Seven Things About NASCAR Tech People Don’t Know
America’s favorite motorsport is a lot more complex than it seems and much more so than people give it credit for.
There is no motorsport history in the U.S. without NASCAR. Its importance in general American culture as well as motorsport overall cannot be understated. However, to some, it just seems like a couple dozen cars floating around a circle going pretty fast. However, there is a lot more to it than that and Papadakis Racing is here to tell us what. For those not in the know, Papadakis Racing is the most successful Formula Drift team on the grid currently, winning over three championship titles, as well as currently sponsoring the Rockstar/Nexen Toyota Corolla Hatch seen in current competition. That’s just to start for their racing heritage, so to say they know their stuff about racing, is something of an understatement.
This video features none other than Stephan Papadakis, owner of the team, guiding us through the NASCAR grid and garage at a local event at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, CA. Lets see what he can provide more insight about as he talks to different teams at the event.
1. NASCAR Engines Run Hot, Really Hot
290 F Water temps and 300 F Oil temps are standard affair for NASCAR engines. These temperatures would explode a standard radiator and melt pistons in a regular engine, but are done so to increase aerodynamics (by closing off the majority of front bumper to not let air through). This is achieved by using substantially higher pressures than normal in these systems.
2. Drivers Have A/C
A lot of racing cars remove their A/C systems to reduce weight in the vehicle. However, NASCAR race cars retrofit ultra-light weigh A/C for their drivers including seat-back cooling for the seat itself. Probably helpful when you are in a 100F+ cabin for hours on end.
3. Cars Are 3D Scanned to Fit and Pass Tech Regulation
Every car on the grid is 3D scanned by a mobile testing center that is brought to every event. This is comprised of dozens of cameras, projectors, and sensors that can measure the car’s body to fractions of an inch to make sure its within regulation.
4. Cool Down Units
During qualifying, teams will tape up as much of the front end as possible for aero, as a result the cars can only go two or so laps before overheating. Thus, after those two laps, in the pits, the cars are connected to an external cooling system which uses ice to connect directly to the cooling system of the vehicle to get them cool enough for the next qualifying session.
5. There Are Different Cars for Different Tracks and Layouts
During the regular season, each team will have 12 to 15 cars depending on the car. This includes a road course, speedway, intermediate, and short track car. This includes a primary and a back-up car.
6. Sideskirt Design
The sideskirts featured on many of these race cars are so low, that they eventually scrape off and end up needing to be replaced by the end of the race weekend or qualifying. Thus, the skirts are easy removable and are considered a wear and tear item.
7. Exhaust design
Exhausts on NASCAR race cars use oval piping, as it has less aerodynamic drag underneath the car and has better ground clearance. Round exhausts make more power, but teams prefer aero over power in almost every context.
Now next time someone asks you about NASCAR, you can tell them its a lot more interesting that going around in circles.
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