Anatomy of a Winning NASCAR

NASCAR fanatics watching Jeff Gordon’s recent Texas-victory in the Samsung 500 probably never gave a thought to how much effort, time, energy and soul goes into creating a NASCAR racecar. But the creation of a machine capable of running in a Cup Series race and winning involves thousands of hours of preparation by engineers and technicians specializing in all aspects of racecar design. To produce a space-age racecar able to produce in excess of 800 horsepower and run safely at speeds approaching 200 miles per hour for hours on end requires the effort of a team of professionals dedicated to this singular task.

The proper racecar setup means more celebrations

NASCAR racecars are designed to move as fast as is possible within the limitations of technology and materials, but in order to make this possible need to have the right setup in all factors recognized as important to producing a fast car. These factors consist of a variety of things, like gear ratios, chassis weight distribution, brakes, steering, to name but a few, that have to be managed, modified, and fiddle with to have a NASCAR racecar run well enough to win.

The race team needs to work together to get the setup just right to allow the NASCAR to race at the speeds required and give the driver needed control over all aspects of the car to drive safely at such dangerous speeds. Racecars with setups that aren’t quite right will run slower and be harder to maneuver around the track at speed, which means each lap takes longer.

A NASCAR has many parts that are implemented in trying to create a car capable of winning in a Cup Series race; the following list will give you some information about some of them. The Front Splitter is located on the bottom of the front fender and allows for tuning of the downward force on the car to individual driver preferences and track requirements. The Roll Cage is a cage of steel tubing surrounding the drivers’ area that will cushion and protect the driver if the car crashes or rolls during impact. Safety has been improved with Double Frame Rail and Energy Absorbing Material located between the roll cage door bars and door panels to disperse crash-energy upon impact.

The next time you’re watching a Sprint Cup race keep these points in mind as you watch the cars race and try to visualize how you would feel when the racecar reacts and drives like it’s designed too, and maybe you’ll have a better understanding of what drives the racers, designers, and all the legions of people required to produce a winning NASCAR.

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