Thread: NASCAR using new automotive technology..

Fuel injection!

How long before we see this new technology in production cars?
I for one am very excited.

Maybe we'll have FANUCs that have more than 256K memory soon too.

I belive you will find that it is throttle body injection. The ethanol gas gives less gas mileage.

WOW! Fuel injection! So high tech.

I respect NASCAR drivers and how much power they get out of those V8's, but I wish the cars didn't have to be so lame.

And why do they have to weigh 18 tons? Maybe they could keep the sonofabitchez on the track if they shaved off a ton or two. I love how if they get the slightest bit out of line it's good night.

Or at least bring back old school NASCAR and make them drive cars that are mostly stock. Not these phony ass tube frame jobs with a body slapped on.

And the GPS technology...

"In 1/4 mile, turn left."

"In 1/4 mile, turn left."

Originally Posted by John Welden

Or at least bring back old school NASCAR and make them drive cars that are mostly stock. Not these phony ass tube frame jobs with a body slapped on.

Yeah, like when Ned Jarrett won the Southern 500 by FOUR LAPS.

Man, that would have really kept me on the edge of my seat.

BTW - You would have been happy for the engines to be "lame" if you were the one signing the checks for engine parts and development. Which is why NASCAR waited decades until they could figure out how to introduce a standardized, tamper-proof system that wouldn't bankrupt the teams.

Steve

Originally Posted by SteveF

Yeah, like when Ned Jarrett won the Southern 500 by FOUR LAPS.

Man, that would have really kept me on the edge of my seat.

BTW - You would have been happy for the engines to be "lame" if you were the one signing the checks for engine parts and development. Which is why NASCAR waited decades until they could figure out how to introduce a standardized, tamper-proof system that wouldn't bankrupt the teams.

Steve

They can go right along racing their taxi cabs around in circles and I'll go right along not watching.

I'd rather watch a guy win by four laps than watch what they do now.

As a 'techie' I'm more of an F1 follower.

As a car guy, I prefer Le Mans (American or European) for variety and tech.... it seems to be the best of both worlds. The Rolex race series is a fun watch too.

Cars can be different (body, engine configurations, etc.,) and still be competitive. Imagine that.

Originally Posted by cmailco

The Rolex race series is a fun watch too.

Groan. Was that intentional?

I thought all the sparks at this weekend's shootout were a great example of how even plain old asphalt makes a good cutting tool at 15,000 SFM.

I like the new rules already.

Not seeing how anyone with experience in 200 mph ground based toy finds this boring.
I do understand it looks easy from the comfort of an armchair.
My wife, who freaks out at 160, watches and says "It looks like they are going so slow". She only likes to see the wrecks.
Bob

Originally Posted by CarbideBob

Not seeing how anyone with experience in 200 mph ground based toy finds this boring.

Bob

One of the guys here in the shop loves NASCAR and I let him watch it in the shop.... mostly for my entertainment of thrashing them. - More on that later if you ask.

Today they had some trials of some sort and all ran individual 4-5 laps.
On the bottom of the screen they've had all the details about speed, RPM etc etc, along with the throttle position.
What impressed me the most is that the guy spent 4 compete laps with the throttle indicator never budging from 100%. Not for one miserable second!
He's average was 193.5MPH, but to get that not once did he lift his foot off the gas. Not once!
Is that really racing???

I'll watch the road course races and kinda like them then, but the ovals are ....

And for the record, I only re-started watching F1 for the last 5-6 years. It's still an elite race that is not of any real value to the average (or any ) carmakers, but recent rules made the races once again competitive across more teams ( of course they're now down to 3 engine builders but ...)

Originally Posted by SeymourDumore

He's average was 193.5MPH, but to get that not once did he lift his foot off the gas. Not once!
Is that really racing???

Hmm, cars are the same, everybody is driving with it flat out.
Yet some go faster than others.
Will you grant me that maybe driving skill has just a little to do with the difference?

This is of course speed trials which is world away from having a whole bunch of things happening around you. Not that hard to go fast when you have the whole track to yourself or when the other cars are all spread out.
While I like fast, personally I prefer the feeling of 40 motocross bikes all pouring into the first six foot wide corner at one time. Lots of close contact and makes you feel alive, even at 50+ years old.

These guys are bouncing around at 190 inches off each other. Most would find this a little bit unsettling.
Get a good friend and try doing some bump drafting at sedate 70 mph freeway speeds.
T'aint as easy as it looks.
Bob

Originally Posted by CarbideBob

Not that hard to go fast when you have the whole track to yourself or when the other cars are all spread out.

That's my point. You try to go flat out on a WRC track... Not even a Prius can do that with Granholm behind the wheel.

While I like fast, personally I prefer the feeling of 40 motocross bikes all pouring into the first six foot wide corner at one time. Lots of close contact and makes you feel alive, even at 50+ years old.

Now you're talking! Better yet, not even 40 riders, just a 1 on 1 on a hare-scrambler run!

Just wait til Danica gets warmed up!!

Best thing to happen to NASCAR in years!

NOT!

Originally Posted by thruthefence

Just wait til Danica gets warmed up!!

I thought she was smoking hot, until I saw her episode on American Chopper. She gives 'flaming bitch' a bad name.

Nascar is great for like 2 minutes... F1 and Le Mans are much more fun to watch in my opinion. However they are a little hard to relate to for me. I enjoy getting out to the SCCA races during the summer though. Now that is some fun racing. You can go into the pits and see what everyone is doing with their cars and actually talk to people that are racing! You can also see the guys who run the porches freak about pit stains in their 10k racing "outfit" The worst part about those races is when they wreck their cars. Most of the time I actually feel bad for the guys/gals that crack up their cars. Some of the people with money have cars as equally impressive as Le Mans cars

this one is just a mustang but when you see it run PIR you will never forget it.
Fluge Race Car - John Reed Racing.mp4 - YouTube

taxi cabs going in circles
You should come down to the races with us John W I have a feeling we would have a blast.

Originally Posted by Catfish kid

I belive you will find that it is throttle body injection. The ethanol gas gives less gas mileage.

No, not so much..........Each cylinder has its own injector and ignition coil, fuel and ignition maps can be altered for each cylinder.

Originally Posted by moonlight machine

No, not so much..........Each cylinder has its own injector and ignition coil, fuel and ignition maps can be altered for each cylinder.

I'm not a NASCAR fan, so take it easy it on me -- I thought the reason they use carburetors (with restrictor plates) was because the top speeds were getting out of control? If they go to electronic fuel injection, aren't they going to have to regulate the fuel injection firmware to limit horsepower?

I imagine limiting the square inches of the throttle body opening would be enough restriction.

Until someone figures out how to create calibrated leaks in the manifold. That will be about 10 seconds I guess.

NASCAR is... Boring.

I watch F1 and Moto GP, real high tech stuff and actually interesting racing.

Originally Posted by Mud

I imagine limiting the square inches of the throttle body opening would be enough restriction.

Until someone figures out how to create calibrated leaks in the manifold. That will be about 10 seconds I guess.

The tech guys at the oval track I used to race at always wondered why I had 85 jets in my 500cfm 2 barrel... But they never had the guts to make me pull my intake. If they had, they might have found my 'leak'. I'm not sure how the hoses to the little air filter on the firewall, disguised as a block breather, got there though...

Then again horsepower wasn't what made me do well. properly designed suspension made the difference for me!

As for why they stuck with carbs for so long, it takes a hell of an injector to get the amounts of methanol into the engine that they would need.