COT debut only adds to drama at crash-prone Bristol

Imagine if Major League Baseball decided to switch from wood to aluminum bats. Or if the NFL lengthened the field to 150 yards. Or if the NBA ditched its leather ball for a new one made of micro fibers.

OK, forget that last one.

Kurt Busch has five wins at Bristol. Do you think he's on edge about the Car of Tomorrow? (Getty Images)

Any of these drastic changes in sports would be on par to what NASCAR will do this weekend when it introduces its brand new Car of Tomorrow.

The next evolution of the Nextel Cup car makes its debut in Sunday's 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway, and the move is an historic one for the sanctioning body.

Not since NASCAR "downsized" the Cup car in 1981, shrinking from the behemoth 115-inch wheelbase monsters to the current, and sleeker, 110 versions, has there been such a dramatic development.

Seven years in the making, the COT was designed to address three specific goals: enhance safety, reduce costs and create better competition.

To do so, NASCAR really took a step back in time and created a car that is bigger and boxier than the current aerodynamic rockets. The new car is taller and wider and sports a front splitter under the nose and an adjustable rear wing, both designed to give the person behind the wheel more control.

"Our Dodge Avenger will be more tightly compacted in the pack, hopefully with the other manufacturers, and that will put more emphasis on who knows the draft better or who has better pit strategy or who can negotiate through traffic," Kurt Busch said.

Inside the car, the cockpit has the driver's seat four inches to the right, farther from impact in a driver's-side collision. It further protects drivers with energy-absorbing crush-panels and more room for the driver to operate.

With only an exhaustive testing schedule to go by, it appears at least the safety initiative has been reached.

"There are a lot of things built into the car to absorb energy when they hit the wall," said Kevin Harvick. "That's the best thing about the car."

Knowing they'll be safer has made most drivers in the garage area more comfortable with the idea of the Car of Tomorrow. The new machine has been met with an expected amount of resistance, but Harvick is among those that think the move is for the best."

"I think most drivers have an opinion, I think we all have opinions," he said. "NASCAR didn't get where it was today based on all of our opinions. I think everything has to evolve. Our points system has evolved. Our cars are evolving. The first thing about it is the car is safer. Whatever it is after that is a bonus. The drivers have more room inside. There's a lot of things built into the car to absorb energy when they hit the wall. That's just the starting point."