Many people tend to say that a car is the one who wins the races. And the lists always range down from Mustangs to Ferraris, Evos to subarus. From the racetrack to a drag strip a driver must be capable to tune his car and modify it to surpass the required limits to be able to win a race. A turbocharger here with a nice exhaust setup over there can help the car very nicely and can come in handy. But, what good is it to have a car that can reach a maximum of 200 mph if the driver racing the car cannot drive over the speed of 20 mph without almost flipping over, rolling onto the sidewalk, and landing on top of a tree.
That is where both factors come into play. In order to win and be successful while doing it, the driver needs to be well trained and have a properly modified car to help him get through the terrain that comes into his path. The way a driver is successful in helping his car thrive in the race is by choosing a perfect tune up, knowing the proper techniques to driving without any problems, and choosing the ideal vehicle for the race in which he/she is going to perform in.
Different terrains can mean that the driver means he need to modify his car differently to suit the harsh conditions it will have to encounter. For example, when a car is getting ready to race on a drag strip, the car itself has to be able to maintain good grip to be able to control the immense power that is forced from the motor, down the crankshaft, to the rear differentials (or front depending if the vehicle is front or rear wheel drive), and finally into the wheels and down the road.
Applying a set of big tire or small tire “slicks” (wheels with a very high profile of sticky rubber to maximize grip) can help the car launch quicker but can also slow down the car if it has insufficient power to make it down the road. That is where the modifications to the motor ome in handy. Many different parts can be added into a motor to make it gain power and strength. For example many people add superchargers into their vehicle increasing the amount of air that flows through the engine increasing revolutions therefore increasing speed.
Also, some people add a smaller pulley shaft to the end of the supercharger so it can create a faster feeding time which makes the two cylinder shafts inside the supercharger spin faster increasing the horsepower. Other people, in the other hand, will apply a turbocharger. A turbocharger works the same as a supercharger but with more arts attached to make it work with twice as much force increasing the amount of torque and horsepower that is laid out on the street as you launch down the road.
The way a turbocharger works is that it has a turbine in the inside that propels cold air into the engine making it run smoother. The downside to this attachment in the engine is that you need to include many more parts to make the part work how it was designed to perform. For example adding a bigger intercooler will allow more cold and the PSI (pounds of boost per square inch) to increase significantly. In the drag racing events, a racer needs to know the terrain nd the area he is racing in.
Many factors can come into play when racing such a deadly weapon such as a 1965 Camaro SS that has been tuned to the max. Take note that an increase in power or decrease in weight can also alter the grip of the car and can cause the car to hydroplane or in other words lose control so therefore the driver must know the proper way to handle his car. If the car “jumps” (performs a wheelie for a short period of time) at the start, the driver must react properly so that his car does not land in an awkward position and loses control putting other people’s lives in danger.
Once he has erformed a perfect launch, the driver must maintain control of the car for the length of the race until crossing the finish line and even then still control it. At very high speeds a driver should know how to keep the car straight and know how to control the shift vibrations due to the fact that on every shift the car jolts in many directions and therefore a driver must be prepared to encounter any bumps on the road. Finally once crossing the line the driver must brake softly enough to apply enough pressure to stop the car but also not too firmly to make the car swing around.
Some racers prefer to tap on the brake until the car omes to a complete stop and others add parachutes that can lower the velocity of the car instantly. Besides drag racing, there are many different events involving cars. For example, Nascar. In this event racer need to tune their cars so that they are capable of going in circles for a long period of time in very high speeds for a very long period of time. Therefore the car’s engine need to be strong enough to withstand revolutions up to 10000 for a long period of time.
To be able to support that much force and power a lot of cold air needs to be flowing into the engine so it doesn’t overheat or breaks a manifold. Adding an up[graded air intake and a better radiator can help cold air flow through the engine. Some nascars even come ProCharged. A procharger is a turbo and supercharger in one. The way it works is it has a pulley that is connected to the main belt of the engine and on the other side it has a turbine that produces boost and provides cold air to flow through the engine.
It has to be lightweight as well so a lot of the interior and suspension has to be replaced with other products that will ensure a safe drive. On the inside a roll cage will be fitted to protect the driver in case of an accident. Under the frame the chassis and undercarriage of the car are switched for a lighter yet more durable aluminum chassis. With racing coils and racing shocks the car is lowered about 3? of an inch so it has better turning abilities. The tires that are used are high profile tire slicks which increase the amount of grip for the massive amount of torque and horsepower these vehicles produce.
The driver, in other words, needs to be able to withstand many hours sitting down and many hours of rounding the track lap after lap. In nascar racing there are way more laps than in any other racing event. Ranging from up to 60-70 laps per race, a driver must maintain control of his vehicle for such a long time at very high speeds. To protect the racer he is also required to wear a flame retardant suit that will protect him from the heat in case a fire erupts under the hood or inside the cabin. But not even like that he is not safe yet. He needs to be able to pass other vehicles at very top speeds while evading many more.
To achieve this he needs to make sure the pass is secured and he accelerates to overtake his opponent but the driver needs to aware that he isn’t too close to the other car he is overtaking ecause a sudden move can make things go from good to bad. The vehicle he drives is equipped with state of the art front drive suspension which will enhance the driver’s steering significantly. This means that if the driver makes a wrong move at the wrong time, the vehicle could spin, roll or even crash straight into the protective wall or into a crowd of other cars.
That is also the main reason nascar is known as such a deadly sport. One of the funnest events involving cars and a race track are dune races or in other words, rally racing. Its also a very complicating sport in which a vehicle and the driver need to be oth trained and well suited to the track they are racing on. Just like drag racing, you can never know the many different terrains you will face. There have been times where a rally will be pure dirt for a quarter mile and then turn into pavement for another half mile and finish off being muddy terrain.
That is why a vehicle involved in this type of race should be upgraded in order to be both fast and handle any terrain that is launched at it. In order to do that, we must start at the undercarriage of the car. A good suspension can help both on the turns and also can help for good stability on both on and off races. A set of medium profile tires can help for light weight wheels but can also help for good grip. Under the hood you can pack any attachments but you must be careful because by adding a part somewhere you can also alter the performance of many others.
For example, since a large part of the race can be driven on dirt roads, adding a lot of power can create a lot of wheel spin causing the car to lose traction and maneuver out of control. The driver has to be well trained for these events. Due to the fact that many of the races include many different terrains a driver must be comfortable driving in any situation. In paved roads he must maintain control of the car without moving the car to much in any direction while going at high speeds. he must also be prepared to switch from one terrain to another.
Going from dirt to concrete or vice versa is a very dangerous task because if you enter at very high speeds or while making a turn you can cause the car to spin or slide out of control and cause a serious injury or sometimes even death. The driver must also be very well protected, so he/she must wear a fire retardant suit and a helmet to protect them from sudden jolts or swift turns. A eck brace is also essential because if a driver comes into a turn really sudden and there are bumps on the road he can whip his head and bruise his neck or in other occasions even break it.
As you may see, having an amazing car does not mean your are king of the track or streets. Being the best driver in the world does not mean you are guaranteed to win every single race you are brought into. It all balances it out when a good racer has a car that is in the best shape possible. But unfortunately, many people have experienced the disasters that occur when someone is not suited to drive. Many deaths have occurred due o the fact that a driver felt confident enough to drive a high speed vehicle but later lost control. Racing is not a game and many people have not learned their lesson.
To be a good racer you must need proper training and be well protected in case of any situation. Also, a driver must inspect his car properly to make sure it is in the best condition possible. There have been many incidents where vehicles have experienced faults in steering, axles, engine, and even airbag malfunctions which have lead to injuries and in some cases even death. That is why I say that the car is not the main reason someone wins a race. It also come down to the racecar driver to make sure his car is in good shape and he/she needs to be trained properly to react properly in any given situation.
The driver and the vehicle become one once entered into a race. A vehicle is no better than the racer just as the racer is no more than the car. Both help eachother out significantly. Without a driver there would not be a car. Without a car there would never be a driver. A driver is a significant help to the car because he is the one that can fix the car to his liking and modify it to the point where it is at its best state. But, a car is responsible for helping a driver to train for any given race.
A car can be tuned to in many ways and by being tuned certain ways it can help the driver get used to some and make certain changes to others. Once a car and a driver are one, they know each other like the engine and the back of the drivers palm. So take into consideration that not only a car wins a race because you can a 1000 horsepower r34 and still lose the race. It also takes 50% of the collaboration of the driver. Like i said before i will say once more, without a car there will never be a driver and without a driver there will never be car.