>1) In the NASCAR game manual, under Rear Bias, it says (and I'm
>paraphrasing) that the more weight there is in the rear of the car, the
>more it tends to get loose. Also, under Fuel, it says as the tank gets
>empty, (thus lightening the rear weight) the car tends to push. Ok, so
>far so good.
>However, when the manual talks about downforce, it suggests that to
>CORRECT a loose condition, you add MORE rear downforce.
>My question: Why do "weight" and "downforce" have opposite effects? I'm
>confused.
about vehicle dynamics, increasing the load on a tire increases the amount
of lateral (turning) and longitudinal (brake/acceleration) force available.
However, it is not a linear function, so generally you want to distribute
the weight evenly. In other words, two tires sharing an equal load will
generate more lateral/longitudinal force than say 60/40 distribution.
I assuming you're talking about restrictor plate racing (Talladega and
Daytona). The primary reason for not constantly slingshotting past another
car is because it slows both cars down. If you're in the lead pack, you
want to hook up to drive away from the rest of the pack. If you're behind,
you want to catch up. Also, when two cars pit together, they can draft back
up to speed much more quickly together.
You'll see a lot of shuffling go on in the last 10-20 laps of a restrictor
plate race, as drivers try to set themselves up for a run to the front. A
lot of action is going on in the pits as the teams send runners down pit
road to figure out who they can hook up with to make a dash. But on the
white flag lap, all bets are off.
Dave "davids" Sparks
Sequoia Motorsports