OT Restricter Plate Racing

Nope, and probably won't be in our lifetime. Too much money and it makes it way to easy to "cheat". Though...this is the last year it can be called the "Great American Race"...since they are letting Toyota in next year! So I guess most anythings possible, but not for the forseeable future (the fuel injection).

Different sized carbutetors for different tracks. The long high speed tracks have been restrictor plate tracks for some time now. A small carb and a plate between the carb. and the manifold. NASCAR hands them out and amy even be changed during practice for smaller ones if the cars are going too fast.

Mike

NASCAR has locked the rulebook for the driveline of a NASCAR stock car to about 1965. They 'only' allow carbs. NHRA is the same way with Pro Stock in drag racing. Jeff (Waiting for Tony Stewart to fall on his head on live TV) Rice

"Bill Glass" wrote...

Not to be too pointed, Bill - but NASCAR racers are stock in name only, and have been that way for quite some time. As a matter of fact, there is no longer any part on those cars that was made in Detroit's factories. The engine blocks are of stock specs, and the heads are of stock valve geometry - and after that it's all pure racecar fabrication. Even the sheet metal doesn't come from Detroit. Everything is tailored so that NASCAR can control the cost and thus "the show". It's just a big money making machine, and once sponsorship changed from oil companies and auto dealerships to laundry soap makers and clothing manufacturers..... I lost interest.

Me too. I loved to watch the '54 Hudsons blow Olds 88s off the track. Those cars were essentially the same as the family cars of their make. Paul Johnson

Well...not exactly 65.. Those are some pretty fancy cylinder heads for 65.

But essentially that's sorta correct. No computers, data loggers on race day. The chassis are very basic, the bodies start from flat stock and made in house, though I do believe the "top" is still stock OEM.

They spend a LOT of time in the wind tunnels (in 65?) to perfect the body shapes for a given track they are going to. Shocks (along with springs and anti-roll bars) are a major piece of adjustable equipment. Though NASCAR has reciently limited the shocks they can use!

Even though they are limited in cubic inches (358), they can obtain that size in any bore to stroke ratio they desire.

They have retained the sorta original mid 60's weight of 3500#.

Mike

Mechanically, NASCAR is lost in the '60s. It has been decades since the cars were even close to stock. Other than the front, they barely look like stock models now and will be going farther from stock and more alike when the new Car of the Future race car takes over - phase-in starting next year. Not counting DaimlerChrysler, there have been many foreign makes in NASCAR (in the early years).

I know that Jaguar ran at one point, but what other foreign makes have run in NASCAR?

Toyota runs in the truck series and will run their cars next year, but in reality Toyota, like Honda, Nissan and others are made in the good old USA. By-the-way, what Toyota model will they be using?

Joe (I too ame tired of professional wrestling...er, I mean NASCAR.)Roberts

Camry Toyota has to develop (and have NASCAR approve) their own engine. It will be about as much Toyota as the current Ford is Ford and Chevy is Chevy. Of interest is to watch them test their engines during races late this season...in a Dodge, Ford, or Chevy body. Jeff

I know that Jaguar ran at one point, but what other foreign makes have

begin 666 Toyota Camry.jpg M_]C_X `02D9)1@`!`0$!+ $L``#_VP!#``4#! 0$`P4$! 0%!04&!PP(!P%!$4'AX>'AX>'AX>'AX>'AX>'AX>'AX>'AX>'AX>

M'AX>'AX>'AX>'AX>'AX>'AX>'AX>'A[_P `1" #L`>@#`2(``A$!`Q$!_\0` M'P```04!`0$!`0$```````````$"`P0%!@(]0_O_P#CJ_X5C #/2G;5]*.9 M]PL;*^(M0/\`'_XZO^%+_P`)#J'][_QU?\*Q@!Z4N!D_1 M?\*R=H]*,#TJ7)CLC6/B&_[-_P".K_A3#XBU$?Q'_OE?\*RGX'%,/*YP*.9] MQ6-OUKN?B7_QZ6GU;_V6N(4`DYKGJ?$Q MK8!2CK35)Q3U[&D`]>M*/O4@I5Z MTP)#QTIPZ"F*UCO9-D;CTS298M@'MGFO%=2^+'CJ_,8\+^#K"VLY8(Y$O=5N" M`I9 6RHP/E)(^]VJ'3=7\;ZPQ3Q+\6K+PY$XX71]'WY^LC @?7-)58LZ7EM6 M*O-_@>Y1I*W$:M(QZ *?_K4LD-RLA0]"#FG_`#=!&V/4UA3^++_3 MI FK>!DB![V\VS/X$#-$/C'P1>SB&YL=8M93UXE8?FA(_E1Y$J#ZF\5;'0Y_ MSVIK,,XSC_@)_P`BI+7PQI>H6ZWVF:IJMJK_`'6\Q@?R89J8Z3XGL.8-4L=1 MA'_+.]A"MC_?`IJ+"R*A(QUQ]2!FG*"?X32W>NQ:8N?$7AR:RBZ&YAC$T)]R M5Y%7[2'P]KD!N=*OM^X?>MY]V/JIZ4[(?*^AG-D&DR:?J/AS6HP6L-468?W9 M453].EHNALB@]14-O/'*-T4BR ]-KPP:M-$.,ENA.]%*1ACWX/>D!X&:9 =Z1QUIN*>O7%''%`X(XZT .48X[ M5(!@4U!DGBG=J `]*5.:3&12H* 'X4#I1@=J0\BE4N\2?8UQV@>!I?%;O=+?-!IDIU4 MZE'#J"FSMF?Y[@Y!5^V\0ZKX:OY].T;Q!'%Y+C,`_E7BI$UK M.48212*>_44T%P1MW C@"D\.ELST844T?3OASXZ_$W29%(UY+Z,,"4 MO(0^[GID_U+3YTN(2'6-UD, MN^/=9U74GO=1-B7VA(X(;8)9*I)-U&,-DEI-W)]A73^#_`(8^-/%4 M:R:)HT\EGD@7,H,#]U)R5./53D&G#&=T^ M\18S#^]RW1ZF>%!I!SUJ*SN;6_M%O;"[M[RUV?S4/\` MWS4JD$

I'm looking forward to this, until Toyota follows the other manufacturers and sandbags during testing and goes sobbing to NASCAR telling them they need more.

When they start running the Cars Of Tomorrow (COT) cars next year, the only way you'll tell which manufacturer the car is by the stickers on the front grill. So Toyota teams probably don't even need to bother working up a body template.

I'm not a big racing fan so maybe I'm missing something, but from what it looks like this "Cars Of Tomorrow" thing looks like everyone will have to drive pretty much the same car.

Isn't that what the IROC people have been doing for years?

What do the manufacturers get out of this? What do the FANS get out of this?

At least currently the fans have the illusion that a NASCAR Taurus is something like the one they drive but it seems like this is even taking that away.

What's the point?

Maybe someone needs to start up a new racing league for modified stock cars...

Jeff DeWitt

Lee Aanderud wrote:

No Taurus no mo'... 'Tis the Fusion now.

"Jeff DeWitt" wrote...

What's the point?

Actually the Taurus is replaced by the Ford 500.

Col> No Taurus no mo'...

I was thinking in terms of production automobiles, not nascar. Interesting to see the differences between the two actual cars as illustrated in the article.

Col>

We're talking NASCAR. Not real world.

Paul Johnson wrote: I loved to watch the '54 Hudsons blow Olds 88s off the track.

IIRC Olds beefing up their front suspemsion to stop breakage was one of the first moves from "stock."

Karl

My nomination for quote of the week.

If I were Nascar czar, I'd deep-six the current formula cars, and have 3 series of races, pre-'55 vintage stockers, circa-'65 vintage stockers, and current-year "box-stock" cars.

Teams would own and prep their own cars for the 2 vintage series, and the cars would have to meet the Nascar rule book for the year in question, other than I'd mandate safety upgrades, excepting brakes, to current standards.

"Box-stock" cars would be paid for by the teams, but would be bought anonymously around the country, and shipped to Nascar HQ, where the necessary safety work would be done; roll cage, glass removal, and the like. ZERO mods to brakes or power train, or to body aerodynamics. I'd allow racing tires, up to a limiting size. These cars should be as close as they can practically be to what Joe Racefan can buy at his local dealership.

With this scheme, ALL the cars being raced would be at least close to what you and I can buy, either new at the dealer, or in the collector car market.

And it would really be fun to see the current crop of drivers dealing with the older iron

Gord Richmond

You and I are thinking along the same lines Gord. I often say If NASCAR would go back to 1965 rules we would be getting a lot better cars from the manufacturers, ie: no front wheel drive p.o.s'. You know, "Win on Sunday and sell on Monday.

And why would they want to change somehting that has exploded on the "entertainment" scene over the past 5-10 years and shown unprecedented growth...far outnumbering any other spectator sport or televised event with the exception of the Super Bowl for viewers?

They've grown beyond all their expectations and most of them are multi-millionaires...including the lowly little drivers! Conservative estimates are that it now costs between $6-10 million per year to field a NASCAR race team...MUCH more if you want to be "competitive" and win races!

They gave up the notion years ago of "Win on Sunday, Sell on Monday"...it quit working in the 60's...and now they've grown to the point that manufacturers (Toyota) spend umpteen bazillion dollars just to be allowed to race and the TV networks pay more than any other sponsor could possibly pony up!

Bob (go fast..turn left...NOTH> >We're talking NASCAR. Not real world.

series of races,

would have

be done; roll

be as close

older iron