes the sparks?
Most of the time it is because they get sideways at the bottom of the track and part of the car touches the apron. Parts of the car are also very low, and when the areo changes when they go sideways, it can push the car into the track.
As far as NASCAR giving nods to certain teams, I can say for sure that they do. Most of the people involved take it for granted that their day will come also, so don't really talk about it. I can also say for sure that restrictor plates are handed out by officials, you do NOT get to pick your own. And a little difference in size (thousandths of an inch) can make a huge performance difference.
That said, they are not nearly as bad about it now as they were even a few years ago. For better or worse, the COT put an end to using the bodyword for NASCAR manipulation, and I also think they have reigned in some of their other nudge, nudge, wink winks. They usually never gave you enough to dominate, but they could certainly make your life easier.
