NASCAR instructs Cup teams to remove bumper foam from short track races

NASCAR has issued a rules bulletin to Cup Series teams in advance of a stretch of races under a mile in which foam is being removed from the front and rear bumpers during those race weekends.

The upcoming races these rules apply to are the following:

• North Wilkesboro, July 19
• Richmond, August 15
• Bristol, September 19
• Martinsville, November 1

The bulletin instructs teams, with instructions for how to do so properly, to remove foam from the front and rear bumpers while also modifying the four front bumper struts accordingly.

The idea is to remove incentive for drivers to slam into the back of a leading car on these four short tracks without consequence. The contact, if hard enough, will now result in aerodynamic damage to the cars. 

The following illustration details the final front bumper assembly state after completion of the required strut modifications.

The complete rules bulletin can be read in its entirety below.