"My chief objection is that it has lowered the sport in my eyes. Instead of being 10% car and 90% driver, it's now the other way around."

No disrespect Dick but I have to dissagree with the 90% car 10% driver scenario. I'll take 10% from the driver & give it to the car for power steering & a couple other inovations that have made it a bit easier to wheel a sprint. Now those inovations have just made it a bit easier to DRIVE the car not easier to Win or to run up front with the big boys. 80% driver picking the right line to run, 80% driver throttle control, 80% driver to know when , where & how to go for the win or the big move, 80% driver giving feed back to the crew to get the car set up for him/her to be fast, 80% driver admitting he /she screwd up & crashed or screwed up & gave the win away, 80% driver to get that car into victory lane. I think the majority of the youg guns we are discussing are winners not just drivers & they have proven that before they ever strap into a sprintcar.