Climate Change

In-Car Fire Suppression Systems

NASCAR has made significant advances in protecting drivers from crashes, but fire is more of a challenge. Let’s take a look at how fire suppression systems have evolved. A Brief History of Fire Suppression Systems […]

Asphalt
Cooling

Engine Issues at Talladega: Vapor Lock, Gas Cans and Oil Coolers

An usual number of teams “ran out of gas” or had engine troubles during the Talladega race. The TV analysts had some ready answers for what might have caused these problems. Their extemporaneous theories tend to elicit sighs from engine builders, who know that problems can rarely be diagnosed at the track – and even more rarely by someone who hasn’t looked at the car.

A wonderful aspect of blogging is that we’re not called to have answers on the spot like the television broadcasters and we have the leisure of time. Let’s examine some of those theories. […]

Engines

How Mobil1 Goes in a ‘Quaker State’ Engine

Got a number of questions today about how a team that uses Hendrick engines – Hendrick having Quaker State as a sponsor – can have sponsorship from another oil company. The questions were along the lines of “Will Stewart-Haas have to drain the oil pans when they get them from Hendrick?” Here’s a quick answer, since I’m in the middle of a cross-country move and just about everything I own is in boxes: […]

Aerodynamic Forces
Drayson Racing
Oil

The Science of …Oil Tank Pressures

A slight errata: This doesn’t change anything about the science surrounding the oil tank box cover and how it could provide an aerodynamic advantage, but it does clarify the situation with how the oil system […]