I don't know how many people in here watch Nascar, but have you noticed ever since they switched to these new cars that there are sparks coming out of the side of them? I'm not a huge fan of this sport but I'll watch a few laps or so just because it's racing.

When I first saw those sparks, I thought, "Ok, this car's coming in for a pit". But no. It's perfectly normal and the race continues. Not only is this coming from the Toyota's but the Dodge, Chevy, and Ford all have these sparks coming out now. It's usually always on the right side of the car.

Can someone shed some light on this?

 

I lost interest in NASCAR after they were pressured by the big3 to do away with homologation...

 

The sport itself is kind of boring. Depending on the track they race, that is. I don't like watching tracks that go around in circles or ovals.

But these new cars now feature an aluminum wing in the back now and have these really ultra low front bumpers that significantly reduces downforce or whatever you call it. It looks kind of funny and resembles more and more like street racers we see in the cities. The only reason why I'm watching Nascar right now is that I'm bored to death and there's nothing else on TV. Too boring to watch baseball since it's early in the season. But those flames coming out of the sides are driving me nuts. It's so strange to see that....

 

The "new car" you are referring to is the Car of Tomorrow. It's supposed to be the new direction that the cars will be going. Those sparks that you see from the right side is a flame coming out of the exhausts when they ease off the gas. If it indeed sparks that you are seeing, then it's from the cars bottoming out. One thing about the COT is that it has a lot of under-body trays unlike the previous version which had almost none.

 

Not aluminum... Carbon Fiber. The front bumper has a splitter on the front of it, again... Made from Carbon Fiber.

 

Flames coming from the exhaust on the right side are normal for these carbureted engines on the overrun, as excess fuel puddles briefly in the exhaust stack and is set afire. It's not dangerous unless it fails to ignite and burn off. If this occurs when the engine is cold started due to over-priming or a too rich mixture, it can result in a manifold fire . . . something the driver would rather not hang around for . . .

After a pitstop, it is common to see these cars bottom out their suspension and strike the pavement, throwing up a shower of sparks, thanks to the heavy fuel load and cold, underinflated tires. They have skidplates in anticipation of this, and are doing no structural damage. Normally, this condition will only last for a few laps, until some of that fuel is burned off and the tires warm up to working pressure.

That splitter under the front bumper shows just how low these COT cars ride. The idea is to keep the car as close to the track surface as possible - and if that means dragging the underbits on extreme suspension deflection for a couple of laps . . .

 

I suppose all these improvements help the stock cars run better and better control. It's just that I never saw those sparks before on the last generation stock cars. I turned on the TV today to watch some Nascar for the first time and to my surprise, most of the cars were doing it. It's definitely not scraping the track because the camera were zoomed in enough around the turns where they showed the sparks. It's more than just sparks. More like a short burst of fire coming out (just like how they did it in "Fast and the Furious" where a bunch of fire exploded out of the exhaust tip).

So that's what they're called, Cars of Tomorrow. It looks like there's a lot of weight on the front compared to the rear which sits pretty high.

 

Yea I saw it today for the first time and I don't watch NASCAR but it caught my eye. I didn't know that Toyota is in NASCAR until today..

 

I think why most us don't like Nascar not because it goes round and round, but i think the cars itself that make it boring to watch. Now think for a monment if these cars were LS's car or whatever your favorite car is with stock body and racing oval track. Would your opinnion change? I know i am. I am picturing 30+ single turbo Supras racing round and round..............i can watch it all day.

 

Toyota Tundras have run in the NASCAR Truck Craftsman Series for years, and there are plans to integrate Camrys into the regular circuit, if not already done.

 

August 12 NASCAR will be coming to Watkins Glen, one of two road courses (with Infineon/Sonoma) on the current circuit, and always a great show. Road courses have not been popular with NASCAR simply because they are not fan-friendly and they make for confusing television. Most fans would rather be able to see the WHOLE track, rather than only a couple of corners. Oval tracks let the fans follow the action most of the way 'round - not just in a few bursts of activity.

As a result, purists have always thought NASCAR racing something of a lesser sport, consisting of holding the right foot down and turning left, but in practice, it's a whole lot more involved than that. My first love was F1, but as I came to know the sport through club events, I came to appreciate the unique attraction of the Grand National cars. The tracks have changed drastically over the past thirty years, and now, with the leadership of the finest sanctioning body in racing, NASCAR has produced the best bang for the entertainment buck out there.

The old bull rings like Martinsville, Dover, and Bristol still offer the near flat-track experience of the county fairgrounds, where all four corners count, and they're nowhere near the same. These are driver's races that rely as much on the ability to manhandle the car around a short track quickly is more important than ground effects.

While the superspeedways like Daytona and Talladega tend often to look like a 200mph parade, the strategy of "restrictor plate racing" is more attuned to aerodynamics than absolute power. Here the game is all about alliances and loyalty required to hook up a train of cars to deliver an aerodynamic advantage. Even with three-abreast driving lines available all the way 'round, those who would pull out to pass had better have friends who will join him, or he has about five seconds to form up a line before he starts drifting to the back of the pack.

Then there are the new "D"- ovals and tri-ovals that have come to the sport via the large corporate sponsor. These tracks are designed for the race fan with four to eight distinctive corners, each with its distinctive challenges and a great view of the action for the fan. Venues like Pocano, Lowes, Texas, and Kansas represent the latest in track technology and always put on a good show.

The cars required for these different venues vary considerably under the skin, despite the fact that they are often indistinguishable at first glance. Although they adhere to an "old school" formula designed to restrain top speeds while keeping car costs relatively low (If you consider ponying up $5 million a season for bottom-feeder status low cost racing).

Just as the differences in the tracks, cars, and strategies change from one event to the next, the skills of the drivers are challenged at every venue. It's a lot more than just turning left.

 

The improvements actually help slow the car down. 1, by reducing downforce. 2, by increasing the safety requirements.

The rear is just cut very high at the lower quarter panel.

 

Camry's have been running all year with at least one of them qualifying in every race. This last race at Loudon was Toyota's first ever pole.

 

Only time i watch ovals is for the Daytona 500, other than that i'll only watch road courses. Juan Pablo Montoya OWNZ the road courses, go figure

 

Montoya does not "own" road courses. He just happen to win the one at Infineon this year with lucky/good pit strategy. Since he's from F1, he's better than old bags who only know how to turn left but he is certainly not the best road racer in NASCAR.