The Building Speed Blog

Diamond

NASCAR and Energy Efficiency

2016-01-08 dr. diandra 1

It never fails. When I give a talk about The Science of Speed at a University science department (as opposed to a talk for the public), someone will ask “How can you advocate for NASCAR? They’re the biggest waste of gasoline.”

Or something similar.

I’m going to look at this in two ways. People often confuse how much energy is used with how efficiently energy is used. One way to cut back on energy usage is to use less energy, but it’s also possible to use less energy by using the energy more efficiently. […]

Drivers

Are Smaller Drivers Better?

2015-12-11 dr. diandra 5

It’s always a strange feeling when you meet people you’ve seen on television or heard on the radio. You develop a picture of them in your mind and then you meet them and they’re not at all like you expected. Sometimes you expect them to be jerks and they surprise you and are absolutely lovely people. When I met Jeff Gordon the first time, the surprise was that he’s not much taller than I am. […]

Gordon, Jeff

Did Jeff Gordon Really Start NASCAR’s “Youth Movement”?

2015-11-25 dr. diandra 2

Admit it. You (like me) have sat in front of the television watching pre-race interviews for a Camping World Truck Series race and asked yourself “Is that kid even old enough to drive?” I thought […]

Collisions

NASCAR Drivers’ Risky Behavior and the Peltzman Effect

2015-11-06 dr. diandra 1

The introduction of automotive safety innovations is usually accompanied by concern about the side-effects of those innovations. For example, when seat belts were introduced, people worried that the belts would keep them from getting out […]

Building Cars

What Next Season’s (Safest) Drivers are Wearing

2015-10-16 dr. diandra 2

I finally got to the NASCAR Hall of Fame last week. It was a lot of fun, especially since I was there on a Monday morning and it wasn’t all that crowded. The next day […]

Childers, Rodney

Estimating Fuel Mileage

2015-10-02 dr. diandra 5

Last week at New Hampshire, Kevin Harvick easily had the most dominant car, but failed to win the race. They ran out of fuel with three laps to go and finished 21st. The #4 team […]

Consipracies

Analyzing Chase Tracks

2015-09-18 dr. diandra 1

Every year about this time, someone grumbles that The Chase needs a road course. The frequently-cited rationale is that the regular NASCAR season has two, so a champion should prove he or she can perform […]

Drivetrain

How Can Changing Horsepower for Everyone Make Racing More Competitive?

2015-09-04 dr. diandra 7

I get this question a lot: If NASCAR decreases horsepower for everyone, how does that make it easier to pass? You’re basically taking everyone down by the same amount, right? To explain this, we have […]

A graph of the turning force, in pounds, required at Bristol compared to Dayton
Bristol Motor Speedway

Turning at Bristol: A Weighty Matter

2015-08-21 dr. diandra 3

A lot of drivers cite Bristol as one of their favorite tracks. It’s a great exhibit for the argument that racing is more than just pure speed. High banks (which we know mean speed!) and a short track, which means tight racing. But a lot of drivers will tell you that Bristol is one of the most exhausting, physically demanding tracks on the circuit. Add to that the inherent stress of short-track racing, where 43 cars are operating in a limited (half-mile) track. […]

Building Cars

The Digital Dashboard

2015-08-07 dr. diandra 1

Those of you of a certain age may remember these odd looking flat black vinyl things called ‘records’. Records are analog devices. A groove is cut into the vinyl. A stylus rides along the groove and translates the wiggles in the groove into an electrical signal, which is then transmitted to a speaker, which turns it into a vibration (which, when pleasant, we call “music”.) […]