RELATED: How to follow the races on NASCAR.com Drag: The resistance a car experiences when passing through air at high speeds. A resisting force exerted on a car parallel to its air stream and opposite in direction to its motion.
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How does drag work in NASCAR?
0:345:29Drag & Drafting | [NASCAR] Science of Speed - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipRoll you wind it down stick your hand out that force. On your hand trying to pull it back towardsMoreRoll you wind it down stick your hand out that force. On your hand trying to pull it back towards the back of the car that's drag. That's how much physical drag you have on your hand.
What is the point of drag racing?
Drag racing is a type of motor racing in which automobiles or motorcycles compete, usually two at a time, to be first to cross a set finish line.
What is a drag race for cars?
A drag race is an acceleration contest, on a track, or dragstrip, that begins from a standing start between two vehicles over a measured distance. A drag racing event is a series of such two-vehicle, tournament-style eliminations.
Why is it called drag?
The term originated as British theater slang in the 19th century and was used to describe women's clothing worn by men. Today, many prominent drag artists are still people who identify as men and present themselves in exaggeratedly feminine ways as part of their performance, and are known as drag queens.
What is difference between drag race and normal race?
Drag racing is generally a sanctioned event, conducted in a controlled setting at a purpose built facility. Street racing is what the name implies. Whether it's done on a lightly traveled road, a side street outside of town or on any piece of two lane highway, it's flat-out wrong and dangerous.
How hard is drag racing?
Winning a drag race needs consistency in everything, each and every time, over and over again. Fine-tuning your car to accelerate as quickly as it can and faster than others is a gift only a few possess. To achieve this feat every instant, during the race, is exceptionally hard to come by, even after tons of practice.
How fast is drag racing?
The fastest speed on record is 338.17 mph (Top Fuel) at 1,000 feet. A Top Alcohol Dragster can travel as fast as 285 mph in the quarter-mile. However, in drag racing, elapsed time is the determining factor in winning rounds. The quickest Top Fuel pass on record is 3.623 seconds.
How fast is a drag car?
Among the fastest-accelerating machines in the world, 11,000-horsepower Top Fuel dragsters are often referred to as the “kings of the sport,” and with good reason. They are capable of covering the dragstrip in less than 3.7 seconds at more than 330 mph.
How do you win in drag racing?
The first to cross the finish line wins the race. Competition is part driver and part machine. Drag races are conducted on a dragstrip according to a set of safety and performance based rules.
How hard is drag racing?
Winning a drag race needs consistency in everything, each and every time, over and over again. Fine-tuning your car to accelerate as quickly as it can and faster than others is a gift only a few possess. To achieve this feat every instant, during the race, is exceptionally hard to come by, even after tons of practice.
Why are drag tracks sticky?
Simply to maximize traction for any vehicle that moves down the 1/4 mile. Despite all the advances in tire technology the tires still need help when the vehicle launches and begins its run down the track.
What is drag LGBT?
Drag is where individuals dress up as a different gender, primarily for short periods of time, which differentiates the practice from people who are trans and change their gender socially and/or legally.
What trucks are used in the NASCAR Iracing Pro Series?
In 2018, iRacing announced a new, sanctioned qualifying ladder system for the NPAiS, the Road to Pro Series, using virtual Chevrolet and Toyota Camping World Trucks. At the same time, the NASCAR iRacing Pro Series would switch to using the Xfinity Series Camaro, Mustang and Camry models, in order to replicate the progression to the real life Cup series cars used in the NPAiS.
Why did NASCAR start the Pro Invitational Series?
The Pro Invitational Series was established in 2020 after NASCAR's live racing circuits were forced to suspend operations due to social distancing mandates imposed in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States. It follows similar rules to the Coca-Cola series but uses professional NASCAR drivers. It signed a deal with Fox to carry the virtual races from its inception, filling in the gaps in the schedule caused by NASCAR and other sports leagues suspending operations.
What is pinty racing?
The NASCAR Pinty's Series is a NASCAR racing series in Canada that derives from the old CASCAR Super Series (founded in 1981 and bought out by NASCAR in 2006). The new series has races through six of Canada's provinces for a total of 13 events with TV coverage on TSN. Many drivers are content running in Canada while others move up to bigger NASCAR series including J. R. Fitzpatrick and D. J. Kennington. The cars are a bit different from the cars seen in America, being more akin to a late model, though steel tube-framed silhouette bodies powered by V8 engines is still the norm.
When did NASCAR change the car of tomorrow?
This change was officially confirmed by France in a press conference less than two weeks later, and has remained in the NASCAR rules ever since. Beginning in 2010, the Nationwide cars adapted somewhat to the current " Car of Tomorrow " (or COT) design used by Cup cars, with different bodies from the Cup Series.
When did NASCAR switch to green fuel?
In 2011, NASCAR switched to E15 "green" fuel (15% ethanol and 85% gasoline) for all three touring series. As NASCAR has made moves to improve its national appeal, it has begun racing at new tracks, and ceased racing at some traditional ones – a sore spot for the traditional fan base.
Who won the NASCAR Cup Series 2020?
Since 2001, the Cup Series season has consisted of 36 races over 10 months. Writers and fans often use "Cup" to refer to the NCS and the ambiguous use of "NASCAR" as a synonym for the series is common. The 2020 NCS Champion is Chase Elliott. The record for most championships is 7, held by three drivers: Richard Petty, Dale Earnhardt, and Jimmie Johnson. Johnson has the record for most consecutive with five consecutive Cup Series drivers' championships from 2006 to 2010. Previously, the most consecutive championships had been three in a row by Cale Yarborough in the late 1970s, the only other time when a driver has won three or more NASCAR Cup Series championships in a row.
Has NASCAR stopped racing?
As NASCAR has made moves to improve its national appeal, it has begun racing at new tracks, and ceased racing at some traditional ones – a sore spot for the traditional fan base. Most recently, NASCAR has been challenged on the types and frequency of caution flags, with some critics suggesting the outcome of races is being manipulated, and that the intention is not safety, as NASCAR claims, but closer racing. There have been a few accidents involving fans during races and even some off the tracks, but no spectator has ever been killed during a race in an accident relating to the race, although a fan was killed by a lightning strike in 2012 after the 2012 Pennsylvania 400 at Pocono was called short due to the storm. It was revealed in 2008 that a wrongful death lawsuit against NASCAR stemming from the crash of a company plane was settled for $2.4 million.
How fast is drafting in NASCAR?
How NASCAR Drafting Works. If you think you can pilot a NASCAR race car around Alabama's Talladega Superspeedway at 180 miles per hour (290 kilometers per hour) with more than 40 of your closest friends and enemies hot on your tail, you'd better think again. It takes more than a lead foot and nerves of steel.
How does a race car work?
Race cars essentially turn the airplane principle upside down. Air flows around the car as it screams around the track and each minute flow of wind along the hood, windshield, fairings, doors, spoilers and air dams has a subtle effect of increasing or decreasing the air pressure on every surface of the car.
Why do cars run in drafting packs?
This is why cars often run in drafting packs and lines, each gaining a few more miles per hour from the car in front and behind as pressure drag is reduced. This can have a profound effect on the overall running of a race. Bodine also said lead drivers often shift from one drafting lane to another as need dictates.
What forces play a role in drafting?
Two forces play key roles -- downforce and drag.
What is the car of tomorrow?
This, in turn, led to the introduction of NASCAR's Car of Tomorrow -- a race car designed to be competitive on all NASCAR tracks.
What is the purpose of drafting a race?
While drafting is only one element in a large number of factors that contribute to a successful race, using the draft properly can distinguish the subtle difference between a talented driver and a driver that can only be described as "gifted."
What is drafting in chess?
Drafting is a game of small numbers and risky strategy playing out in a larger drama. Good drafting can turn a humdrum race into a real humdinger and a bumper-to-bumper slugfest into high-speed chess and produce the kinds of races that are talked about for years afterward. Advertisement.
Why are NASCAR cars so dragy?
The rear spoiler found on NASCAR vehicles is a case in point: It increases drag by distributing weight from the front to the back of the car [source: Circle Track]. Aerodynamics remains a vibrant and young field of engineering, with many innovations still to come down the road.
Why do NASCAR cars have aerodynamics?
Automotive designers and NASCAR teams rely on aerodynamic principles to create improvements in the power and handling of vehicles at high speeds. Passenger cars have become more shapely over the years as manufacturers discovered how streamlining can increase fuel efficiency, allowing a car to travel at the same speed using less horsepower. These designs reduce air resistance, or aerodynamic drag.
How does aerodynamic force work?
Aerodynamic force results from differences in pressure on the sides of the moving object. The most common methods for increasing the downforce of a vehicle involve reducing the air pressure underneath the vehicle. Advertisement.
Why is aerodynamics important in NASCAR?
Because speed is , obviously, the main factor in NASCAR races, aerodynamics is a crucial element in stock car design. Aerodynamics is the study of how air moves -- especially how it interacts with solid, moving objects. Just as a speedboat leaves the sharp line of a wake trailing behind it on the water, an automobile creates an aerodynamic impact as ...
Why are race cars airborne?
The danger is especially present when a car is spinning, which radically alters the aerodynamic forces in play. During a high-speed spin, air can move rapidly enough over the roof and hood to produce a powerful lift force.
How much energy does a car use to overcome air drag?
A passenger car driving on the highway spends an estimated 60 percent of its energy overcoming air drag, a far greater percentage than tire friction and the energy needs of the drive train itself [source: Beauchamp ]. Defeating drag was the first major focus of automotive aerodynamics, beginning in the 1960s.
What is the process of air displaced behind a lead car?
The air behaves as if the two cars are one. The displaced air behind the lead car creates a partial vacuum that sucks the trailing car ahead at an increased speed , or at the same speed with reduced engine effort and lower fuel consumption . This is called drafting.
When will NASCAR return to practice?
NASCAR will return both practice and qualifying to its weekend schedule for all three national series in 2022 after the on-track activity had been mostly scrapped the past two seasons amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Who is the driver of the No. 5 Chevrolet in the 2023 NASCAR Cup?
NASCAR Cup: Larson, Hendrick extend relationship. Hendrick Motorsports had announced a contract extension for Kyle Larson that will keep the driver behind the wheel of the No. 5 Chevrolet through the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series season.
Who took Denny Hamlin out of the race?
Alex Bowman took Denny Hamlin out in a battle for the lead with just seven laps to go. Bowman said after the race it was unintentional.
What happens to rubber in NASCAR?
If you’ve watched NASCAR for even a few weeks, you’ve no doubt heard about rubber being laid down on a track or washed off of it when it rains. Put simply, the tires on race cars shed some of their rubber with each lap run, pressed into the asphalt or concrete by the weight and heat of the vehicles. When there aren’t enough laps run to have any rubber built up, that’s when tracks call in the Tire Dragon.
Why do racing tracks have a lot of grip?
Why would tracks want to do this? Quite simply, brand new or repaved racing surfaces don’t have much grip until there are races run there, because smooth asphalt has a lot less traction than a surface that’s been raced on for some time. What this means is that after a repave, racing has a tendency to become a single-groove affair as the lead cars lay down rubber, everyone follows them, and there’s a bit of a vicious circle as that is the only lane where there’s any grip until there’s some wear in the surface over time.
What is a tire dragon?
A Tire Dragon is not a dragon made out of tires, but a device some NASCAR tracks use to apply rubber to the racing surface. We explain why here. It doesn't breathe fire or have wings, but the Tire Dragon is a real thing that some NASCAR tracks use. We tell you why.
Why do tracks use tires like Tire Dragon?
To combat this trend, tracks use vehicles like the Tire Dragon to selectively apply more rubber and try to make it possible for cars to run in more grooves. It’s an alternative to using a traction compound like VHT or TrackBite, which is the solution preferred by some facilities.
What does it mean when racing has a single groove affair?
What this means is that after a repave, racing has a tendency to become a single-groove affair as the lead cars lay down rubber, everyone follows them, and there’s a bit of a vicious circle as that is the only lane where there’s any grip until there’s some wear in the surface over time.
Is the tire dragon real?
Yep, that’s a real thing. The Tire Dragon, which got its name at Kentucky Speedway, is a sled pulled by a tractor with four rows of tires on it. As the tractor goes around a track, the tires on the Tire Dragon rotate in the opposite direction (to avoid flat-spotting, as explained here) and lay down rubber.
Overview
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, LLC (NASCAR) is an American auto racing sanctioning and operating company that is best known for stock car racing. The privately owned company was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1948, and his son, Jim France, has been the CEO since August 2018. The company is headquartered in Daytona Beach, Florida. Each year, NASCAR sanctions over 1,500 races at over 100 tracks in 48 US states as well as in Canada, Mexico, and …
History
In the 1920s and 1930s, Daytona Beach supplanted France and Belgium as the preferred location for world land speed records. After a historic race between Ransom Olds and Alexander Winton in 1903, 15 records were set on what became the Daytona Beach Road Course between 1905 and 1935. Daytona Beach had become synonymous with fast cars in 1936. Drivers raced on a 4.1-mile (6.6 km) course, consisting of a 1.5–2.0-mile (2.4–3.2 km) stretch of beach as one straightaway…
Sanctioned series
The NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) is the sport's highest level of professional competition. It is consequently the most popular and most profitable NASCAR series. Since 2001, the Cup Series season has consisted of 36 races over 10 months. Writers and fans often use "Cup" to refer to the NCS and the ambiguous use of "NASCAR" as a synonym for the series is common. The 2021 NCS Champion is Kyle Larson. The record for most championships is 7, held by three drivers: Richard …
Driver safety
Although NASCAR frequently publicizes the safety measures it mandates for drivers, these features have historically only been adopted long after they were initially developed, and only in response to an injury or fatality. Fire-retardant driver suits were required only years after the death of Fireball Roberts, who died from complications of burns suffered in a crash when flames engulfed his car during a Charlotte race. Only after the deaths of Adam Petty, Kenny Irwin and Ton…
Criticism
NASCAR has been the target of criticism on various topics from various sources. Some critics note the significant differences between today's NASCAR vehicles and true "stock" cars. Others frequently cite the dominance of the France family in NASCAR's business structure, policies, and decision making. Recently, the increased number of Cup drivers competing consistently in the Xfinity Series races has been hotly debated. Another general area of criticism, not only of NASCA…
Global expansion
In 2006, Toyota announced they would be joining NASCAR's ranks. Toyota generated early success winning several races off performances from Denny Hamlin and Kyle Busch. Any increase in foreign competition is expected to raise the price of putting a car on the track.
Another topic on the NASCAR circuit is the increase in foreign born drivers and the effects they may have on the future of NASCAR. Juan Pablo Montoya, Patrick Carpentier, and Dario Franchitti are …
NASCAR.com
In October 2000, Turner Sports acquired the digital rights to NASCAR, and subsequently took over its website, which features news, information, and interactive features (such as RaceView and RaceBuddy) surrounding its series. While NASCAR had extended Turner's contract to operate the site through 2016, the association announced in January 2012 that it would take operation of the site back in-house in 2013. As a result, a new NASCAR.com was launched on January 3, 2013, w…
Subsidiaries and 'sister' organizations
NASCAR Digital Media is a television production company located in Charlotte, North Carolina, United States. The company is a subsidiary of NASCAR and produces programs designed to promote the sport of professional stock car racing. It also manages the NASCAR website, as well as some websites related to the sport such as Racing-Reference and Jayski's Silly Season Site (as of 2019, after ESPN.com stopped hosting the website).