The new car smell has worn off the new Sprint Cup Series machine.
Now it's time to really see what it's worth.
The NASCAR COT reached its one-year anniversary at the last series race in Bristol and while there have been several positives since its inception, several drivers and crew chiefs believe it will be a continued process in its evolution.
"There's been a lot of progress with the new car," said Kyle Busch, who has a couple of victories in the new car, including its debut at Bristol last season.
"It's still an animal to drive. It's definitely making us earn our pay. That's what we're here for and that's why we're the professionals and the best in the world, supposedly."
Since making its debut last year, the new car has taken 21 green flags. But its introduction to mid-sized 1.5 and two-mile tracks this year seems to have been the biggest challenge.
"On the easier tracks where grip is not all that difficult, short tracks where aero is not all that important, the racing has stayed very similar," said Jimmie Johnson. "When you get on the bigger tracks, and Atlanta is a perfect example, it really puts everything to the test. The aero platform of the car -- the aero balance of the car, the weight distribution changes they've made, the roll center height changes they've made, the limitations we have in front geometry -- there are just a lot of things that all took grip away from the car."
But using the car exclusively rather than hopping back and forth between two versions of a Cup car, as was the case last year, is considered an advantage.
"The biggest thing is that we don't have anything to compare it to anymore," said Ryan Newman. "The old car is gone. There is no 'man this thing feels horrible,' [comparing] it to going to our Vegas or Charlotte car. You just can't do that anymore. We don't have anything to compare it to so there's no point in complaining. It doesn't drive as good. It doesn't feel like the old car did. It's like that for a reason. That's the way partially it was designed.
"We've made some big gains with the car. We've learned a lot of suspension things, items that have changed because of the way we have to drive the cars, because of the suspension travels. They're harder to drive - that's OK. It's a little job security for us drivers. Other than that, there's still going to be a winner so we'll just go out and do what we have to do."
Most drivers agree that the car in play now won't be eactly the same machine when the season ends up at Homestead maybe next season, with more changes to come.
"There are a lot of things about it that still need some work and hopefully the window is still cracked open for some slow change," Dale Earnhardt Jr. said.
"Maybe there will be some slow, methodical evolution for this car over the next two to three years because it is obviously here to stay. I would hate to think that this is exactly how this car is going to be three years from now. Hopefully we aren't too bullheaded to not want to build them the right way."
