RE: Five things we didn't know about NASCAR

RE: Five things we didn't know about NASCAR

Friday 29th July 2016

Five things we didn't know about NASCAR

It isn't all left turns and spectacular crashes!



As James lives out his Talladega Nights fantasies at Rockingham Motor Speedway, we look at the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) as a sport and find out a few things that may surprise you.


1. Stock cars were originally used by bootleggers during Prohibition in the 1920s and 30s. Cars had to be fast, light and able to carry moonshine safely whilst escaping the police. When Prohibition was lifted, these stock cars were then raced for 'pride and profit' and nowadays races can last - Daytona being the most obvious example - up to 500 miles.


2. Since Bill France Sr co-founded NASCAR on Daytona Beach in 1948, the sport always shied away from technology with the emphasis being on driver skill. Engines are all aluminium V8s using a two-valve per cylinder configuration and only switched over from carburettor systems to electronic fuel injection in 2012.

3. A pit-stop generally takes a little longer than what viewers are used to in F1; eight seconds vs. the average 2.8 seconds in F1. In Formula 1, each member of the pit crew has a single task whilst the crew of six on a NASCAR team (a seventh is there for safety reasons) have to firstly leap a concrete wall to gain access to the cars. Two men change tyres pneumatically removing five nuts off each wheel, fuel is added during a stop and while that is going on eight stewards are analysing every move, deeming whether it was safe or not.


4. The highest speed ever set in NASCAR was in 1987 at Talladega Superspeedway by Bill Elliott. Elliot managed to wrestle his car to 212.809mph. In the same year he managed to set the second highest speed at Daytona International Speedway hitting 210.364mph.

5. The race series has seen some familiar faces make the jump to the high speed oval. Kimi Raikkonen, Jacques Villeneuve, Nelson Piquet Jnr and Juan Pablo Montoya have all switched from F1 to NASCAR for a period. Female drivers have also been eligible to race since its start in 1949 - Shawna Robinson was the first to win a NASCAR event in 1988; she was also voted 'Rookie of the Year' and 'Most Popular Driver' that year.

 

 

[Sources: NASCAR ,Wired, RedBull]
[Images: NASCAR, LATPhoto]

Author
Discussion

Turbobanana

Original Poster:

6,159 posts

200 months

Friday 29th July 2016
quotequote all
It's always puzzled me how unstable these things look.

I know they're travelling at a fair rate but when there's an incident you seem to see about a dozen scatter in all directions, many into the wall or the infield. Given the drivers' obvious skill, are they that hard to control that mayhem is inevitable, or is it just the sheer speed they carry that causes so many to spin out?

JonnyTenny

64 posts

112 months

Friday 29th July 2016
quotequote all
I'd like to go watch NASCAR some time. Just to...see if I get it. I'm still a bit unconvinced, think I need to go see it live and see if that changes anything.

Caruso

7,422 posts

255 months

Friday 29th July 2016
quotequote all
Turbobanana said:
It's always puzzled me how unstable these things look.

I know they're travelling at a fair rate but when there's an incident you seem to see about a dozen scatter in all directions, many into the wall or the infield. Given the drivers' obvious skill, are they that hard to control that mayhem is inevitable, or is it just the sheer speed they carry that causes so many to spin out?
I think it's sheer speed and relative lack of aerodynamic aids compared to an F1 car.

Robbins

110 posts

136 months

Friday 29th July 2016
quotequote all
Is there anything Kimi hasn't done?

Krikkit

26,500 posts

180 months

Friday 29th July 2016
quotequote all
Caruso said:
Turbobanana said:
It's always puzzled me how unstable these things look.

I know they're travelling at a fair rate but when there's an incident you seem to see about a dozen scatter in all directions, many into the wall or the infield. Given the drivers' obvious skill, are they that hard to control that mayhem is inevitable, or is it just the sheer speed they carry that causes so many to spin out?
I think it's sheer speed and relative lack of aerodynamic aids compared to an F1 car.
This - relatively narrow tyres (they don't need standing grip don't forget), no real aerodynamic downforce.

I really like the technical rules behind NASCAR - simple cars taken to the limit, and a governing body prepared to equalise the field when necessary.

One thing that always surprises is how much cheating goes on, even now - there's a little noticeboard in the back of Racecar Engineering magazine with team appointments/movements, and there's usually a couple of NASCAR team members been caught for cheating and fined etc...

Ozzie Osmond

21,189 posts

245 months

Friday 29th July 2016
quotequote all
Take, for instance, the famous Indianapolis Motor Speedway, a 2.5 mile oval used by both Indy cars (open wheel like F1) and NASCARs.

  • Indy Car lap record = 226 mph Car weighs about 1,600 lb 750 bhp
  • NASCAR lap record = 189 mph Car weighs about 3,400 lb 850 bhp
NASCAR runs with much lower downforce and that, combined with greater weight makes a big difference to lap speeds and to how the cars behave.

Disastrous

10,072 posts

216 months

Friday 29th July 2016
quotequote all
Caruso said:
Turbobanana said:
It's always puzzled me how unstable these things look.

I know they're travelling at a fair rate but when there's an incident you seem to see about a dozen scatter in all directions, many into the wall or the infield. Given the drivers' obvious skill, are they that hard to control that mayhem is inevitable, or is it just the sheer speed they carry that causes so many to spin out?
I think it's sheer speed and relative lack of aerodynamic aids compared to an F1 car.
Is it not true that once they become perpendicular to the direction of travel, all their aero works in reverse?

It would explain what you see, where there is a nudge, a car slides and then suddenly flips off up into the air.

Ozzie Osmond

21,189 posts

245 months

Friday 29th July 2016
quotequote all
Disastrous said:
Is it not true that once they become perpendicular to the direction of travel, all their aero works in reverse?

It would explain what you see, where there is a nudge, a car slides and then suddenly flips off up into the air.
Not true at all AFAIK. There are large flaps all over the car which act as air brakes.

F1 watchers will have seen Fernando Alonsos car take off early this season and fly into the wall. He was very lucky to get out alive, albeit severely bruised by his seatbelts. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vT17vWFkl_w


Disastrous

10,072 posts

216 months

Friday 29th July 2016
quotequote all
Ozzie Osmond said:
Disastrous said:
Is it not true that once they become perpendicular to the direction of travel, all their aero works in reverse?

It would explain what you see, where there is a nudge, a car slides and then suddenly flips off up into the air.
Not true at all AFAIK. There are large flaps all over the car which act as air brakes.

F1 watchers will have seen Fernando Alonsos car take off early this season and fly into the wall. He was very lucky to get out alive, albeit severely bruised by his seatbelts. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vT17vWFkl_w
From Wiki:

During spins, as a result of accidents or loss of handling, as the car rotates it eventually reaches an angle where the oncoming air reacts with the profile of the vehicle in the same manner as a wing. If the speed is high enough air flowing over the car's overall airfoil shape will create sufficient lift to force the car to become airborne. To prevent this, NASCAR developed a set of flaps that are recessed into pockets on the roof of the car. As a car is turned around and reaches an angle where significant lift occurs, the low pressure above the flaps causes them to deploy

I can't verify it though.

Ozzie Osmond

21,189 posts

245 months

Friday 29th July 2016
quotequote all
Disastrous said:
I can't verify it though.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uwID6XZ9UY8

Now added to the hood/bonnet as well.



Disastrous

10,072 posts

216 months

Friday 29th July 2016
quotequote all
Ozzie Osmond said:
Disastrous said:
I can't verify it though.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uwID6XZ9UY8

Now added to the hood/bonnet as well.
I'm confused - are we agreeing? I've no idea about the flaps but that seems to agree that the aero on the car does indeed cause them to flip when they spin so far...

The flaps sound like something they've added recently to counter this?

anonymous-user

53 months

Friday 29th July 2016
quotequote all
I'm going to overcome a strong inclination to sneer condescendingly at such six fingered sister fkery as this and say it could be a lot more interesting that F1. That's a pretty damning indictment of F1 that they've managed to make it so desperately dull that cars driving around can have be a more thrilling race hehe

_Neal_

2,658 posts

218 months

Friday 29th July 2016
quotequote all
In the (probably unlikely) event you're in the area, I heartily recommend visiting the NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte, North Carolina. Lots to look at, cutaway cars/engines, simulators to play on, you can have a go at a pitstop etc etc - perhaps combine with a visit to Charlotte Motor Speedway when there's a race on...a NASCAR race is definitely on my list of things to experience.

DCLXIV

361 posts

134 months

Friday 29th July 2016
quotequote all
article said:
Engines are all aluminium V8s
They're cast iron.

They're also made in Shropshire: http://www.gwcast.com/en/2010/12/01/lorem-ipsum-do...

J4CKO

41,276 posts

199 months

Friday 29th July 2016
quotequote all
Had a go in one at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, great fun if you get the chance, they do it in loads of locations, Richard Petty Experience.

Coatesy351

861 posts

131 months

Friday 29th July 2016
quotequote all
Bill elliots speed records are averages for the lap not maximum speed reached.

Robmarriott

2,633 posts

157 months

Friday 29th July 2016
quotequote all
Krikkit said:
One thing that always surprises is how much cheating goes on, even now
So, the same as every other formula in the world? Everyone cheats, some just hide it better than others.

Regarding the article, specifically about Bill France not liking technology, yes, the engines are based around an antiquated design but the same as Top Fuel drag racing engines, even though they're 2 valve V8s, they're far from old school. They have piston speeds close to what F1 engines did before they switched to the current format, a strict set of specs means MORE tech than less, you have to work harder to find each extra horsepower. Without restrictors these engines make about 1000hp naturally aspirated, that's not an old lump of pig iron!

http://www.epi-eng.com/piston_engine_technology/co...

Mr Tidy

22,065 posts

126 months

Saturday 30th July 2016
quotequote all
Robbins said:
Is there anything Kimi hasn't done?
Not sure, but he didn't get any headlines in NASCAR! laugh

ZX10R NIN

27,490 posts

124 months

Saturday 30th July 2016
quotequote all
I think he raced the Trucks.

mistakenplane

426 posts

119 months

Saturday 30th July 2016
quotequote all
NASCAR is unbelievable, you really cannot picture what it is like to see something that big and unwieldy flying into a corner at 160mph+.

As for the flaps, they are indeed there to act as an aero device to stop the cars from taking off when they spin, as once they get air under them they tend to lift...