What Is That Thing?

Red Bull Racing knows all too well about NASCAR’s zero-tolerance policy when it comes to inspecting the Car of Tomorrow. So the first-year team, like all others at this elite level, inspects every detail on its two Toyota Camrys before they ever leave the shop.

The team puts the cars through the inspection ringer just like NASCAR officials would during initial tech with the help of something that looks like a giant mutated silver spider on steroids. Others have called it a claw-looking monster. Here at the shop in Mooresville, N.C., there’s usually one hanging high above the main floor’s staging area and another lurking out back. A third sighting is unconfirmed.

This master template, along with one each for the nose and tail, encompasses the COT’s entire body. The car and template, which is good for all four makes, must match at more than a dozen points.

When the COT goes fulltime in 2008, the three new body templates will replace the 32 now used on the current car. Templates have been placed on the car one at a time. Now many of those templates are in one, big interlocking template.

Just watch your head if you pay a visit to 136 Knob Hill Road anytime soon.