Drivers

Aerodynamic Forces

Aerodynamic Downforce: A Passing Fad?

2012-05-21 dr. diandra 5

The question of why it is so difficult for cars to pass each other at 1.5 mile and 2 mile tracks is getting more and more attention. Carl Edwards put it succinctly:

“I firmly believe, and NASCAR hates it when I say this, that we should not be racing with downforce, sideforce and all these aerodynamic devices. We do not need splitters on the race cars and giant spoilers. I have not been around long enough to say something definitely, but it is pretty common sense: if all the cars are very similar and all the drivers are within a tenth of a second of each other but are relying on clean air and downforce, then by definition if the guy in front of you is disturbing the air then your car is not going to be able to go as fast as it could in clean air.” […]

Edwards, Carl

Richmond Redux: Relative Velocity

2012-04-30 dr. diandra 0

NOTE: Some clarifications added 1:00 p.m. 4/30/12. Thanks to all the commenters, especially @nateryan! I think Dave Moody did a good job breaking things down. The situation is confounded because there were so many different […]

Aerodynamics

Can You Really Bring Back the Same Car? (Or the Same Track?)

2012-03-30 dr. diandra 0

Every week at least one driver says they are bringing back “the same car we raced at…”.  But unlike Indy or ALMS racing, each shop builds multiple cars, each specialized for a specific track. Let’s […]

Electronic Fuel Injection

The Truth about Cell Phones, ECUs and Car Control

2012-03-16 dr. diandra 4

It didn’t take long after Brad Kezelowski pulled out his cellphone during the 2-hour-long Daytona red flag for the conspiracy theorists to leap into action.

The argument goes like this: Cellphones should be banned from the car because a driver could use his specially prepared cellphone to a) change the Engine Control Unit (ECU) and/or b) transmit data from the car back to his crew chief during a race. We will not address the suggestions that the driver could use the cellphone to talk secretly to the crew chief during a race because anyone who has been in a race car or worn a helmet knows that’s just plain dopey. […]

Childers, Rodney

Phoenix: Relay Race?

2012-03-06 dr. diandra 1

The race at Phoenix was the first non-restrictor-plate race. A number of drivers experienced engine-related problems, leading some media outlets to start blowing the “EFI problems” horns as loudly as possible. Mark Martin, the pole sitter, was an unfortunate casualties of a “flipped circuit breaker”. One of the most interesting exchanges to me was a series of tweets and a radio interview with Mark Martin’s Crew Chief Rodney Childers (@rchilders55) in which Childers repeatedly said it not “an EFI problem”, the radio commentators persisted in saying that it was. […]

Allmendinger, A.J.

More Ragan vs. Allmendinger Statistics: Running at Finish

2011-12-30 dr. diandra 0

Great comment from Robby on my post statistically comparing AJ Allmendinger and David Ragan:

One thing you didn’t really factor which is a big deal to car owners is busted equipment. David Ragan destroys alot of race cars…AJ is one of the least wreck prone drivers in NASCAR. Ragan’s low finished were often a result of a wreck. AJ’s bad finishes were generally the result of bad handling cars or bad luck (Dover, Indy, Texas). […]

Vickers, Brian

Allmendinger vs. Ragan: Moneyball Turning Left

2011-12-26 dr. diandra 7

Before Best Buy took their electrons (and dollars) to RoushFenway last week, everyone assumed David Ragan was a lock for the then-empty Penske 22 seat.  Once A.J. Allmendinger landed the 22 job, there’s been a […]

IndyCar

OPINION The Future of Motorsports Safety II: The Center for Motorsports Safety Research

2011-12-15 dr. diandra 2

The official Indycar report on Dan Wheldon’s death was released today. The obvious question is “what do we do now”? […]

Electronic Fuel Injection

Not Fine with Me!

2011-11-19 dr. diandra 6

C’mon NASCAR – I keep trying to defend you and you keep making it hard for me.

@jeff_gluck reports that @nateryan told Brian France that NASCAR seems like

“…an autocratic regime that doles out punishment in a capricious manner.”

While I agree with those sentiments entirely, a slightly different word comes to my mind: “chicken%$!#” […]