how does a nascar handle a road course?

by Keenan Buckridge 8 min read

NASCAR road courses, on the other hand, involve lots of left and right turns so remaining at a consistent speed is impossible. For that reason, there is more gear shifting involved in road courses. Do NASCAR cars have reverse? Yes, NASCAR cars do have reverse gear. It is mainly used to move the car in/out of the trailer or pit areas.

Full Answer

Will NASCAR ever have 3 road courses in a season?

The schedule: NASCAR’s top division hasn’t had three road courses in a single season since 1987, when the series visited Riverside (California) International Raceway twice and Watkins Glen once.

What is the point of NASCAR stage racing?

Stage racing is simply NASCAR's way of bunching the field up a couple of times and trying to create something interesting. It's also an incentive to race as hard as you can, no matter what lap it is, which has made for some good racing in the past.

Why are points so important in NASCAR?

The reason these points were so valuable is that they are tallied up at the end of a race and decide how many points each driver walks away with. You also earn playoff points per stage you win, which is added to your postseason total.

What is an example of a NASCAR race with multiple stages?

One example of this would be the Daytona 500. which consisted of two 65-lap stages. This brings the total laps to 130 and sets the field up for a 70-lap shootout to the end. The last stage is always the longest distance of the entire race, and usually involves a pitstop as well.

What is a road course in NASCAR?

AP Photo/Terry Renna) Road racing is a type of motorsport racing run on a cleared street surface. The races can be held either on a closed circuit or on a road circuit using closed public streets. Initially, road races were held predominantly on open streets.

How fast do NASCAR cars go road course?

200mphHow fast are the NASCAR cars? The average top speed of a NASCAR car is just over 321km/h, or 200mph. Compared to a Formula 1 car, this is quite a bit slower, as they hit speeds of 360km/h (223mph). Indycar – another major American racing series – is faster still, reaching speeds of 380km/h (236mph).

How do NASCAR drivers shift without using the clutch?

Unlike the transmissions on normal manual cars, NASCAR cars do not require the driver to press the clutch pedal while shifting gears. Although NASCAR cars have clutch pedals, these are rarely used when shifting gears. Instead, drivers shift gears by matching the car's speed to the car's RPM (revolutions per minute).

Why are there so many road courses in NASCAR?

NASCAR is an oval racing series, even if oval racing can seem bland, it is what the series is built around. Road courses do bring some great excitement and variety, but adding more could ruin that. Road courses could go from a must watch event in a season, to just another race on the schedule.

What kind of fuel do NASCAR use?

Sunoco's 260 GTX Racing Gasoline is the official fuel of NASCAR. Sunoco 260 GTX is an unleaded racing fuel that contains no oxygenates and no metal additives (lead). It also does not contain any ethers or alcohols such as ethanol or methanol or any other oxygenates.

Is there a speed limit in NASCAR?

At top speed, race cars can reach over 200 miles per hour on the track. They can go from zero to 60 mph in approximately three seconds. During a race, NASCAR vehicles can reach up to 750 horsepower, whereas a regular car tops out at about 300 horsepower.

Do NASCAR drivers use both feet?

NASCAR drivers do normally use both feet, employing what is known as left foot braking. However, since heel-toe shifting can be just as effective as left foot braking when performed correctly, some right-footed drivers may instead try to master that technique.

How many gears do NASCAR transmissions have?

While modern day street cars are mostly automatic now, NASCAR requires that cars use a four-speed manual transmission.

Do race cars have automatic transmission?

Other than work vehicles and daily vehicles, sport and race cars are still made with manual transmissions as well. When it comes to racing there is drag racing, road course, autocross, and drifting.

What is the longest road course in NASCAR?

For all NASCAR tracks, Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, is the longest. The road course hosts the NASCAR Cup Series and NASCAR Xfinity Series once per year and is 4.048 miles.

Who is the best NASCAR driver on road courses?

From 1980 to now, the top road course winners are Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart and Chase Elliott. You have to go down to 11th place to find Marcos Ambrose, with two Cup wins.

What are the 7 road courses in NASCAR?

As of 2022, current NASCAR national-level road courses include Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Circuit of the Americas, Sonoma, Watkins Glen, the Charlotte Roval, Road America, Mid-Ohio and Mosport.

How many drivers are in the Monster Energy playoffs?

Playoff implications: This is the first elimination race in the 2018 playoffs for the Monster Energy Series. Twelve playoff drivers in the 16-driver field will advance to the Round of 12 next week at Dover. For the Xfinity Series, this is the second race in the opening round of the playoffs.

What is the penalty for short cutting a course?

Penalty for short-cutting any part of the course: If you short-cut the course ( ie: blow through the chicane), you will be required to come to a full stop in one of the pre-determined zones (the restart zone alongside Turns 15-17 if the violation occurs in the Turn 11-12 chicane; the apron before the start/finish line if the violation occurs in Turns 15-17). Teams would be assessed a pass-through penalty if drivers fail to serve their penalties by stopping in the designated areas. Read More

Can you drive in the rain on Xfinity?

Driving in the rain? Yes, wet weather tires will be on hand should conditions warrant their use. Cup teams are allowed two sets of “wets” for practice and up to four sets for the race; Xfinity teams are allowed up to two sets of “wets” for practice and up to two sets for the race.

Does a restart include a chicane?

What about restarts? Restarts will not include the chicane in the trioval so that all cars are on an even-playing field, and that the front of the pack does not have an advantage over the back.

Does NASCAR have a road course?

Talladega is famous for their restrictor plate track and that gets used but NA SCAR never uses a road course for the season. That is about to change just in time for next year. Charlotte Motor Speedway’s famous road course will be included in the NASCAR season playoffs.

Is Charlotte a cookie cutter track?

Fans refer to these as “cookie cutter” tracks. Integrating a “cookie cutter” track’s road course on a NASCAR race’s special round is a simple way to change things up and keep audiences interested.

Is NASCAR like Formula One?

It was a wise decision on NASCAR’s part to add some road course dates. The truth is that NASCAR will never be like Formula One. The oval is what makes NASCAR. However one of the ways NASCAR has drawn in new spectators is to have races on road courses. It makes for a glorious blend of unpredictability and really shows the skills of drivers beyond what we normally see them in. You also get more of a feel for what these stock cars are really capable of.

Why did NASCAR implement stage racing?

It all just comes down to excitement and incentive at the end of the day. Stage racing is simply NASCAR's way of bunching the field up a couple of times and trying to create something interesting. It's also an incentive to race as hard as you can, no matter what lap it is, which has made for some good racing in the past.

What happens every time a NASCAR restarts?

The truth is that every time NASCAR green-flags a restart, there is a good chance of a great pass or a big wreck happening. Although these sometimes happen on their own throughout the race, there are other times where the opportunity doesn't present itself. Furthermore, the introduction of stages gave NASCAR drivers an extra incentive by competing ...

How do stage points work?

Let's say Chase Elliott won a race at Pocono Raceway, earning him a total of 40 points. Let's also say that he finished fourth in the second stage, earning him seven points, and second in the first stage, giving him nine points. This, along with the five points given to the race winner, adds up to a grand total of 61 points.

What is stage racing in NASCAR?

Stage racing is simply NASCAR's way of bunching the field up a couple of times and trying to create something interesting. It's also an incentive to race as hard as you can, no matter what lap it is, which has made for some good racing in the past.

How many points did Chase Elliott get in the Pocono race?

Let's say Chase Elliott won a race at Pocono Raceway, earning him a total of 40 points. Let's also say that he finished fourth in the second stage, earning him seven points, and second in the first stage, giving him nine points.

How many stages are there in NASCAR?

While there are usually three stages in each NASCAR race, the exception to the rule is the Coca-Cola 600, which is given a fourth stage due to the longer distance. To determine stage length, NASCAR usually splits the first 60 percent of the race between the first two stages. and then runs 40 percent of the race in the final stage.

Why are playoff points so valuable?

The reason these points were so valuable is that they are tallied up at the end of a race and decide how many points each driver walks away with. You also earn playoff points per stage you win, which is added to your postseason total.

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