NASCAR notebook: Car of Tomorrow still not comfortable fit for drivers

NASCAR Sprint Cup drivers and crews have had seven races to analyze, learn, tweak, fix and adjust the Car of Tomorrow during its first full-time season of racing.

And the reviews aren't good.

INTERACTIVE: 20 years of memorable moments at PIR

Newman captures pole for Saturday's PIR race

A sampling from the Phoenix International Raceway garages on Thursday:

"The cars are harder to get the handle correctly," Dale Earnhardt Jr. said. "They handle pretty bad even when they're good."

"These cars are not easy to drive - they're not designed to be easy to drive," Tony Stewart said.

In traffic heading into corners, "you don't have any aero(dynamic) grip, so you're just sliding for life," Kyle Busch said, assessing last Sunday's race in Texas.

The new car, designed to be bulkier and boxier to improve safety and simplified to cut down on costs by utilizing identical bodies and chassis, was used in 16 of 36 races a year ago to help drivers and teams become familiar with the CoT.

Only tracks a mile, such as Phoenix, or shorter were used in 2007, so a whole slew of problems have surfaced when racing at the longer tracks this season. In Atlanta, drivers complained that the Goodyear tires matched with the CoT were lousy on the 1 1/2-mile track. Last weekend in Texas, drivers complained that side-by-side racing was nearly impossible and other aerodynamic complaints with the cars surfaced.

"I'm not sure what the solution is right now," Stewart said. "You have to take it one variable at a time and change one variable and see how it makes (the car) act."

Four-time Cup champion Jeff Gordon believes that more testing at the 1 1/2-mile tracks could help NASCAR and teams figure out the car's handling issues. "Yes, I think it might help a little bit," he said. "We want to go and figure out some things we are missing."

Mark Martin said he believes the CoT could be improved just by adjusting the front ends to help with mechanical grip. "That's the only real problem with this car, it doesn't have enough front suspension."

The problems have eased a bit at PIR this weekend, where the CoT is less dependent on aerodynamic down force.

TONY'S NEW TONES

Stewart fans may have to rush to the merchandise trailers and Valley retail stores to buy different T-shirts, hats and other garb to show their support of the No. 20 Toyota driver. For the first time in 10 seasons, Stewart and his car aren't decked out in the orange and black of sponsor Home Depot.

Stewart and car are sporting the bright yellow and green of Subway, title sponsor for Saturday night's race.

Stewart and Subway on Thursday announced a deal where the sandwich shop will serve as his primary sponsor for three races this season - Saturday's Subway Fresh Fit 500, the Labor Day weekend race at Auto Club Speedway of Southern California and PIR's second race, the Checker Auto Parts 500, on Nov. 9.

He won't be the only driver switching to yellow and green schemes. Jeff Gordon will sport the yellow and green of Nicorette as his primary sponsor of the No. 24 Chevrolet, which normally carries the blue and red tones of longtime sponsor DuPont.

WHAT? HE CAN'T DRIVE 55?

2004 NASCAR Cup champion Kurt Busch will give driving lessons to rock legend Sammy Hagar before Hagar drives the honorary pace car prior to today's Nationwide Series Bashas' Supermarkets 200.

NASCAR CAMPING WORLD SERIES

Mike David of Modesto, Calif., pulled away on a restart with two laps to go and held off Nick Lynch of Burley, Idaho, by two car-lengths to win the Jimmie Johnson Foundation 150 late Thursday night.

David had just purchased his No. 2 Toyota from NASCAR Sprint Cup owner Michael Waltrip 10 days ago, and his crew took the frame and body and built a race car.

David, a seven-time race winner in the NASCAR developmental series, made the switch from Ford to Toyota after finishing third in the season opener March 29 in Roseville, Calif.

"The win here at PIR is amazing," said David, reigning NASCAR Camping World Series West champ.

Tempe's Moses Smith was seventh.