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Crew chief
Drew Blickensderfer answers fan questions once a week.
Submit your question
here. |
Oct. 22 , 2009 |
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2009 Q&A
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Q |
Hey Drew, I noticed when you look under the car
there’s a belt that runs off the back of the
drive line. I assume it runs a pump, but which
pump?
Chris Jones,
Spanish Fork, Utah |
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A |
There is a pump on the rear gear that rotates
fluid through the gear and into a cooler and back.
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Q |
How do you keep Matt in a good mood when his car
hasn’t performed as well as he is used too?
Darlene
Hopkins, Stayton, Ore. |
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A |
It is hard sometimes, but we all want to win and
run good. Matt knows we all want to do well and
is a professional. No matter what “mood” he is
in, he gives 110% on the track.
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Q |
Are all COT body styles the same, or do
different manufacturers have different nose
clips?
Tommy Davis, Covington, Ga. |
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A |
The noses have different character lines but the
same templates are used for all the cars. So the
basic shapes are extremely close.
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Q |
I was at the Kansas race and the ‘Fan Raceview’
showed that Matt had the fastest car on the
track for several laps just before the caution
when he lost his engine. That, plus the fact
that you guys took a strong third at Dover, can
I as diehard #17 fan conclude that you guys may
have found what was missing that will put you
guys back upfront?
Michael Dory, Brush, Colo. |
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A |
The last month or so has been better for us. We
have unloaded better and that leads to a more
productive weekend in terms of learning about
changes and developing good notes. I think we
have learned some things that will help us for
the rest of the year.
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Q |
What is the difference between race trim and
qualifying trim?
Whitney Richards, Rogersville, Tenn. |
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A |
Since the car only has to make two laps in
qualifying trim, you do things that try and get
the most speed out of the cars. You run lighter
parts, tighter set ups to get going fast, and
adjust the aero with tape on the nose that will
make more front downforce. All of these things
would not last 500 miles so they have to be
replaced for race runs with heavier reliable
parts.
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