Turning, G-Forces and Banked Tracks.
Dover is a fascinating track – twenty-four degrees of banking, but only a mile in length. A student approached me with a question: Higher-banked tracks generate higher centripetal forces – so why...
View ArticleCenter of Gravity, Part II
Last time, I explained what the center of gravity (CG) is. This time, let's look at why we care.
View ArticleMaximum G
Sounds like an energy drink, right? Listening to Kyle Busch’s press conference Wednesday was alternately fascinating and cringe-worthy. The fact that he remembers so much about the crash is amazing –...
View ArticleRacing without Friction
Daytona is an enormous, sweeping track. Two-and-a-half miles, 31-degree banking and corner radii of a thousand feet. The infield by itself is 180 acres. If you’ve ever been there (or Talladega), it...
View ArticleDaytona, Catchfences and Flying Cars
Track barriers originally were erected to keep cars separated from spectators. In addition to concrete walls to prevent the cars from driving off track, debris-spewing accidents necessitated fencing to...
View ArticleTurning at Bristol: A Weighty Matter
A lot of drivers cite Bristol as one of their favorite tracks. It's a great exhibit for the argument that racing is more than just pure speed. High banks (which we know mean speed!) and a short track,...
View ArticleHow is a NASCAR Driver at Bristol like an Astronaut?
The Unique Challenges of Bristol Many drivers will tell you that, despite not having the highest speeds or a unique shape, or a long race time, Bristol is one of the most exhausting stops on the...
View ArticleDrafting: Regular and Bump
I looked through the blog and realized that I haven’t really blogged about drafting. I’ve blogged about all the rules NASCAR’s enacted in the last couple of years to try to control drafting, but not...
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