NASCAR’s 2019 rules package has been a such dominating topic throughout the first half of the season that drivers are getting tired of talking about it, as they race with it for the first time at various tracks. Kyle Busch even joked recently that if anyone says the word “package” to him again, “they’re going to get a bottle of water in the face.”

The new package includes cars using what’s called a tapered spacer, which functions similarly to a restrictor plate and reduces horsepower. The package is designed to manufacture more competition and increase side-by-side racing, and drivers are constantly being asked about how they think it will impact them at each track.

But can they actually explain how it works? Not totally.

In an NBC segment promoting the network taking over broadcasting the second half of the season — starting this weekend at Chicagoland Speedway — “Kid Reporter” Lacey Caroline asked drivers some fun, softball questions, like who would sit at their table at a school cafeteria.

Seven-time Cup Series champ Jimmie Johnson joked that he’d have Jeff Gordon sit with him, but only so he could pay. Chase Elliott said Ryan Blaney — they’re NASCAR BFFs — and Johnson, while Joey Logano laughed off the idea that not too many drivers would want to sit with them.

She also asked who’s the most famous person in their cellphone. To that, Denny Hamlin said Michael Jordan, while Johnson said Kate Hudson and Kurt Busch said Steven Tyler (and hilariously but unsurprisingly, she had no idea who that is).

But then she switched things up and challenged them: “Can you explain how the tapered spacers restrict airflow?”

Brad Keselowski: Ummm, hmmmm.

Clint Bowyer: Excuse me?

Bubba Wallace: That’s a good question. Ummm…

Denny Hamlin: Uhh, it makes bigger holes smaller?

Enter Kyle Busch, who, despite being very tired of talking about the rules package, explained the tapered spacers in simplified detail.

Busch — who’s tied at the top of the NASCAR Cup Series with four wins this season — said:

“Air — can you see air? OK, it’s supposed to flow through your carburetor or your throttle body on your race car on your engine, right?. Well, when you put the tapered space in it and you reduce that airflow, you’re restricting air — which air and gasoline makes fire makes explosions makes horsepower. The less air, the less power, the less bang.”

Add this to the list of things Busch is doing better than the rest of the field this season.

Lacey Caroline kept going and then asked drivers: “How can you and your team improve the drag co-efficients for the least efficient parts of the underbody?” And aside from a solid answer this time from Keselowski, continued to get more blank stares.

Bubba Wallace: Haa, yeah, uhh, how can we? Say that again.

Austin Dillon: Well…

Kevin Harvick: There’s a number of things that we can do, depends on if we have to follow the rules or not.

Clint Bowyer: I don’t know. I drive the thing. You hold the steering wheel, you go left. I don’t know all the ins and outs of this stuff. I just know where the steering wheel is, where the gas pedal is and where the checkered flag is.

Nearing the halfway point in the season, the Camping World 400, the 17th race of the year, is Sunday at 3 p.m. ET on NBCSN.

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