Search results
Results from the WOW.Com Content Network
Ford NASCAR engine. NASCAR engine bay. 1987 Ford Thunderbird stock car engine. Chevrolet NASCAR V-8 motor. Ford V-8 stock car engine. NASCAR, the highest governing body and top level division for stock car racing in the United States, has used a range of different types of engine configurations and displacements since its inaugural season in 1949.
In 1982, NASCAR's then-new second-tier series (currently known as the NASCAR Xfinity Series) competitors began looking at alternatives from the 5-litre based (311 cu in (5.1 L) engines, as in short track racing there was a push for six-cylinder engines to save on costs, with some series allowing weight breaks.
The Generation 1 in NASCAR refers to the inaugural generation of post-war cars used between 1948 and 1966. The first generation of stock cars used a strictly-stock body and frame, the doors were strapped with the use of seat belts being required, and a heavy-duty rear axle was mandated to stop the cars from rolling over during a race. [2]
In the next decade, Ford's Mercury brand left, as did Chrysler's remaining brand in Dodge. General Motors had been using four different brands in NASCAR up to 1991, but within three years, Buick and Oldsmobile were no longer represented on the grid. Pontiac survived until 2004, leaving only Chevrolet as the lone General Motors division.
At racing speeds approaching 200 miles per hour, a modern NASCAR race car can generate enough lift to get airborne if it spins sideways. To keep cars firmly planted, roof flaps were required in 1994. [3] 1994 was also the final year that V6 engines were used in the Busch Series, as many short track series had abandoned six-cylinder engines.
Each team may build its own cars and engines (per NASCAR's specifications) or purchase cars and engines from other teams. The cars are powered by EFI V8 engines since 2012 after 62 years using carburetion as engine fuel feed with compacted graphite iron blocks and pushrod valvetrains actuating two-valves per cylinder, and are limited to 358 ...
Further, there are random races per year where NASCAR confiscates vehicles (including engines and chassis) and takes them to NASCAR's Research and Development Center for evaluation, comparison, and to help decide on future rule changes, or Balance of Performance changes (NASCAR's center is also used for IMSA and ACCUS/FIA evaluation of BoP).
NASCAR eventually adopted a restrictor plate to limit top speeds for the 7.0L engine as teams switched to small-block 358 cu in (5.9 L) engines. NASCAR edited the rules in a way that they hoped would make the cars safer and more equal, so the race series would be more a test of the drivers, rather than a test of car technology. [21]