[Ol' Dan Tucker]

Look at Michigan. They’re running considerably faster top speeds than at the restrictor plate tracks and doing it with considerably less banking. 215+mph into turn one with 18 degrees banking yet the track is notorious for having a minimal number of caution flags. The drivers are restricting themselves.

Actually, it's the track itself that limits the speeds.

Compare Michigan to Daytona & Taledega:

Michigan:
Track Shape: D-Shaped Oval
Track Length: 2 miles
Front Stretch Length: 3,600 feet
Back Stretch Length: 2,242 feet

Banking:
18˚ Turns
12˚ Frontstretch
5˚ Back Straightaway

Daytona:
Track Shape: Tri-Oval
Track Length: 2.5 miles
Front Stretch Length: 3,800 feet
Back Stretch Length: 3,000 feet

Banking:
31˚ Turns
18˚ Tri-Oval
3˚ Back Straightaway

Taledega:
Track Shape: Tri-Oval
Track Length: 2.66 miles
Front Stretch Length: 4,300 feet
Back Stretch Length: 4,000 feet

Banking:
33˚ Turns
16.5˚ Frontstretch
2˚ Back Straightaway

As you can see, not only is the banking at Taledega almost twice that of Michigan, but the backstretch is almost twice as long.

At Michigan, they have to stand on the brakes at the end of the straights to slow the cars down enough so they don't go careening off into the outside walls.

At Taledega, they run wide open with no braking whatsoever.

With no restrictor plates, I believe the cars at `Dega would reach almost 300mph at the end of the backstretch.

[cripplecreek]

With no restrictor plates, I believe the cars at `Dega would reach almost 300mph at the end of the backstretch.

Actually they tested without plates at Dega a few years ago and got 222mph out of them.