rec.autos.simulators

The "airbrakes" flaps on the cars roof, are they controlled by the driver or
automatically? if they are driver controlled are they on a pedal, lever,
switch or what?
Do any of the sims recreate the roof flaps?
are thay mandatory?
I,ve heard a lot of talk in this NG abot restrictor plates, What exactly are
these?
Thanks for the info guys!

Steve "semi" White

I can't answer your question regarding the roof flaps but I think they are
apart of the new "aero package" that is on all of the NASCAR WC cars this
season.

As far as restrictor plates are concerned, they are thin, square-shaped
metal plates with 4, small, circular shaped holes located in the middle of
the plate. These plates are placed on top of the engines carberator and
their primary purpose is to reduce the amount of horsepower that the engine
would normally produce in a non-restrictor plate race. The reduction in
horsepower would also produce a reduction in the maxium speed of the vehicle
which would make the vehicle more safer to drive on the larger
superspeedways in places such as Daytona and Talledega. For what it's worth,
the majority of the NASCAR drivers don't like restrictor plates but NASCAR
mandates their usage on certain tracks and, for better or worse, NASCAR is
real good about enforcing its own rules, regardless of what the drivers may
or may not think about them.

I hope this helps.

Restrictor plate: Device that goes between the single 4-bbl carb and the
intake manifold to limit the amount of air/fuel into the engine to restrict
HP. It is an aluminum plate with 4 holes passed out by NASCAR at events that
require them. The hole size is mandated and as of late has been enlargend to
15/16 I think, to mate up with the new aero package (roof fin/foil and bill
on rear spoiler). In laymens terms, it limits the amount of air/fuel combo
coming from the cold air box (breather)/carb into the engine. Figures are
banted around saying it takes nearly 100 horsepower away from a free
breething NASCAR 358ci motor.

NASCAR Racing 4 has roof flaps and restrictor plates, and they appear mildly
functional in the sim (I think the specific gravity in N4 is off though, it
is too easy to flip). NASCAR 3 only had restrictor plates and did not need
flaps as it physics engine did not support inverted cars. The resitroctor
plates can come off by tweaking track files in both, my personal fastset avg
lap at Dega w/o plates is 219.82 (which breaks Bill Elliot's reacord of 212+
the year immediatly preceeding the restrictor plates...) Now with plates,
your lucky to get into the low to mid 190's.

Hope this helps,

HB

-Larry

Roof Flaps are automatic and are deployed by the change in air pressure when
the car turns sideways. The roof-flaps deflect air, therefore cancelling much
of the lift. They are required on all Winston Cup and Busch Series cars. As for
Trucks, I'm not sure.

Restrictor Plates are metal plates, with 4 holes drilled to 3/4 of an inch in
diameter, that is used to restrict the amount of air that is taken in by the
carberator. This results in a loss of aproximately 300 horsepower. The were
introduced following a 1986 accident involving Bobby Allison.
Allison was running between 200-220 mph when his car was hit from behind. He
went airborne into the catchfence at Talladega. I belive debris from his car
may have killed some spectators. Anyways, they are mainly instituted in order
to keep the cars from crossing over the catchfences at high speed and into the
crowd.

-
 Alan