NASCAR is putting a stop to the popular superspeedway qualifying strategy where drivers deflect air from the driver’s side window by sticking their hand up to the driver’s side window of their car.
In NASCAR, teams are always looking for a way to find a slight advantage or that one extra millisecond that could set them on the front row at NASCAR’s superspeedway races.
Over the past few seasons, an increasing number of drivers could be seen holding the back of their gloved hand to the small opening in front of the window net on the driver’s side of the car.
For example, in the photo below, it’s easy to see the back of Todd Gilliland’s glove blocking the wind during qualifying for the 2025 Daytona 500.
But this year, don’t expect to see drivers using this strategy, as NASCAR has passed new rules barring such actions during qualifying.
Per the NASCAR rule book, drivers attempting to “redirect air” will see their qualifying time disallowed. NASCAR describes the act of redirecting air as “touching the window net, blocking air from entering the cockpit, redirecting air from the window.”
“As determined by NASCAR, once a vehicle exits pit road during a Qualifying attempt, the driver’s hands may not be used to redirect air in any manner including but not limited to touching the window net, blocking air from entering the cockpit, redirecting air from the window, etc. Non-compliance will result in loss of Qualifying time.”
So, after all this time of allowing this, why would NASCAR restrict drivers from redirecting air?
Of course, when it decides to add this new rule, one of the first thoughts that may come to the mind of any fan is safety, as a driver moving at 180+ mph wouldn’t want anything to strike their hand. Some may even think about the advantages this gives to drivers based on a variable as minute as hand size.
Ultimately, while drivers have gotten away with this move for several years now, it should be a surprise that NASCAR is cracking down on this move, especially since some teams have taken extra steps to block as much air as possible.
In March 2024, Joey Logano now infamously won the pole at Atlanta Motor Speedway by using a webbed glove, which created a larger surface to deflect air.
Funny enough, Logano was not fined or penalized for the advantage this supplied, but rather for modifying his glove, a piece of safety equipment, under Safety Sections 14.3.1.1 A & B & F: Driver Responsibilities & Driver Protective Clothing/Equipment.
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