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New Spoiler Passes First Fast-Track Test

The Samsung Mobile 500 at the Texas Motor Speedway marked the first fast-track in-race use of the rear spoiler, the same put through its paces several times this year in non-race trials. The spoiler proved to be effective, making drivers who initially said there's not such a big difference between the spoiler and the rear wing to praise the device.

"The car seemed to be planted to the racetrack quite a bit more," Denny Hamlin, the man who added his second victory of the season to his resume at Texas said according to Autosport.

"You could race around guys without the air being taken off of you as much as it did. So I think it made for better racing. It was a step in the right direction for our sport. Obviously for the looks and for the competition side."

Kyle Busch also praised the device, saying it added more buth drivability to the car and more enthusiasm for the fans towards the end of the race.

"I mean, it was a different race, for sure," Busch said. "The car seemed to be a lot more consistent and a lot more drivable. So you know on restarts it seems like there's a lot more chaos going on. A lot of guys are really comfortable and can run side by side and really, you know, push each other a little bit down the straightaways and what not."

One of the losers of Monday's race (despite his 2nd place finish), however, had a different view.

"I think in general we were trying to get accustomed to the spoiler," Jimmy Johnson said. "It seemed to be tougher to pass in some situations. I think the wake of air was larger and more turbulent."

"You really had to take a lot of risks to get close to someone. But I think another couple races on these big tracks, we'll work on the set-ups some more and improve the balance of the car in traffic."
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About the author: Daniel Patrascu
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Daniel loves writing (or so he claims), and he uses this skill to offer readers a "behind the scenes" look at the automotive industry. He also enjoys talking about space exploration and robots, because in his view the only way forward for humanity is away from this planet, in metal bodies.
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