The Car of Tomorrow, a new racecar style for NASCAR’s NEXTEL Cup Series, made its debut in March 2007 with much fanfare. Seven years in the making, NASCAR’s research and development center rolled up its shirtsleeves and conceptualized their dream template. Their ideal racecar would implement the ultimate in driver-safety features and refine component designs to improve performance baselines and overall competition. This was a tall order, but clearly obtainable in terms of the engineering and quality control technologies available.

Located in Concord, North Carolina, NASCAR’s research and development center is a $10 million state-of-the-art facility housing the industry’s best minds. The team has focused its attention and ingenuity on the overall safety of the sport without forfeiting what makes NASCAR more popular than apple pie—speed, team competitiveness, and fresh new faces entering the racing scene.

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