NASCAR gives teams green light to use fuel injection at NASCAR-sanctioned tests

NASCAR told Sprint Cup teams Saturday that they can use fuel injection at NASCAR-sanctioned tests this season. 

The Cup series will switch from carburetors, used since the series’ inception in 1949, to fuel injection next year.

NASCAR told teams that they’ll be allowed to test fuel injection at Kentucky in July _ where teams will be given an extra day of practice since this will be the first Cup race there _ at Goodyear tire tests and at a test later this year on Phoenix’s repaved surface.

John Darby, Sprint Cup series director, also said that he would like to have additional fuel injection tests for all teams at a restrictor-plate track and a 1.5-mile track. A possibility is for teams to test at Talladega the day after the Cup race there in October and to a test at Charlotte Motor Speedway, since most teams are located near that 1.5-mile track, sometime this fall.

“I would fully expect that this fall we’ll be ready for some pretty serious testing on it,’’ Darby said. “We’ve got to test on a restrictor-plate track with fuel injection.’’

Another option would be for teams to test in Daytona in January. Two years ago, teams did not test at Daytona, as part of NASCAR’s testing ban. Last year, teams tested at Daytona because it had a new track surface. Fuel injection could allow Cup teams to test at Daytona in January for the second year in a row.

“We’ve still got the Daytona January stuff to fall back on, but I’d rather have that first (restrictor-plate) test out of the way so that the guys can test for more of Speedweeks instead of just for fuel injection,’’ Darby said. 

He also said he doesn’t expect many teams to test a car with fuel injection at Kentucky.  Instead, he’s received feedback that organizations might bring only an extra car with fuel injection. Officials with Hendrick Motorsports and Richard Childress Racing said those organizations plan to bring a car with fuel injection to the Kentucky test.

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