DID YOU KNOW:
...That NASCAR has packed the entire floor of the Los Angeles Coliseum for their upcoming 1/4-mile “short track” race on February 5th & 6th? There’s not a blade of grass to be found, and NASCAR has agreed to remove all the asphalt once their race is over. How much will that cost you ask? We’ve heard right around $1 million. Worry not, NASCAR will, as usual, make plenty of money from their experimental event given they now produce the only legal cars and body parts teams can buy. Quarter-mile tracks are famous for LOTS of body damage; the show be a profitable weekend for the suits at the home office.
...NASCAR drivers have been testing the ALL NEW 2022 version of the new cars Produced exclusively by NASCAR, they include some interesting changes, some of which are forcing the drivers to face some new challenges. The weight and balance is much different than in years past as the engine is moved slightly rearward and the transmission is now a transaxle located at the rear of the car. Controlled horsepower at every track has been designed to improve safety and better racing. Less rear spoiler and front splitter also has the drivers dealing with less downforce, but the grip is up with taller and wider tires. Off course there are the new “center-pin” wheels with one large center located lug replaces the five smaller ones; crews are still getting comfortable with that. It should mean fast tire changes, but the gas guys still have to shoulder 80 pounds of gas cans. The one big change, which would should have happened years ago, is the use of rack-n-pinion steering. This has been a big adjustment for the drivers. Much faster reacting with far less input, the cars seem jittery at first but with enough laps the drivers become comfortable with it.
...It’s going to be an interesting season given how many new things the teams are going to have to work with? We think it’s good that cars will look more like the models they’re supposed to represent. We don’t know yet is the LA race is “sold out,” but we know all the seats for the Daytona race on February 20th is completely sold out. Seems the fans can’t wait to see these new cars in action!
...That the EV vs. ICE wars are only going to continue to get hotter? The EV haters are totally polarized and the ICE lovers remain strongly committed to the internal combustion power trains. Over all this lives the government who continues to only mock-up the issue by opening new laws designed to force EVs into everybody’s garage. Consumers are confused and the manufacturers are just trying to cover their bases. They’re currently forced to spend development money on both power sources. Electric vehicles sales are claimed to be 24% in 2021, but those are government numbers; the manufacturers report something closer to less than half that. With so much, and it’s a lot, hanging in the balance, we’d like to think this huge issue is being better controlled.
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