The Building Speed Blog

Busch, Kurt

Winning vs. Consistency: The Delicate Balance of the NASCAR Playoffs

2018-10-26 dr. diandra 6

The NASCAR playoffs determine the season’s champion. Is the champion the guy who wins the most races? Or the guy who runs up front the most?

There’s no scientific way to answer this question, but there is data. NASCAR has modified their playoffs to try to create a suitable balance between winning and consistency. Have they succeeded?

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Aerodynamics

The 2019 Rules Package: The Tapered Spacer

2018-10-12 dr. diandra 2

NASCAR announced the 2019 rules package last week. Reactions from fans ranged from wait-and-see to despair to a surprising amount of anger. […]

Charlotte Roval

The Roval is Just a Really Fast Road Course

2018-09-28 dr. diandra 1

This weekend marks the very first time NASCAR has run a race on the Charlotte Roval: a combination of the oval track we run in May with select portions of the road course in the infield. It’s a unique situation because, unlike most road courses, this one is contained. Fans will be able to see the entire course. Everyone is looking forward to seeing something new on this one-of-a-kind hybrid track. […]

Drivers

The NASCAR Playoffs and Preordination

2018-09-14 dr. diandra 1

Preordination (n): The action of determining an outcome or course of action in advance; The fact of being determined in advance. The Oxford Living Dictionary You’d think with my interest in data that I’d be the […]

Aerodynamics

Sciencing Out NASCAR Rules Changes

2018-08-31 dr. diandra 0

Rules changes in NASCAR are tricky.  There’s really no way to test them before implementing them. You’re relying on the judgement and experience of the NASCAR team, with input from race teams, drivers, Goodyear and […]

Crew Chiefs

The Crew Chief of Tomorrow

2018-08-17 dr. diandra 1

I saw the tweet as I was hurrying toward the Goodyear tent at Michigan International Speedway: Chad Knaus says that, in the future, the Crew Chief will be a thing of the past. Here’s Knaus’s […]

Road Courses

Do Road Courses (Like Superspeedways) Level the Playing Field?

2018-08-03 dr. diandra 4

Are road courses, like superspeedways, where drivers with little chance of winning the championship can ‘luck’ into a playoff berth? […]

Busch, Kyle

Let’s All Stop Wringing Our Hands About Having Only Seven Distinct NASCAR Race Winners

2018-07-20 dr. diandra 3

Much has been made of the fact that NASCAR has only had seven distinct winners this year — and that three drivers (Harvick, Kyle Busch and Truex, Jr.) have won 14 out of 19 races […]

Chicagoland Speedway

How NASCAR’s “Enhanced Schedule” Affects the Race Teams

2018-06-29 dr. diandra 1

NASCAR’s enhanced schedule compresses three days on on-track activity into two. It’s designed to save teams time and money, but how will it affect the racing? What is an “Enhanced Schedule”? If you’re wondering why […]

Climate Change

In-Car Fire Suppression Systems

2018-06-01 dr. diandra 4

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 […]