In
the beginning, stock-car racing was exactly what it sounds
like. Drivers actually bought brand-new cars from dealers and
went racing. The National Association for Stock Car Auto
Racing (NASCAR),
organized in 1947, created a standardized set of rules for
stock-car racing and established a system for selecting a
national champion based on performance at races across the
country.
Photo courtesy
Caterpillar
The Caterpillar-sponsored No.
22 car
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The original races were run on dirt tracks that got rutted
and bumpy. The unmodified cars were not tough enough for this
type of abuse, so NASCAR began allowing modifications to the
stock cars to increase their durability. Over the years, more
and more modifications were made, sometimes to increase safety
(see
How
NASCAR Safety Works for details) and sometimes to improve
competition. NASCAR strictly controls all of these
modifications, which are spelled out in detail in the NASCAR
rule book. Cars are checked for compliance with these rules at
every race.
Today, NASCAR race cars have very little in common with
street cars. Almost every detail of a NASCAR car is handmade.
The bodies are built from flat sheet metal, the engines are
assembled from a bare block and the frame is constructed from
steel tubing.
In this article, we'll see how these race cars are made,
starting with a component that is key to the drivers' safety
and provides the foundation for everything on the car: the
frame.
Here are some interesting links:
