In detailing the reasons to move to a higher downforce and lower horsepower competition package for the 2019 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season, the league’s vice president of competition and racing development officer Steve O’Donnell has been wary of the phrase "pack racing."

"Let me dispel the myth that NASCAR is interested in pack racing everywhere," O'Donnell said last month. "That is not at all what this package is.

"This package is to take the best from the short tracks, the best from the superspeedways and meet in between. Do we want more cars on the lead lap? Absolutely. Do we want tighter racing? Absolutely. Do we expect three-wide every lap? No."

On numerous occasions, he has stated that NASCAR isn’t setting out to replicate Daytona or Talladega -- much less the All-Star Race held in May at the Charlotte Motor Speedway.

However, the early results have looked considerably like pack racing.

The package has been tested at Charlotte and the Atlanta Motor Speedway with drivers readily speaking about having to adapt to the new pack racing discipline coming to downforce tracks next season. In an interview with Goodyear Racing general manager Stu Grant, the tire boss suggested there is nothing to indicate that pack racing will not be part of the product next season.

"I would think so," Grant told Autoweek over the weekend at ISM Raceway at Phoenix. "That's certainly true based on the Atlanta and Charlotte tests. I would expect (pack racing)."

The 2019 season will feature different horsepower targets for the cars, achieved through a tapered spacer, for different track types. Additionally, the cars will utilize bodies that feature larger spoilers, splitters and aero ducts, intended to increase downforce and draws the cars closer together.

The baseline for this package comes from the All-Star Race, which was effectively a pack race.

Most of these downforce ovals, defined as 1.2 miles or greater, will see a reduction of horsepower from 750 to 550. The tapered spacer, reduced-horsepower and high-downforce bodies will be in place for 17 of the 36 races next season, except the Daytona 500, which will be the only race contested with a traditional restrictor plate.

The other three races at Daytona and Talladega will also utilize tapered spacers.

Five other races will be run with the smaller tapered spacer but with no aero ducts -- both races at Pocono, Atlanta, Darlington and Homestead.

Grant also anticipates Goodyear delivering the same tire combinations as 2018 for the first several intermediate track events next season based on the tests at Atlanta and Charlotte.

"Charlotte was about the same (overall) speed and tire temperatures as this year," Grant said. "The speed in the middle of the corner was about the same as what it was before, entry is slower, and the overall lap time ends up being about the same.

"So, from a tire standpoint, temperatures were about the same. Falloff was a good bit less because you're not working the tires as hard, so the wear was a little bit better. So, we're going to come into Charlotte with the same combination that we had this year.

"The same is true for Atlanta. We saw the same things at Atlanta. Very similar to Charlotte, overall speeds were the same, temperatures, so on and so forth. A little bit less wear and a little bit less fall off at Charlotte. The feedback we got from drivers was that the current tire packages will work just fine. So that's the plan."

O’Donnell has said that he had hoped slowing the cars down would allow Goodyear to look at softer and less durable tires.

"By being able to back the speeds down, not drastically, but enough, it does give Goodyear the ability to start looking toward that more, which was a key component," O'Donnell said.

But Grant said that’s currently not an option with the 2019 rules package due to the extra downforce increasing loading in the corners. To move to a less durable tire would mean an increase of blown tires.

"Right now, it doesn't look like additional grip will matter at the lower horsepower because they're not grip limited," Grant said. "Based on Charlotte and Atlanta, they're going to be flat footing around the race track. You could make a softer tire but it's not going to give them any more speed and they're already going as fast as they can. So, at this point, based on two tests...it doesn't look like additional grip is required or will make a difference."

O’Donnell has also stated that this is the first step of a multifaceted plan to attract new manufacturers. It’s also a sort of bandage for the racing product until a next-generation engine and car package can be developed.

"It’s not just the 2019 decision, this is what we feel is in the best interest of the sport long-time … to have a healthier team ownership, have a healthier relationship with our current OEMs and attract new, potential OEMs and attract new owners and this plays into that," O'Donnell said. "We’ve talked to the engine builders, the reason we went to the horsepower level we’re at, it gives us that option to be more relevant. It gives us that option to look at new technology in the future and our current package doesn’t do that."

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