5 things every fan should know about NASCAR's new car

dpkimmel2001

dpkimmel2001

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Saw this short breakdown of the main differences between the 2012 and 2013 cars.

The 2013 season will mark the introduction of the ‘Gen-6’ NASCAR racecar. At the heart of the new car is a desire to see more competitive racing by cars that closely resemble their showroom counterparts. Here are some of the key changes that fans will notice:

  1. Distinct body lines that match street vehicles. The 5th generation car, known as the “Car of Tomorrow” featured a common template used by all manufacturers. During the development of the Gen-6 car, NASCAR worked closely with the manufacturers to design racecars that match their brands, while maintaining an overall car-form that keeps one from having an aerodynamic advantage over another. This is sure to reignite the passionate brand-loyalty (and rivalries) among fans that helps drive the popularity of the sport.
  2. The “greenhouse” area is the same on every car. The area comprised of the roof, windshields, windows, and decklid is known as the ‘greenhouse’. In 2013, every car will have the same greenhouse shape in order to promote aerodynamic uniformity among manufacturers. Fans will notice different shapes and sizes of windows depending on the manufacturer represented, but the surface-area will remain consistent across the board.
  3. Longer nose and shorter tail to mimic street cars. Fans will notice the longer nose (by 2 inches) and shorter tail (by 6 inches). The changes represent another move to make the cars more closely resemble modern production vehicles.
  4. Carbon fiber hood and decklid. For years, teams have attempted to gain an aerodynamic advantage by making their hoods and decklids (trunk lids) flexible. At high speeds, these parts would cave-in and eliminate drag, allowing the car to cut through the air easier. Carbon fiber is very strong, which eliminates the opportunity for flexibility. This should remove the advantage some teams discovered and make it easier for NASCAR to police these parts. Carbon fiber is also light-weight which in turn lowers the center of gravity, helping cars find more mechanical grip and handle better.
  5. New decals on windshield and roof. New decal rules will create a more personalized car that fans can more easily pick out of a pack. The driver’s name will now be displayed at the top of the windshield and the sponsor will be allowed to place a logo at the rear of the roof beside the number. To improve manufacturer branding, decals will no longer be permitted on the headlights and taillights.

Though there are many new features behind NASCAR’s Gen-6 car, it will remain one of the safest, most competitive, and easily recognized racecars in the history of motorsports. Once again, fans will be able to visit a dealer on Monday, and purchase a car that won on Sunday.

2013camry.jpg
 
Good stuff, dpk.

I think one of the main things I'll notice on the 2013 Cup car is the driver's name on the windshield.
Probably gonna remind me of those ASA races on TNN a while back.
 
I'm sorry but the Street version and the NASCAR version don't look at all the same to me. Lipstick on a PIG and all that...
 
nascage said:
Good stuff, dpk.

I think one of the main things I'll notice on the 2013 Cup car is the driver's name on the windshield.
Probably gonna remind me of those ASA races on TNN a while back.
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I particularly like this because with the changing paint schemes through-out the year, I have a hard time finding my favs.
 
I really like the look of the new cars and I can't wait to see them in competition. I agree with TRL regarding the name over the front window. I also like the idea of the carbon fiber hood and deck lid.
 
TexasRaceLady said:
I particularly like this because with the changing paint schemes through-out the year, I have a hard time finding my favs.
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I agree completely. Long gone are those days when we could identify the ride by the sponsor. :(

I do like the looks of the car with the name on there. Reminiscent of the IROC series and how they would run the drivers name along the side. I don't think this will stand out like that did but I like the looks of it.
 
It's not listed here, but the new cars have even MORE downforce. I think they went in the wrong direction, but we'll see.
 
FenderBumper said:
It's not listed here, but the new cars have even MORE downforce. I think they went in the wrong direction, but we'll see.
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Where did you read this? I heard the cars have more mechanical grip but nothing about more down force. If they do indeed have more down force that could cause more aero push.
 
Longer nose might create more downforce up front, shorter deck lid might reduce rear downforce.
 
Smoke14 said:
Where did you read this? I heard the cars have more mechanical grip but nothing about more down force. If they do indeed have more down force that could cause more aero push.
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Logano and another driver mentioned that the greater downforce meant faster corners and slower straights.
 
dpkimmel2001 said:
I do like the looks of the car with the name on there. Reminiscent of the IROC series and how they would run the drivers name along the side. I don't think this will stand out like that did but I like the looks of it.
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I thought the same thing
 
Decent article :

http://nascar.speedtv.com/article/cup-six-pack-of-nascar-sprint-cup-series-g6-facts/

4. JUNK ON THE TRUNK — The big rear spoiler on the back of the G6 cars means they have a tremendous amount of rear grip, which makes them easier to drive. Some drivers likened them to NASCAR Nationwide Series cars on steroids. The give and take is that while the spoiler allows the cars to go faster in the corners, it also slows them down on the straightaways.

“Having more downforce, it doesn’t feel like you have as much straightaway speed, so you’re able to arc the corners more,” said Joey Logano, the newest driver at Penske Racing. “The cars handle better, so it goes more to that.”
 
A fast car with lots of rear grip will make for more risk taking in the corners. That's where I think this big rear spoiler idea is coming from.

And no more trick rear bushings, no more crablegging. That will be nice. I hated seeing those cars go around with the right rear hanging out light a broken leg on a dog.
 
MOEJOE said:
A fast car with lots of rear grip will make for more risk taking in the corners. That's where I think this big rear spoiler idea is coming from.

And no more trick rear bushings, no more crablegging. That will be nice. I hated seeing those cars go around with the right rear hanging out light a broken leg on a dog.
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It seems this may move us further away from a softer tire. I hope I'm wrong.
 
When I heard talk of a new car, I was hoping for two things. One, a car that looked more like something on the street. We have that with this one. Two, a car to provide better racing. That remains to be seen.
 
MRM said:
When I heard talk of a new car, I was hoping for two things. One, a car that looked more like something on the street. We have that with this one. Two, a car to provide better racing. That remains to be seen.
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That's the fact!

I think that NA$$CAR has done a great job thus far.
 
Here's some more info about the new cars that fans ought to know dealing with safety.



For most fans, the beauty of the redesigned 2013 Cup chassis may only be skin deep. But for Tom Gideon, director of safety at NASCAR's research and development center, there's more there than meets the eye.

The "car of tomorrow," introduced in 2007 and used for the past five seasons, was designed to incorporate a number of key safety features offering additional protection to the driver in the event of accident or fire. From that standpoint, the chassis achieved its goals.

But manufacturers wanted unique and individual design cues brought back, so beginning with the 2013 Daytona 500, new body styles that resemble current production cars will be in place. So NASCAR decided to meld form and function. The new chassis may look differently on the track, but the same strident safety features will remain, according to Gideon.

Speaking at the International Motorsports Industry Show's safety and technical conference at Indianapolis earlier this month, Gideon said a number of new safety upgrades have been approved, not only for Cup but the other two national series as well.

"For the Nationwide and Sprint Cup cars, we've added a reinforced roof structure -- another rollbar," Gideon said. "We've added rear spring tethers to all the national series cars. We've added a reinforced windshield for Cup and Nationwide cars at tracks above two miles in length and Trucks on superspeedways."

Another key safety initiative involves the window netting that keeps the driver's arms and head inside the car in case of a side impact or rollover accident, something that's been required equipment since the early 1970s. Gideon said testing showed improvements could be made to how the nets are connected to the car.

"We've also reinforced the window nets in all the national series," Gideon said. "The hardware that attaches the window net to the chassis -- we did some testing to validate it and we found that it's far stronger than the standard unit that's out there now.

"The problem was not the net. The net had plenty of strength. It was the hardware that was holding it in. So that's been improved."

The theme of this year's conference was "keeping safety as a mindset." It's been said that safety is an evolutionary process, one that needs to be reassessed and addressed continually. Gideon said the new chassis achieves that by not only looking racier, but in containing all of NASCAR's state-of-the-art safety initiatives.

"We're looking forward to a great year and we're real proud of those achievements," Gideon said.
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from nascar.com
 
Now they can race even harder! Or dumber, take your pick.

IMO, Kyle "hard racer" Busch

or

Tony "I wish I could have wrecked more today" Stewart
 
MOEJOE said:
Now they can race even harder! Or dumber, take your pick.

IMO, Kyle "hard racer" Busch

or

Tony "I wish I could have wrecked more today" Stewart
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I think it's a given that any and all drivers are to pull aside for Hendrick horsepower.
 
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