Just makes you wonder what they are hiding.
Why wonder? It's obvious to me.
They have invented something that is helping their performance. Just a couple of looks by a competitor would give away the idea. They choose not to share their advance with the rest of the class, nor should they.
If you're hinting that they are doing something illegal, that's really hilarious. If you've been in the pits very long, you would know that:
1. The car gets teched at the start of every race, and sometimes at random times within the race. Cars with the dominating performances of the Summit racers get looked at a LOT more than others in the class.
2. Tech can and will enter their pits at any time and enter any area whether roped off, curtained, or otherwise hidden from view.
It's no different from the rear quarter panel covers that have been used for quite a while. Obviously, there is some development in the rear suspension that the teams intend to keep to themselves. I've yet to hear any bitching about those.
Jon Asher and I agree on most things, but this is not one of them. NO ONE in racing allows their competitors unlimited access to their R&D area in their shops just due to the secrets that could be divulged simply by the naked eye. This is the same thing. I once toured the Petty shops and my guide emphatically told me, "Glance at anything you want, but if you stare at anything we're leaving."
I can't speak for the team, but would bet anything I have that a view into the pits will never be totally obstructed. It would serve no purpose since you're going to have to have the ready-to-race car exposed when in staging and on the track.
On the other hand, I would expect them to hide their secrets when the cars are disassembled.
This is really nothing new. I can remember years ago when new clutches were being developed that various clutch workers were working inside a car while it was totally masked by a car cover.
