Drivers, teams adjust to Car of Tomorrow's presence

Thanks to the Car of Tomorrow, Robby Gordon was able to cobble together more financing and new equipment without a setback in the days before Daytona qualifying Ken McKimm/Icon SMI

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It's official: the Car of Tomorrow is no more.

But as NASCAR's newest creation officially becomes the Car of Today in 2008, some questions formed at the beginning of this process are finally beginning to get answered. Early indicators have opened eyes as to how this invention will change the way the game is played for drivers, teams, and manufacturers alike.

Here are five ways in which the CoT is making an impact through Speedweeks:

1. Switching manufacturers is as easy as 1-2-3 ... hours.

Around a decade ago, making a change to a team's fleet of cars was a decision so crucial, you needed to do it months before the end of the season. With different body styles, designs, setups, and more, turning from Ford to Chevrolet was equivalent to knocking your shop down with a bulldozer and starting over.

But with the advent of the CoT, making the switch isn't rocket science ... literally. The only major difference on the body of these CoT's is the nosepiece ... which means you can turn a fleet of cars from a "Ford" to a "Chevy" in as little as a week and a half. That pales in comparison to the weeks or even months it would have taken to change things over as little as a half dozen years ago.

Take Robby Gordon as the perfect example. Hurting for money, Gordon made a last-ditch partnership with Gillett Evernham Motorsports in order to remain viable for '08. That involved a switch from Ford to Dodge just a little over one week before Daytona; but surprisingly enough, the No. 7 made the transition with ease (although they did get their nose confiscated at Daytona inspection).

Not only can these moves be made quicker ... but those who make them have the confidence they can be competitive right off the bat. Take Joe Gibbs Racing -- just five years ago, they endured a bit of a transition after winning the championship, as they transitioned from Pontiac to Chevrolet. However, after announcing the move to transfer from Chevy to Toyota, it seems the team has gotten stronger in the offseason; their cars were at or near the top of the charts in Daytona testing, and Stewart finished runner-up in the Saturday night Bud Shootout with the Camry, the highest such finish in the year-plus that vehicle has raced.

"We definitely didn't think going into this year that we were going to have growing pains by switching manufacturers," Denny Hamlin said heading into Daytona. "Had we had the old car where we really don't know the aero advantages, yeah, we definitely would have been a little bit more concerned."

"But [with the Car of Tomorrow], we know we've got basically the same body as what we had last year. All we're dealing with is different horsepower. The way it's looking, we're going to be more competitive than what we were last year."

2. You really can race these cars anywhere.

During the Shootout, Jimmie Johnson came from the back of the pack in his backup car to finish third. But what was remarkable wasn't how Johnson did it; it was the equipment in which he did it with.

The No. 48 car he used was a "short track" CoT, with extra downforce built in to aid for handling on short tracks. It was a vehicle better suited for Martinsville than Daytona -- but it was still capable of winning the race.

"There is no way you would bring the old downforce car here," said Johnson after the race, reflecting on his team's choice. "It just wouldn't happen. (So the CoT) has certainly closed up that gap."

That's good news for underdog programs who don't have the money to keep a fleet of 15-18 cars per season. Now, just 4-6 CoTs can last the length of the schedule, should they avoid any major crashes; what races at Daytona one week can be brought to Bristol the next. The next question, of course, is that should costs get cut there ... how will teams spend their extra sponsorship money?

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