Secrets of the Gen-6 Car: Superstrength Windshields
A number of drivers have sounded a common refrain: the CoT was engineered to be safe ... and that's why it was... well... sort of ugly and not very racy. The Gen-6 car is a much better looking vehicle...
View ArticleWhy You Don’t Mess With Fuel Cell Foam
We'd been hearing rumors of penalties stemming from Kansas and everyone expected them to be announced Tuesday. Since penalties usually have some scientific component, I was sort of hoping for some new...
View ArticleCan We Race Stockcars in the Rain?
In sports car racing, the only discernible change the viewer sees when it rains is that the normal "slicks" (which have no treads) are changed out for rain tires. Thus the calls for NASCAR to develop a...
View ArticleGearBrain Roundup: Week Ending 10/2/13
Another week? Already? Where does the time go? Eric Chemi reviews his great picks for Dover and gives us some data to support the idea that it really is a three-man Chase. @nascarnomics is looking...
View ArticleDive! Dive! Dive Planes… on Stock Cars?
A persistent motorsports issue (and not only with stock cars) is the aerodynamic passing problem. You can't pass without grip. Grip is a direct result of downforce. Downforce comes from two places: the...
View ArticleThe Zen of Brake Bias
With all the talk about giving the drivers the ability to change aspects of the setup from within the car, I thought some comments on what types of changes they can make would be appropriate. Since...
View ArticleThe Zen of Brake Bias II
In the last blog entry, I explained what brake bias was and how it could be used to improve the car's handling during green-flag runs. This time, let's look under the hood (or I guess, more accurately,...
View Article2015 Rules: Track Records I – The Example of Charlotte
@NASCARRealTime, @TheOrangeCone and @CircleTrackNerd had an interesting dialog when the 2015 rules were announced. They were debating whether the track records that are now standing are going to be...
View ArticleAre SAFER Barriers Everywhere the Solution?
TL;DR: No. As the extent of Kyle Busch’s injury Saturday evening at Daytona became evident, Twitter erupted in angry calls for SAFER barriers to be put up on every wall at every track. An interesting...
View ArticleA Band Aid for NASCAR’s Tire Bleeding Problem
There are three things you don't mess with in NASCAR: engines, fuel and tires. Tuesday, NASCAR handed down a P5 penalty - the penultimate penalty on the books - to Ryan Newman's 31 team. Crew Chief...
View ArticleDoes Less Downforce Mean More Lift?
Last Tuesday, NASCAR announced aerodynamic modifications to be implemented for the Kentucky Speedway Sprint Cup race on July 11th. While the changes are (right now) only for that race, there’s every...
View ArticleUsing Drag and Downforce to Tailor Stock Cars to Different Tracks
Aerodynamics is complicated. Let’s just get that out of the way. But it’s not so complicated that we can’t understand what’s going on with just a little patience. Why 3D? Every wonder why they call it...
View ArticleThe Digital Dashboard
Those of you of a certain age may remember these odd looking flat black vinyl things called 'records'. Records are analog devices. A groove is cut into the vinyl. A stylus rides along the groove and...
View ArticleHow Can Changing Horsepower for Everyone Make Racing More Competitive?
I get this question a lot: If NASCAR decreases horsepower for everyone, how does that make it easier to pass? You’re basically taking everyone down by the same amount, right? To explain this, we have...
View ArticleEstimating Fuel Mileage
Last week at New Hampshire, Kevin Harvick easily had the most dominant car, but failed to win the race. They ran out of fuel with three laps to go and finished 21st. The #4 team wasn’t the only team...
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Tire Management
The Rules NASCAR is very clear about what teams can and can not do to the tires. Teams may not use any chemical or physical means of altering the tires, which means no siping (cutting grooves into the...
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Is Stricter Enforcement of Pit Road Speed Limits Making Pit Road Less Safe?
The Purpose of Pit Road Speed Limits NASCAR implemented pit road speeding rules in 1991. The year before, Mike Rich, a tire changer for Bill Elliott, had been pinned between Elliott’s car and the car...
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NASCAR’s Laser Inspection Process: Confidence and Accuracy
There Will Be Rules… The last time I was at the R&D Center, I was given a copy of the official NASCAR rule book for 1948. It was about a quarter of a page. Now there’s a thick booklet filled with...
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How NASA Research could end NASCAR Engine Failures Due to Trash on the Grille
For want of a nail the shoe was lost. For want of a shoe the horse was lost. For want of a horse the rider was lost. For want of a rider the message was lost. For want of a message the battle was lost....
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Can NASCAR Stop Secondary Accidents?
January is named after the Roman God Janus, who is the god of beginning, gates, transitions, time, doorways, passages and endings. How’s that for a job description? Janus is usually portrayed as...
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