Took some cool pics today

[78 Chevyrado]

They had Denny Hamlin's car at my dads work today so I went over to see it.  I forgot which race, but they said it was the car he used in the last race he won.  They did crank it up for us, I still get amazed at the sound of it!  Enjoy!

[Stewart G Griffin]

You'll have to forgive me for being negative but:

1) If only a toyota camry did look like that shape-wise;   What i'm trying to get at is the "car of tommorrow" concept IS horse product.


2) ...and come with a 355cid v-8 from the factory........

[78 Chevyrado]

Lol  Racing-wise, I agree.  I don't watch NASCAR though, I just appreciate a hot piece of equipment that I'll never be able to have  haha. 

[heavychevy91]

is that TRD engine an option in the 2010 Tundra?

[joesgarage71]

 Good pics. Race cars are kool no matter what crappy wraper they put them in!
TRD is that short for TURD

[Lt.Del]

that would be a 358 cid engine--Sprint cup uses 358's.  Ford uses a 351Windsor, bored to 358, Chevy uses 350 bored to 358, I have no idea what size a Toyota is, however, they all use a Ford 9" rear.

I work the Richmond Races on pit road and ususally spend the whole weekend inside the track when they come to Richmond, Denny, buy the way lives right accross the river from me in Chesterfield County--well, he lives in Charlotte now, but grew up in Chestefield--the hometown hero.  I'm glad Joe Gibbs hired him, i have always been a redskins fan and don't mind when he, Logano, or Kyle Busch wins--all Gibbs cars.

those pics will be collectors items of sorts, the wing will be history very soon and they will go back to spoilers on the trunk.

 

[SUX2BU99]

Nice pics. Clean car that's for sure. What disappoints me entirely about NASCAR racing is what has already been mentioned: the car bodies. Whatever happened to them having some kind of resemblance to whatever make and model they are supposed to be derived from? In the 80's they had stock-appearing sheet metal still. I guess the morphings into generic blobs happened in the late 90s or early 21st century?  What's most ridiculous is the 4-door cars using 2-door body shells. To that end, why doesn't Ford use the Mustang shape or stickers at least? Why the Taurus?  I know NASCAR uses those body template things to make sure people aren't cheating by making a shape too slippery or whatever but it just took away so much character when stock-like bodies disappeared.

[Lt.Del]

I hear what you're saying.  The early 70's were the last time they used real cars.  By the premiere live TV coverage of the first full flag to flag coverage of a race, the '79 Daytona 500, they were already fabricating cars for the races....it is a safety issue.  Cars are made to withstand a 65 mph crash from the assembly line, but, to withstand a 200 mph crash with little injury to the driver, those real cars just won't cut it.  

I know NASCAR uses those body template things to make sure people aren't cheating by making a shape too slippery or whatever but it just took away so much character when stock-like bodies disappeared.

right you are...

Cars in NASCAR started looking very similar in the  90's no matter the make.  But, for that matter, cars in general on the street started looking like each other make for aerodynamics and such...there are only so many possibilities for the same size cars to look different nowadays to meet MPG federal regulations and crash tests and such. So, NASCAR simply streamlined into the COT which also decreases costs for the teams since parts are more interchangeable and officials use only one set of templates, and the teams, no matter the make, can use the same templates for roof dimensions, hood width, heigth, deck length, etc....when the sedans were different, it was simply getting too co mplicated for NASCAR to keep an even playing field.  Ford would get an aero advantage, then NASCAR would step and raise a roof line or something.  Chevy would get an advantage, then NASCAR made the trunks smaller for less stability in handling, etc...They finally said, forget this, make them all the same.   

To that end, why doesn't Ford use the Mustang shape or stickers at least?

They have no problem selling Mustangs for the young wanna-go-fast crowd.  So, it'll serve them nothing using Mustangs in NASCAR.  They (all makes in NASCAR) tend to use the sedan type to meet the wheelbase size for those cars.  

Why the Taurus?

One correction, the Ford no longer uses Taurus, but, The Ford Fusion, as if it matters any.

[Layne]

A carburetor on a toyota....  I like that nascar mandates carbs still. What cfm are they?

[Blazin]

I think they should do one race a year with a car from the 70s. I bet you would here some whining and snivilin from the drivers then.

[SUX2BU99]

Great synopsis SgtDel. I remember when even in the 80's, the cars all had character. Regals were Regals. T-birds were T-birds. Sure that was just the sheetmetal. Inside was like a modern NASCAR car. The early 70's cars were so neat though. Factory floorpans and everything. A Superbird was alarmingly close to the kind you bought off the showroom floor! Too cool.

As for carb CFM, I'm probably wrong but I thought I read somewhere they were in the 600 CFM range and use a restrictor plate to again, even the playing field. That would be amazing if they could use such a small carb on a 600+ HP V8 screaming at 8000 RPM  lol

[Lt.Del]

and use a restrictor plate to again, even the playing field. That would be amazing if they could use such a small carb on a 600+ HP V8 screaming at 8000 RPM  lol

they regularly tach at 9200 on straightaways now, which was unheard of just a few yrs ago.
They use the restrictor plates at Daytona and Talladega to reduce the speeds....Bill Elliott still holds the official all time speed record back in '88 at qualifying at 208 mph.  Just imagine what the speeds would be now with 850hp.   Rusty wallace two years ago took a car to 'dega w/out the restrictor in an unofficial test just to see....I forget the speed, but it was over 220 mph.

Now NASCAR  dictates which shocks they can use, they have the crew choose between 2 rear ratios only.

There is little left to the creativity and experience of the crews anymore.    

There seems to now be a more or less assembly line for NASCAR cars....only a few teams hang their own sheetmetal and build cars now....much of that is done through a company aside from the teams.   Most Ford teams get their engines from Rousch/Yates, who merged resources and puts out power plants for Ford.  I think the two main builders for chevy is Henricks and Childress now where all those teams get their engines.

They have streamlined a lot of things, which reduces the entertainment value greatly.  

I think they should do one race a year with a car from the 70s. I bet you would here some whining and snivilin from the drivers then.

Bring back the Superbirds!!  They lasted only one year because there was such an advantage for those teams like Petty who raced them with the tall wing higher than the roof line. 

[Lucky73]

Is that realy a yota motor.looks like a ford(found on road dead)motor to me.cant imagine a toyta v8 with a distributor

[MarkS]

Toyota in Nascar>>> what next?

I agree Sgt with the superbird. Let'em run.

[ipetero]

sprint cup uses an 830 cfm as opposed to the nationwide series uses the 390