NASCAR Cup Series

First look: Atlanta will test NASCAR's new rules package

Published Feb. 27, 2015 10:42 a.m. ET

Larry McReynolds

I think everyone and by everyone I mean the drivers, the teams and the broadcasters are pretty excited to get to Atlanta this weekend as this is the start of implementing the new 2015 rules package in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.

Again, both Daytona and Talladega will be under the 2014 rules package, so this weekend is the first chance we'll all have to see how these cars work under race conditions.

I do like the fact that we are going to a place like Atlanta Motor Speedway to put the new package to its real first test. I say that because we always know about the great races and even greater finishes we have had there over the years. I have talked to most of the drivers and crew chiefs that were part of the preliminary testing of this new rules package, but haven't found anyone that has anything negative to say.

We all know why NASCAR made these changes during the offseason. The goal is to improve the racing and have bigger packs at our intermediate-sized tracks.

NASCAR's ultimate goal is to create more opportunities for passing. We all hope that is the end result. But I don't know that we are going to see much difference from the racing from last year and that's not necessarily a bad thing in my book.

I also don't think we are going to see dramatically slower speeds because I believe the lower downforce on the cars and the reduced horsepower in the engines are basically going to off-set each other.

While, like I said, Atlanta is a great place to start with this new rules package, it's going to really take about a month of racing with the new rules to get a firm grasp of where we are. After we get Atlanta, Las Vegas, Phoenix and the Fontana races under our belt, then we'll really see where we are with this new rules package.