The boats of yesteryear

Johnny Mallonee
@johnny-mallonee
12 years ago
3,259 posts

Do you ever set at a car show that has a bunch of the sleds of the 50's and 60's in it? They are big,wide (as a Pontiac) long as a bus but man could they fly. In the second race held in Daytona the cars were litterly pushing a hole through the air to run 130-140 or more. They had 400 plus inches under the hood with a carburetor that flowed gas like a fire hydrant but the cars could race by themselves until one would pass someone like that Jr Johnson. He found out the draft would work to his benefit to the point of winning with a inferior car (if you want to call that chevy slow). Look at the design of the nose on the cars up till about 69 when Chrysler and Ford put those sloped noses on the cars.

Point im going after is all they need to do is make the cars have to push that hole in the wall again and the speeds will come down to a manageable pace on the super speedways.

Bet that Toyota wont go off into the turn at 200 plus then, much less the Chevys.

Nascar needs to mandate that the cars get dirtied up in the air. Take that road scraper blade off the front and throw that spoiler away on the back. Have the nose be more realistic in looks then you may have a car wotrh maybe 180 mph on the straightaway, bet you they wount go flying into the turn without that downforce to hold them there.

Hey you guys in the choir you hearing this because somebody is definitely going to say thats what I need to do.

Now back in the 60's you could rumple the fenders up and it didnt slow you down (much) .

but todays cars are so air sensitive that a hotdog rapper will change the setup so much the car will have to either get up under the bumper of another car to suck it off or go to the pits.

Point being made now its simple to slow the cars down without killing the engine by heat. Look at the Dodge Challengers nose,its flat or even the Ford Mustang. That Chevy is not air friendly either setting on the showroom floor.

Dave Fulton am I correct here?? How about that STARS personality who is in the know am I on the right track here?? Or how about the Goat Rodeo group can you see the wind on this? Tim Leeming you and I battled the stars of yesteryear,would a bent door panel or trunk pushed up put you out??? Billy Biscoe you did it with and without fenders,you feel any difference?

Now you folks in the great state of Fla, where the track is-- yes you the one that reads our column on a regular basis its time you boys rearrange the barrels the horses are running around or it might get out of hand .. Lets get some input from our great minds on Racers Reunion.


http://www.speedwaymedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/Field_Dega2_CIA.jpg


updated by @johnny-mallonee: 03/10/17 03:45:47PM
Robin L. Agner
@robin-l-agner
12 years ago
169 posts

Johnny, with those changes I think you would separate the " the real drivers " from the ones who are along just for the ride.

Robin L. Agner
@robin-l-agner
12 years ago
169 posts

When Texas Motor Speedway was having all the festivities for Terry Labonte's "retirement", Alex Beam owner of Memory Lane Museum sent his #44 1977 Apache Stove Monte Carlo ( the car he won the 1980 Southern 500 with) for Terry's son Justin to drive beside of Terry at the front of the field during the first pace lap.

Terry told me that before the race a number of the younger cup drivers came by to take a closer look. He said that several of them asked him " Is this what you had to drive in 1980? "

Sandeep Banerjee
@sandeep-banerjee
12 years ago
360 posts

Higher front end clearance at race speeds is something I've been pining for for awhile now too. I don't know why NASCAR can't or don't mandate geometry/suspension rules that prevent the front end from drooping no closer than say 4-6 inches from the ground even under maximum cornering or aerodynamic load. Like you said, having them be flush with the ground is what kills their handling when someone is in front of them dirtying up the air and they can't run close for that reason.

Johnny Mallonee
@johnny-mallonee
12 years ago
3,259 posts

Robin I thought that was the name of the game in racing but I guess I was wrong because it seems to have hit a sore spot here.

In fact with the activity,or lack of it, I guess everyone was crooning over DW and his acceptance speech in being allowed in to the Nascar Hall of fame. O-well he will be on Fox soon enough. for some!!!!!!!!

Johnny Mallonee
@johnny-mallonee
12 years ago
3,259 posts

The engine downsizing would only raise the already strained budget higher-- you have to turn a 6 or 4 cyl so much harder than you do a v8 to get equal horsepower.. big iron is the way to go for simplicity but as PKL preaches to me----they aint nobody listening but I hope someone takes the flag and runs with it