Archive for Month: February 2011

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turning left, shifting right: why drivers move to the right to get air to the engine

Jack asks: “I’m curious as to why the rear cars are offsetting to the right, when offsetting to the left would let the rear driver see what is happening ahead of them and keep the radiator in cooler air, since the exhaust on these cars is on the right. I know that all those drivers and crew chiefs are smarter than I am, so I must be missing something.”

February 22, 2011 / 5 Comments / More
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Popping Off: Breaking the Two-Car Draft by Heating up the Engines

In a NASCAR car, the pop-off valves open and route the escaping steam and/or water through a tube that passes up near the right-hand side of the car’s windshield. When you see a car “pushing water”, the maximum pressure has been exceeded and the pop-off valve opened.

February 16, 2011 / 2 Comments / More

Why Two and Not Three Cars in a Draft?

Go get three oranges from the kitchen. Try to juggle two of them. Not super easy, but not impossible. Now juggle three.

February 13, 2011 / 13 Comments / More

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