Redstate Sports

By ETCartman Comments (0) / Email this page » / Leave a comment »

Everyone is VERY lucky that nobody was killed today in the Cup race, or at the A.R.C.A. race on Saturday. It's a flat-out fact that the S.A.F.E.R. Barriers, H.A.N.S. Devices and fantastic safety design within The C.O.T. (a car many people don't like) saved more than one driver today at 'Dega.

A thought I have . . . and it's gonna cost major cash and take some guts for NASCAR and Goodyear to admit they have to do . . . is to maybe bring in some outside engineers and physics people who know speed vs. weight vs. aerodynamics. These folks don't necessarily need to be "car people" either.

Take a couple of test cars, with tire sets from 'Dega, go to a track and then it's off a lab with a dyno for controlled tests. Let 'em look at everything and quantify the whole shootin' match.

At Indy earlier this season, it was just about every tire that shredded. This weekend, it was random and "only" a dozen or so tires - from two different manufacturers - blew apart (literally). As in, "They done blowed up real good.". The Common Connection: All blowouts/detonations were on the right side of the cars.

I am NOT sticking up for Goodyear (Cup tires), Hoosier (A.R.C.A. tires), or anyone else. But if something really specific isn't done and done soon, we're gonna be seeing more than one drivers' funeral in the near future.

I'm positive Denny Hamlin is alive right now and will be OK is all because of the H.A.N.S. Device, the S.A.F.E.R. Barrier and that great frame in the C.O.T.

Not an advert, but there's a book that may help you understand what really goes into getting a car on the track and have it go boogidee, boogidee, boogidee:

If you haven't heard of it yet, check into a book called 'The Physics Of NASCAR'. The single best non-fiction book I've ever read. Explains allot in easy to understand lingo from a physics professor.

Kenny Solomon
Typical Bitter God-Clinging Gun Owner, plus REALLY corked off Jamie McMurray fan and overall NASCAR nut in South Florida