Nascar

NASCAR Racing has become one of the most popular sports in America and its popularity is increasing every year. For those of us who are NASCAR fans we completely understand why it has increased in popularity, but many others don't understand why. The first reason that NASCAR racing is so popular is that it is easy to follow. The rules of NASCAR racing are fairly easy and as with any race, the NASCAR driver that finishes first wins. The second reason is NASCAR has done a great job making it a family sport. Husbands, wives and children all love to watch the races together as a family. Most racers seem like your average guys. They don't come off as stars like in baseball and basketball. Many NASCAR drivers started racing around dirt tracks and come from normal upbringings just like the fans of the sport. As we can see NASCAR is the fastest growing sport in terms of popularity in the United States.

The most popular type of NASCAR racing is Sprint Cup Series. There not so many car makes in there but still every car is unique as it comes with personal settings and car accessories choosen by each team. Those are Toyota Camry, Dodge Charger, Chevy Impala and Ford Fusion.

Toyota Camry NASCAR

'NASCAR welcomes Toyota to the greatest auto racing in the world,' said NASCAR chairman and CEO Brian France, who made the announcement at NASCAR's Research and Development Center in Concord, N.C.

'Toyota's entry into the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series and the NASCAR Busch Series is good for drivers, teams and the fans. This move provides for even more intense competition on the track between drivers and manufacturers, which will provide more excitement and fan interest.' The team has prepared a good car, implementing the most recent Toyota Accessories that will let them in achieving high results.

'It's a great pleasure to announce Toyota's entry into the NASCAR Nextel Cup and NASCAR Busch Series with the Toyota Camry,' said Dave Illingworth, senior vice president and chief planning and administrative officer for Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc.

Engine

Type: Camry Racing V8
Displacement: 358 cu. In.
Power: 800 hp
Induction: Normally aspirated with 830-cfm carburetor
Engine development: TRD, U.S.A., (Toyota Racing Development)

Drive Train

Transmission: 4-speed manual
Clutch: Tilton 3-disc

Chassis/Body

Chassis: Steel tube frame with safety roll cage
Body: Toyota Camry
Designer: TRD, U.S.A.
Spoiler: 4.5 in., 65 degree angle

Additional Features

Safety: 5-point safety belts, Window net, Fire system, Hood, trunk, and spindle restraint

Suspension

Front: Unequal length A-arm
Rear: Trailing arms with panhard rod
Shock absorbers: Hydraulic, single adjustable

Wheels and Tires

Wheels: NASCAR Steel 15" x 10"
Tires: Goodyear Eagle
Brakes: Cast iron disc with multi-piston caliper

Dimensions

Weight: 3400 lbs
Length: 203.75 in.
Width: 75 in.
Height: 51 in.
Wheelbase: 110 in.
Ground clearance: 3.5 in.
Fuel capacity: 22 gal



NASCAR Toyota Camry Gallery

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NASCAR Toyota Camry Spoiler


Dodge Charger NASCAR

After a 30-year absence, Charger returns to the track beginning in February 2005. The historic Dodge Charger nameplate returns to NASCAR Nextel Cup competition as the successor to the race-winning Dodge Intrepid race cars of 2001- 2004, and to the storied Dodge Charger race cars of the late 1960s and early 1970s that earned several national championships.

Following the adage that 'racing improves the breed,' motorsports competition has long been part of the Dodge heritage. From engineering labs in Auburn Hills, Mich., to shop floors in Charlotte, N.C., Dodge, its teams and its dealers live the philosophy it takes to be successful in the ultra-competitive world of racing.

'We're very excited about the new Charger. Not only does it bring back one of the great names in racing history, but it also reinforces the racing heritage of the Dodge Accessories,' said John Fernandez, Director - Dodge Motorsports Operations, Chrysler Group. 'Our goal is to return the Charger to the winner's circle, which is where I first saw it as a boy watching Richard Petty, Buddy Baker and Bobby Issacs dominate the early days of NASCAR.'

Dodge Charger NASCAR Specifications
Engine Location Front
Drive Type Rear Wheel
Production Years for Series 2006 -

Engine  
Engine Configuration V
Cylinders 8
Aspiration/Induction Normal
Horsepower 800.00 HP (588.8 KW)
Fuel Type Gasoline - Petrol

Standard Transmission
Gears 4
Transmission Manual

Dimensions   
Seating Capacity 1

NASCAR Dodge Charger Gallery

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NASCAR Dodge Charger Spoiler


Chevy Impala NASCAR

The Chevrolet Impala SS has made its debut at the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series. And of course with its launching is the unveiling of the GM Racing's all-new R07 small-block V-8 racing engine which provides a glimpse to the new direction in technology that America's most popular racing series is heading.

One of the most powerful element in GM Racing's toolbox is what the automaker calls as the CFD or the Computational Fluid Dynamics which is a mathematical simulation of the airflow around a vehicle. This new CFD technology is influencing the design of both racing and production automobiles. CFD also played an important role in GM Racing's analysis and development of a racing version of the Impala SS which is considered as the new generation NASCAR race car that will make its debut in a competition that will be held in Bristol, Tennessee scheduled on March 25, 2007.

According to Kevin Bayless, GM Racing oval track chassis/aero program manager, "The best way to describe CFD is a wind tunnel in a computer. CFD is a simulation that predicts the aerodynamic forces acting on a vehicle using computational methods rather than physical measurements. CFD allows engineers and racing teams to evaluate the effects of aerodynamic changes quickly on a computer screen rather than in a conventional wind tunnel."

The CFD technology was first developed for aerospace and defense usage however it migrated to the civilian sector as supercomputers which became available to manipulate complex programs. "The CFD software requires a supercomputer because the number of calculations is immense. Foe example, our aerodynamic models typically have more than 10 million discrete data points that are used to calculate the force. It really is rocket science," explained Bayless.

"The computing time required to run CFD programs is a limitation even with a supercomputer," Bayless noted. "A team can run through more tests in a day in a wind tunnel than can be done with CFD. At this point in its development, CFD supplements the testing that's done in wind tunnels and on race tracks. We share the information that GM Racing obtains through CFD with the Chevy teams. Given the level of competition in NASCAR today, it's vital for every team."

Although the price that is involved in this type of technology is high but the benefits of CFD are worth it. The highly advanced software makes it possible to see the invisible movement of air over the vehicle's body.

Bayless said, "CFD allows us to visualize the flow to understand what the air is doing and where the aerodynamic forces are being generated. That's simply not possible with a model or a full-size vehicle in a wind tunnel. CFD also allows us to test aerodynamics without a physical model, which can be helpful in the early stages of a design. We can analyze and compare various alternatives before actually building a prototype vehicle."

Aside from the Impala SS becoming the new NASCAR race car of today it will be Chevrolet's high-profile entry in Nextel Cup competition. The CFD played an important role boosting the identity of Chevy's new on-track representative.

"Although the Car of Tomorrow is highly regulated, it's not a spec race car. As a manufacturer, Chevrolet was able to define many of the Chevy Accessories that separate the Impala SS from our competitors' cars. The headlights, billet grilles, portions of the hood, and the tail were areas where GM Racing was able to incorporate Impala SS styling cues and brand identity. These areas are now fixed as part of the NASCAR Impala SS package," added Bayless.


NASCAR Chevy Impala Gallery

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NASCAR Chevy Impala Spoiler


Ford Fusion NASCAR

That's how long it's been since Ford introduced an all-new model and went NASCAR racing with that model at the same time.

That 1968 car was the Ford Torino, which went on to be a hit in both the marketplace and on the race track. NASCAR Hall of Famer David Pearson took the Torino to championships in both 1968 and 1969.

Ford is confident the 2006 Ford Fusion will experience similar success, both on and off the track.

"Fusion's bold, new styling and its dynamic driving personality are very consistent with what you would look for in both a production car and a race car," said Marty Collins, General Marketing Manager, Ford Division.

Ford believes the demographics of the NASCAR audience and the customer interested in Fusion match up very well.

"NASCAR fans, and the Fusion customer, both encompass a broad spectrum of America," said Burt Diamond, global marketing manager, Ford Racing Technology. "One in three adult Americans consider themselves NASCAR fans, so that's a huge population base that we have to work with in helping Ford Division market the car.

"We know the NASCAR fan base is more family-oriented, and is becoming more ethnically diverse and more affluent than ever before, so it really makes sense for us to feature this new car among these audiences."

The new Fusion production car and the new race version will start appearing together this Saturday when the first of nine Ford Racing Innovation Drives takes place at Kentucky Speedway.

Several thousand consumers will get the first chance to drive the new production Fusion and other Ford Accessories on the Speedway track, while the new NASCAR Fusion, unveiled today in Charlotte, will make its first public appearance at the event.


NASCAR Ford Fusion Gallery

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NASCAR Ford Fusion Spoiler