NASCAR Unveils New Look for 2013 Cup Cars at Homestead

The 2013 Sprint Cup Series cars will have several changes, including having the driver's last name on the windshield.

New look ready for 2013 Sprint Cup car

Sixth generation car to feature driver's last name on the windshield
By Official NASCAR Release
November 17, 2012 2:48 PM, EST

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla . -- NASCAR unveiled a new look for the 2013 Sprint Cup Series car on Saturday, an integral and exciting step in the rollout process of the sixth generation race car.

"These changes are an extension of the unprecedented collaboration with the auto manufacturers on the 2013 car, great industry feedback and our focus on increasing fan affinity as part of NASCAR's Industry Action Plan," said Steve O'Donnell, NASCAR senior vice president of racing operations, who introduced the new design at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

The sixth generation car look will debut with the opening of the 2013 Speedweeks, highlighted by the 55th running of the Daytona 500 on Feb. 24 at Daytona International Speedway. Among the updates:

* The driver's last name featured on the windshield;

* Sponsor decals will not be permitted on the headlights and taillights, two key distinguishing characteristics of the auto manufacturers' brand;

* Car numbers will be moved from the lights to the front and rear bumpers;

* A single sponsor logo will be permitted on the roof under the number;

* Team sponsor decals will be permitted to extend past the front edge of the b-post;

* "Step and repeat" / background patterns will be permitted on the sides of the car;

* Due to the slightly smaller car, the car number will be reduced by 10% and the contingency decals will be reduced to 26 square inches.

Color diagrams for the 2013 Ford Fusion and Toyota Camry are available for download by accessing the following links on NASCARMedia.com:

Ford: http://bit.ly/Ford-composite

Toyota: http://bit.ly/Toyota-Composite-decals

The new Chevrolet will be unveiled on Nov. 29 in Las Vegas during NASCAR Champion's Week.
The sixth generation car will debut with at the 2013 Speedweeks, highlighted by the 55th running of the Daytona 500 on Feb. 24.

* The driver's last name featured on the windshield

This doesn't solve the basic problem, having a different paint job every week. I'm not sure that I'll be able to read the windshield decal at speed. And we'll never see it on TV because they never zoom out beyond the sponsor logo on the fender.

* Sponsor decals will not be permitted on the headlights and taillights, two key distinguishing characteristics of the auto manufacturers' brand

I don't recall seeing decals there before.

* A single sponsor logo will be permitted on the roof under the number;

This can't be true. There's always a sponsor logo or two in front of the roof cam. That's why we seem that camera angle so often. Those decals would be to the side of the number, not below it.

* "Step and repeat" / background patterns will be permitted on the sides of the car;

I don't know what a step & repeat pattern is. It sounds like more of the ugly frippery that plagues the current designs - flames, slashes, stripes, etc. Can't we please go back to paint schemes with a maximum of two colors?

The move to stock-appearing bodies is a good one but we're still a long way away from cars looking as cool as a 1971 Roadrunner.

Not all teams run numbers and team names on the "head light" decals. But a few do. Here are a couple of examples from photos I shot at Atlanta back on Labor Day weekend:

Hope all of this tightens up the racing. lol

nascar iroc !!!!!

Good changes save for the roof advertisting. That's not kosher!