Re: Fifth Gear visits Nascar
At long track high banked Daytona, the cars run restrictor plates that just about halve the power. It's very different having the full field at full ~850hp a piece, for a total of ~37,000 hp blow by you in about 3 seconds.
The cars are also the most developed racecars (chassis, suspension, engines) in the world. Developed - not clean sheet design like F1. Outside of F1 it is also the biggest money racing, and the minds follow the money in general with lots of F1 tech guys (along with other F1 and top open wheel guys) coming to it, also because of the challenge. As the rules become more restrictive, the development just goes to greater depth in increasingly narrow areas. The money WILL be spent somewhere.
The pit stops although still 5 lug and lacking air jacks or quick jacks, are the most impressive in the world because of the combination of brute strength, speed, and precision. As is with the big money they hire 'motion engineers' to watch every stop, oversee every practice and shave time continuously, since 0.1 seconds in the pits opens out to ~9 meters at 200 mph and that is worth one track position which in the long run can cost lap positions.
Race strategy on ovals is also the quickest in the world requiring integration in as little as every 20 seconds or less, and even quicker when the yellows occur.
Car setup is razor's edge since unlike on a road course there is no degree of self-equalization (ie. what helps rotate a car on the slower sharper turns, hurts stability in the high speed sweepers, etc.). When you're off on a typical oval, you're off for every turn since usually you have 2 or 4 turns very close in nature to each other. Driver confidence critical since what works in theory can be pushed at 100 mph, but at 200 mph there is general reluctance to risk life and limb.
