Car of Tomorrow inspections smoother

NASCAR's Brett Bodine says the Car of Tomorrow inspection process is running smoothly. More than 50 cars were certified before the holidays.

"Everyone has the process down," Bodine says. "Cars have been passing with no problem. Any time there are changes, we can expect hiccups, but we're dealing with very smart people who build these cars." Only minor issues, such as metal thickness–nothing blatantly intentional–have slowed the process."

Bodine adds that, with two different models being raced this season, NASCAR wanted to keep new development to a minimum.

Although Toyota had to construct two different versions of the Camry, Bodine says Toyota has not experienced any significant problems. The certification process has changed inspection dramatically, though, with nine RFID (radio frequency identification) chips installed in every chassis. Reader downloads will allow NASCAR to ensure a competing chassis is the same one that was approved. Any damaged chassis will have to be recertified before it's allowed to race. Sporting News