Aerodynamics
The NASCAR Vortex Theory
The NASCAR Vortex Theory says that cars racing around an oval track create a rotational disturbance that repels oncoming storms. Truth? Or Myth? What’s a Vortex? A vortex is a region in a fluid (and […]
Racing
Distributions
Does NASCAR Have a Momentum Effect?
Here’s a drinking game for you the next time you tune into any sports broadcast, be it motorsports, golf, rugby, boxing or tennis. Drink every time you hear the word ‘momentum’. You can play the […]
Brains
Sterling Marlin, Parkinson’s and Deep Brain Stimulation
Sterling Marlin, one of only three drivers to ever win the Daytona 500 two years in a row, announced that he had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease in 2012. Last week, Marlin’s team announced that he was undergoing surgery to implant a deep brain stimulation (DBS) device to treat his Parkinson’s. […]
Aerodynamics
NASCAR: Caps, Limits and Level Playing Fields
Every sport faces it: One, or a few, teams pull ahead because they can spend more money than anyone else. Those teams and their fans are fine, but it means the league has failed to […]
Allmendinger, A.J.
Can Simulators and Video Games Make Great Racecar Drivers?
There are two schools of thought about what makes some people the best in their fields. One is that some people have innate skills or traits that allow them to become great. The other is […]
Diversity
NASCAR and Women in Motorsport
It’s no secret that there aren’t a lot of women in motorsports, especially at the top levels. Why? And is that a problem? The Numbers Let’s take a look at how many women there are […]
Busch, Kurt
NASCAR 2018: The Year in Charts and Graphs
This is the time of the year when everyone takes one final look back at the last year before turning to think about the new one. So, in this last blog of the year, I thought I’d summarize the season in charts and graphs. […]
Busch, Kurt
Cautions are Down in 2018: Are NASCAR Drivers Getting Better at Avoiding Accidents?
NASCAR Cautions are down again in 2018. Is this due to stage racing? The damaged vehicle policy? Or are drivers just getting better and having fewer accidents? […]
Busch, Kyle
NASCAR’s Final Four’s Performance on 1.5-Mile Tracks
A lot of sites have overall statistics about the championship contenders for the season, or their performance at Homestead. Given that the final race is at a 1.5-mile track, it’s worth looking at how the […]
Drivers
Do Less-Experienced NASCAR Drivers Get More In-Race Penalties?
NASCAR has assessed 376 in-race penalties after 34 races. Do less-experienced drivers make more of these mistakes? Let’s check the data. […]