by Larry McReynolds

Nice pad

Bob from Chesapeake, Va.: Larry, just before Clint Bowyer's car came to a stop upright during the Car of Tomorrow test at Bristol, something flew out of the window that looked like a piece of shoulder harness. Also, as he began to unbuckle, it looked like he threw a piece out because it seemed to have a buckle on the end. Can you comment?

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Larry McReynolds: A piece of rollbar padding came out, and once the car finally stopped rolling, he threw out rollbar padding.

Chrome coat

Pete from Gardiner, N.Y.: Larry, when did NASCAR change the rules (again) and allow chrome/painted wheels, other than black?

Larry McReynolds: NASCAR never made painted wheels of any color illegal. You could always paint your wheels any color you wanted. They outlawed chrome wheels several years ago because it's hard to keep the wheel weights on a chrome wheel. Michael Waltrip Racing's wheels aren't chrome. They are chrome anodized. [Editor's note: anodize is to coat (a metal, especially aluminum) with a protective oxide layer by electrolysis.] NASCAR has approved it because it doesn't matter what color it's anodized, it's all the same. It's actually a chrome product.

Recycling rubber

Mike from Hickory, N.C.: Hey Larry Mac. My question is about start-up teams such as 00, 44, 55, 83 and 84. During the winter when the teams wanted to test at Lakeland or Kentucky, where did they get the tires? Being new teams that didn't run last year, how could they have stocked any? Did they go to other teams and buy them?

Larry McReynolds: That's a great question. NASCAR and Goodyear have come to an agreement to sell tires from 2004 and 2005 that aren't raced anymore. They sell them to these new teams as well as teams that ran last year. Eventually, that stockpile will be depleted, but along with Hoosier tires — which a lot of teams use for testing — that's how brand-new teams like Red Bull Racing have come up with tires.

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Shake, shake, shake

Larry from Fort Wayne, Ind.: Please explain how the seven-post and pull-down shaker rigs work. Also, what type of information do teams get from running cars on them?

Larry McReynolds: It's a machine that ties down the car at the four corners of the frame with electrical cylinders on each front wheel and on the rearend housing of the car. Using data gathered at a particular racetrack, teams can simulate the car's travel on this machine, and you can learn a lot of different things, including what might cause mechanical problems. Teams have used these machines to create sophisticated coil-binding packages. Goodyear and the manufacturers used to have them, but now it's pretty common for some of the major teams to have them.

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FOX race analyst Larry McReynolds has more than 25 years of NASCAR experience as a mechanic, crew chief and broadcaster. He and his fellow Crew Chief Club members take you behind the wall at www.crewchiefclub.com.

"How to Become a Winning Crew Chief" is on bookstore shelves, or you may order your own autographed copy from www.DWStore.com.