How a NASCAR Cup Series Race Car Works

i'm jake o'neill creator of animagraphs and this is how a nascar cup series race car works let's start with the exterior body panels snap together and are bolted onto the frame making them fairly easy to replace they're made from a mix of carbon fiber plastic or epoxy resin and kevlar with an outside layer of fiberglass these materials help the car maintain its critical aerodynamic features while also being resilient to contact with other vehicles as allowed by the official nascar rules the front splitter is angled to create down force for the front of the car the stepped design with a raised section in the center allows some air underneath the car while the lowered sides push air around the front keeping it away from the tires to avoid drag the narrow gap between the car floor and the track turns the entire floor into a giant downforce generator as air squeezes thins and rushes beneath the car at a different rate and pressure than overhead air at the rear of the car where these two different pressure zones meet the air crashes into itself creating massive vortices the rear diffuser is angled upward widening the floor gap to allow smoother blending it has veins or strakes to comb through the air for cleaner more controlled outflow the wide opening also creates low pressure before the diffuser turning the splitter diffuser combo into a kind of air cleaning vacuum that sucks in and smooths out dirty air for aerodynamic goals for instance drivers can race closer to competitors and the dirty air they generate overhead air passes over the car to the rear spoiler which generates additional rear downforce official nascar guidelines dictate which size of spoiler is required depending on the race course the seven inch spoiler shown here is for longer oval tracks called super speedways to slow the cars down for driver safety a shorter 4-inch spoiler is used for road short and intermediate courses [Music] splitter stuffers may also be required to reduce overall speed by interrupting the amount of air allowed underneath the vehicle limiting downforce [Music] for oval courses where cars only turn left a special spoiler sometimes referred to as a shark fin is installed on the driver's side of the car to counteract yaw or rotational forces when cornering the shark fin may also help mitigate the side drafting effect that happens when a following car is close to the rear quarter pushing air over the lead car's rear spoiler and causing drag now let's go underneath this exterior bodywork starting with the frame [Music] the steel tube frame is assembled in sections the center section combines the roll cage and chassis the front and rear clip sections bolt to the center section and are relatively easy to remove for fast repairs [Music] suspension suspension is fully independent front and rear so each wheel can move individually upper and lower control arms bolt directly to the chassis from the upright assembly the adjustable shocks are coil over type where dampers are nested inside the springs an anti-roll bar connects the left and right suspension assemblies together to limit body roll it's adjustable with a flexible blade on either side that can be rotated the thin section is more flexible when parallel to the ground and more rigid when perpendicular teams may remove the anti-roll bar for some races to alter handling characteristics [Music] the car's weight distribution can be easily adjusted for instance during a pit stop by inserting a tool through the rear window into the weight jacker assembly [Music] this hydraulic system controls rear spring compression independently the process is called adding or removing wedge too much wedge angle from the rear driver to front passenger causes understeer where the car doesn't turn easily enough and is said to be too tight too much wedge angle on the opposite side can cause oversteer where the rear end breaks loose and the car may spin out of control [Music] steering cup cars use a hydraulic rack and pinion steering system similar to what's found on most passenger vehicles the steering wheel is connected directly to the pinion which moves the rack through a system of gears a special metal piece called a torsion bar connects the steering column to the rack this part flexes as the steering column is rotated from driver input a stiffer or softer bar changes the steering feel toe also referred to as tracking is the angle of each tire in relation to the center line of the vehicle when viewed from above it's adjusted in the front using a toe link adjuster and in the back using shims adjusting the toe in specific ways for better left hand turning is what sometimes causes the car to look like it's slightly crooked on the race track even while driving in a straight line camber which is the angle of each tire in relation to the center line of the vehicle when viewed from the front or back can also be adjusted using shims braking system a master cylinder and reservoir controls and stores hydraulic fluid for braking cuff cars have two master cylinders and accompanying reservoirs for front and rear brakes respectively the cylinders are mounted to the brake pedal on one end and a threaded brake bias screw on the other this bias screw is electronically controlled and can be adjusted on the fly using a knob on the dash the screw position allows different pressure to the front and rear brakes the brakes themselves are a common rotor and pad assembly design the discs are iron alloy while the pads are a carbon based material the front takes more braking force and so uses a heavier six piston caliper brake cooling is handled through intricate ducts extending from the front bumper there are separate cooling channels for the disc caliper and inner wheel the 15-inch front disc has vertical vanes or cooling fins extending from the center outwards for maximum cooling effect j slots on the rotor surface increase brake bite or the speed at which the pad engages with the disc while also helping to clear debris in the rear four piston brake calipers are matched to 14 inch rotors cooling ducts are situated around the brake assembly just as with the front but the intake slots are in the rear quarter window the specially shaped opening is called a naca duct the 18 inch aluminum wheels are secured to the hub with a single wheel lug spring-loaded retention pins keep the lug securely in place a specially designed wheel gun pushes these pins down when removing the lug engine and associated systems cuff cars use eight cylinders in a v configuration that is naturally aspirated meaning air enters naturally instead of being pumped into the engine with a turbo or supercharger for short intermediate and road courses the engines are capped at 670 horsepower some of the air from the grill intake is diverted to the engine through a ram air duct system that takes advantage of high pressure air in the grill area to force more air into the engine on super speedway courses a tapered spacer is installed in the air intake path to limit airflow effectively decreasing engine output to around 510 horsepower or safer racing speeds exhaust collects from headers into large pipes that exit through ports in the bodywork on each side [Music] the engine oil tank is located between the driver's seat and the fuel cell it's part of a dry sump system where oil is pumped from an external tank dry sump systems have superior oil pressure and distribution characteristics and also allow the engine to be mounted much lower for an improved center of gravity the engine control unit or ecu sits inside the cockpit mounted to the dashboard the ecu is a powerful computer that can monitor and tune engine performance characteristics cooling the front splitter directs air into the radiator duct where it passes through the radiator and oil cooler the exiting airstream is directed over the hood and car body through louvered hood vents the ideal running engine temperature is between 230 and 250 degrees fahrenheit if temps are dropping too low in a race cooling air can be restricted by installing a perforated barrier called a throttle plate in the radiator exit duct ducts in the grill bring cooling air into the rocker box and vents in the side skirts allow hot air to escape from underneath the driver fuel tank vented fuel tank also called a fuel cell is a nearly puncture proof steel container lined with a kevlar bladder and painted red to make it more visible if it comes loose in an accident cup car fuel cells can hold 20 gallons of fuel and only get about 4 to 6 miles per gallon at race speeds the tank is filled with foam baffling to tame the sloshing liquid under incredible racing forces the goal is to keep the large fuel mass centered and low and also to prevent foaming and fuel pump starvation pit stop refueling is performed using a vented dump can that can hold up to 11 gallons of fuel and weigh almost 70 pounds two cans are used during a typical pit stop and can be emptied in as little as eight seconds each transaxle engine power flows through a shaft to the transaxle which combines the transmission rear differential and rear axles into one unit drop gears allow teams to quickly adjust the rear end gear [Music] the ratio gear shift lever is paired with the six-speed transmission five forward and one reverse the gearbox is manual sequential where the driver controls shifting but the lever moves only forward or back shifting one gear at a time up or down the rear end has a torque biasing limited slip differential meaning the tires will rotate at similar speeds when under more torque for example on a straightaway when rounding a turn less torque at the rear wheels lets them rotate at different speeds the differential gears connect to rear axles with special tripod joints that allow the spinning axles to tilt with rear suspension movement [Music] safety systems cup cars have robust safety systems the aluminum tubes that connect the rear bumper to the rear clip create a framework that can absorb violent impacts the front bumper is attached in a similar way [Music] the roll cage is a driver's primary protection certain bars were implemented after devastating crashes and are named after the drivers that were involved heavy steel anti-intrusion panels keep objects from entering the vehicle's size during a crash thick injection molded foam blocks cover the doors as well as the front and rear bumpers increasing the car's ability to absorb impacts from all sides in accident conditions cars can get turned around to the point where aerodynamic devices have the opposite effect becoming dangerous lift generators that can send the car airborne to counteract these unwanted effects strips along the length of the roof increase overhead pressure when the car is sideways [Music] hood and roof flaps deploy as the car approaches a backwards-facing orientation hood flaps let air escape from underneath the car a connecting cable also opens the diffuser flap that stops air from getting underneath the car safety tethers attach items to the chassis to prevent them from flying off into other vehicles or even into the stands there are multiple tether points for the hood and deck lid and for each control arm and wheel assembly each car contains two to three separate fire suppression systems there are heat activated systems in the engine bay and trunk areas the driver has access to a cockpit mounted extinguisher there's a roof hatch directly above the driver for emergency exit [Music] there's no window on the driver's side a window net keeps the driver inside the vehicle and large debris out [Music] rookie drivers are required to have yellow stripes on the rear bumper to alert other drivers [Music] cockpit cup car racing seats are crafted from molds taken from a specific driver's body a seven point harness keeps the driver in place the seat wraps around the driver's body wherever possible and safety structures surround the helmet area drivers wear a special brace called the hans or head and neck support to limit head movement in adverse conditions a connected strap clips to either side of the helmet and the shoulder harness straps keep the device pressed against the driver a drinks tube is incorporated into the helmet it's connected to a small fluid reservoir to keep drivers hydrated as cockpit temperatures often reach upwards of 130 degrees fahrenheit an air conditioning system collects air through front quarter window naca ducts and pumps it into the driver's helmet as well as a special cooling pad behind the back and legs cooled water may also circulate through the driver's fire retardant suit a cockpit cooling duct in the front window is centrally located to avoid hot radiator air slits in the back window also draw in cooling air most of which exhausts through the driver's side window the simple steering wheel includes a push-to-talk radio button for communication with the track spotter to get info on track conditions and race strategy a customizable digital dash has replaced dials in recent years and can display everything from lap times water and oil pressures engine rpms and pit road lights among many other options for nascar rules speedometers are not allowed to be displayed auxiliary switches vary between teams but can include things like ignition helmet or body air conditioning or a switch for the three-quarter gallon reserve tank an electronic rear view screen is connected to a camera on top of the car to give drivers an unobstructed rear view the small driver side mirror is not allowed to extend outside of the car driver's shoes may have heat resistant heel guards as a barrier to intense exhaust heat underneath the cockpit floor the pedal box consists of a traditional three pedal manual setup with the gas pedal on the right the brake pedal in the middle and the clutch pedal on the left once in motion the clutch isn't needed for further gear shifting there are cameras antennas and sensors all over these cars for example a timing transponder just inside the rear passenger wheel well tracks lap times down to the thousands of a second a tire pressure monitoring system or tpms sensor is attached to each wheel cameras on the front top and rear of the vehicle as well as in the cockpit are used during broadcasts to bring the audience into the action antennas on the roof facilitate communication from the crew to the driver and vice versa other antennas send audio and video as well as telemetry data the newest nascar race cars are going to return to their stock car routes bringing design aesthetics closer to their consumer grade counterparts the frame suspension and body are now symmetrical side to side and many of the systems we've covered here have been redesigned to be more similar to those found on passenger vehicles [Music] [Music] you

Channel: Animagraffs

Views: 582,177

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Id: HEfaVUkEwps

Length: 19min 32sec (1172 seconds)

Published: Tue Mar 22 2022

Reddit Comments

[u/Sean_Courtney123]

I really want a vid series or podcast that explains how teams are doing different things to find speed. Seems like no one explains the subtle technical stuff that makes all the difference.

[u/EvilLeprechaun29]

Nice! Thank you for posting!

[u/mcmustang51]

They used to have an interactive model on NASCAR.com but they took it down after some clever guy found a way to extract the 3d model

[u/Revjsu]

But we get some dude dressed like a watermelon seed

[u/BotherSquidwardDay15]

Would love if they built an actual cut away car for broadcasts.

Even that huge team caliber diecast BP used to demonstrate was really cool. They should totally do that.

[u/Moppyploppy]

I've been a fan since 1996. I don't think I truly understood wedge until this video.

I is am idiut.

[u/Revjsu]

But we get some dude dressed like a watermelon seed….