Judging from the comments drivers were making after they got their first track time with the new low-downforce aerodynamic package, the Sprint Cup cars are a handful to drive—by design.
“They don’t drive good, that’s for sure,” said Team Penske driver Joey Logano, who posted the fourth fastest practice time and consequently will start fourth in Saturday night’s Quaker State 400 because of a qualifying rainout. “They slide all over the place. What happens in traffic is still probably an unknown, but there was a lot of slipping and sliding around, and trying to figure out which way the car is going when you go into the corner is kind of hard.”
Logano’s teammate Brad Keselowski, the winner at Kentucky in 2012 and 2014, isn’t complaining.
“It’s a race car,” Keselowski said. “It should be hard to drive. It shouldn’t be just point and play. This isn’t a video game, nor should it be. So I’m very happy with the package and what I’ve seen so far.”
Understandably so. Keselowski was second fastest in Friday morning’s practice and will start on the outside of the front row in Saturday night’s race.
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