Explore

Trading Paint when Racing

Trading paint is becoming a common past time on the NASCAR circuit. It is driving so close to your opponent at close to 200mph that you actually scrap each other and trade paint with one another. The question raised here is why anyone would want to get that close to another driver and even bump another driver at such a high rate of speed. The answer is quite simple and that is that racing at the highest level is an aggressive activity and in order to win a driver has to be aggressive and not back down from anything or anyone.

Rubbing or trading paint is the simple art of get up close to the car next to you to give them some of your paint and a bit of friction at the same time. This often times makes the other driver slow down and lets you get a more advantageous position and if not at least it tells the other you are there and do not forget it. It is comparing it to running the mile in a track and letting the runners use their elbows to get around the runs in front of them or fend off the ones behind them.

Of course if this is done too often or too deliberately then officials can say that it was an infraction and could cause a penalty, fine or suspension. But it has become a common part of racing and if the two drivers involved keep their heads and wits about them then it is all fair and part of the game.

Formula One

Formula One is the most recognizable single seat race circuit in the world. Each year there is a World Championship that is determined after a set number of races and is based on a point system for the first ten finishers in each race. There is also a championship for the constructors as well and that also is based on a point system. The single-seater or open wheeled cars of Formula One are some of the most sophisticated cars in racing.

The cars have aerofoil wings on both the front and rear in order to create a down force to help with the cars traction. Opened wheeled racing in Europe is commonly known as Formula. There are at least three different Formula levels that are raced. There is no format for the requirements of Formula as there are local Formula races and international formula races. Formula One has had a very popular run lately and is the world's most popular motor sport.

The championship is held all over Europe with stops in such places outside of Europe as Canada, the United States, Malaysia and other countries as well. Many of the world's well-known car brands are represented in Formula One including Mercedes, Honda, Ferrari, Renault and others that sponsor their own cars on the circuit. Formula One races like other open wheel races are started from a standing position where as other races like NASCAR are started from a moving car and directed by a pace car.

Racing Pits

Each race no matter where it is held or what circuit it is being raced on, needs a pit area so the cars enter for refueling, minor adjustments and tire changes. The speed with which the pit team members can do these things is crucial and sometimes make the difference between losing and winning.

The pit crew members are all dressed in matching uniforms that are fire retardant and they all have helmets and gloves to fully protect them. Each one has his specific duty as the car comes in for its pit stop. One member does nothing but fill the car with fuel while there are jack men that lift the car and there are others that take off the tires and put them on while even others clean the car's windshield and make adjustments for drag as well as other.

In NASCAR racing the average four tire pit stop should not take any longer than 12 to 14 seconds while a Formula One pit should be even less due to the car be lifted by a hydraulic jack that is done by a touch of a switch. When pits stops are done under the green flag, meaning when there is full racing, then they are even that much more important. Teams train for hours trying to shave tenths of seconds off their pit times in order to get their driver back out on the track as soon as possible in order to no lose track position.

NASCAR

The NASCAR circuit has been racing for over sixty years and is now one of the most popular sports in the United States with races held coast to coast. There are international drivers like Juan Pablo Montoya from Colombia. There are also racers that are in their fifties like Mark Martin. The cars are all held to strict car restrictions and are penalized when they are not adhered to.

The Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series are usually run on the same weekend at the same track with the Nationwide Series running first and the parent Sprint Cup running concluding the festivities. The Sprint Cup races include 26 races and the first ten cars automatically quality for the Chase for the Cup while two wild card drivers are also included. Even though the other 31 drivers continue to race each week they are not eligible for the Cup final that is chased after for the final 10 races. Race car drivers that have completed for championships in recent years have included Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon, Denny Hamline, Steve Harvick and the Busch brothers Kyle and Kurt.

The primary tracks where NASCAR is raced are oval tracks. Well known races for NASCAR include the Daytona 500, Coca-Cola 500 and the Brickyard 500. The number of the race refers to the number of miles that each race will be with the majority of the NASCAR races being between 400 and 500 miles. There are other racing series that NASCAR governs like the Whelen Modified Tour at are open wheeled cars.

Drafting in Racing

Drafting like many other techniques in racing was learned by accident and by a racer named Junior Johnson. He noticed that anytime he would get behind another car his car would actually go faster. He suspected this was due to the lead car breaking the air resistance and the slipstream would go over the top of the first car as well as his car. The technique he figured out helped him to win the 1960 Daytona 500 even though he did not have the fastest car on the track that day.

When a car moves forward it runs into air and that air rises up and then forces the car down and that is what is referred to as down force and drag and both act to make the vehicle go slower. Once drivers saw what Junior Johnson did they started to emulate him the drafting technique was officially started. The trailing car must get with a few inches of the lead car in order for the air to flow over his car and not go do in between them. The draft that the front car creates is similar to a vacuum that pulls the second car with it. Some would think that makes it harder for the front car and in some ways that may be true but the back car is so close the front car that is cuts out a great deal of turbulence and actually makes his ride smoother and easier.

Bump and Run when Racing

There are a number of things that drivers can do to overtake the driver in front of them and one such move is the bump and run. The bump and run is nothing more that bumping into the car in front of you and while they take the time to get their thoughts straightened out and slow down a bit, you can drive right past them. The act of doing this is still quite controversial on the NASCAR circuit where it is most commonly done.

There are a number of veteran drivers that have asked for it to be outlawed by the NASCAR governing body but to date it has fallen upon deaf ears. There are no bump zones that have been instituted. Part of the problem drivers have with the bump and run is the damage it does to the car and therefore causing some aerodynamic problems for later on in the race.

Since each driver can customize the car like they want it is hard to see what will happen to it until it gets hit. Since this act is becoming more and more unpopular it will not be too long before the outlaw it. The problem is being able to determine if it was intentional or not. Going down the track at 200 miles an hour can cause some amount of instability and track officials would have a hard time determining intent on the drive that made the bump and run.