OT Nascar racers

I've just started to get into motor racing and as i'm a bit of a "techie" theres something that that im curious about NASCAR Ive noticed on a couple of model cars and some diagrams that the roofs of the vehicles seem to accomodate two small flaps on the roof What are they for?

They're called 'roof flaps' and thier purpose is to try and keep the cars planted in a high speed, high yaw enviroment. Ie. a spinning car. Right around the 190-200 mph mark there is a tendency for the car to take on aerodynamic properties resembling an airfoil and 'lift' off the ground - and possilbly into the stands. That is when the car is rotating and is either having the side or the rear going into the wind. The flaps are designed to respond to the change in air pressure and deploy - which disrupt the lifting force and keeps the car on the ground. So far it's worked remarkably well. Semi wrote:

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> I've just started to get into motor racing and as i'm a bit of a "techie" > theres something that that im curious about NASCAR > > Ive noticed on a couple of model cars and some diagrams that the roofs of > the vehicles seem to accomodate two small flaps on the roof > > What are they for?

Go to <http://www.sae.org> and search the collections of tech papers from the previous Motorsports Technology Conferences. There was a good SAE paper given by the people that developed the roof flaps -- a joint development by NASCAR, GM and Ford, maybe 4 years ago? While you are there, you can also see our book (shameless plug) at: <http://www.sae.org/servlets/productDetail?PROD_TYP=BOOK&PROD_CD=R-146> On Tue, 13 Feb 2001, Semi wrote:

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> I've just started to get into motor racing and as i'm a bit of a "techie" > theres something that that im curious about NASCAR > > Ive noticed on a couple of model cars and some diagrams that the roofs of > the vehicles seem to accomodate two small flaps on the roof > > What are they for? > > > >

so when were these introduced? Doug Milliken <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]...

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> > Go to <http://www.sae.org> and search the collections of > tech papers from the previous Motorsports Technology Conferences. > There was a good SAE paper given by the people that developed the > roof flaps -- a joint development by NASCAR, GM and Ford, maybe > 4 years ago? > > While you are there, you can also see our book (shameless plug) at: > <http://www.sae.org/servlets/productDetail?PROD_TYP=BOOK&PROD_CD=R-146> > > > > On Tue, 13 Feb 2001, Semi wrote: > > > I've just started to get into motor racing and as i'm a bit of a

"techie" > > theres something that that im curious about NASCAR > > > > Ive noticed on a couple of model cars and some diagrams that the roofsof

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> > the vehicles seem to accomodate two small flaps on the roof > > > > What are they for? > > > > > > > > >

>so when were these introduced? 1994 I believe. Rusty Wallace's 1993 flip at Talladega that resulted in some injures spawned the roof flaps. ----------------------------------------- Dan Belcher Team Racing Unlimited http://simcrash.00game.com