6 Reasons NASCAR Engines Are Unreal
Slideshow: The good ‘ol boys know a thing or two about engineering feats.
10,000 RPM
Many people believe that high RPM engines are the end all to performance and technology. If it revs high surely it must be fast and no V8 can rev to…wait, what? NASCAR engines can rev to 10,000rpm? Yes. Using incredible feats of engineering to understand the nuances of how valve trains work they are capable of revolutions that are higher than production cars that use exotic DOHC V10s like the Lexus LFA. If you’ve ever heard a NASCAR engine in person you know how thunderous they are at redline. Compression ratios are 12.0:1 with an under square design in which the bore (4.18”) is larger than the stroke (3.26”).
image courtesy of Hendrickmotorsports.com
No Boost Necessary
2,500 parts make up each engine that takes approximately 100 hours to assemble. Once fired up they shake the earth like a bolt of lightning going off under the hood. As far as naturally aspirated expertise goes, the people who design and build engines at companies like Roush Yates are second to none. Producing upwards of a reported 850hp these cars are deafening and need no boost to make massive power. It’s a true testament to what can be done with a real understanding of how air flows through a cylinder head, into the combustion chamber and out of the exhaust.
image courtesy of uti.edu
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Built under Regulations
If it’s not challenging enough to design and assemble something that can do all the aforementioned feats then consider this: NASCAR is among the most tightly regulated racing in the world. Seriously. They are more restricted with what materials they can use, parts they can engineer and how much those parts can weigh than almost any other series in the world. Practice, qualifying and the full race distance have to be covered on one engine which means they must be durable as well. Everything has to last for 800 miles too which is no easy task when you consider they are covering that entire distance at or near redline.
image courtesy of trdusa.com
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Brake Mean Effective Pressure
A term used to describe how much work an engine does, brake mean effective pressure enables number crunchers to take an engine of one type and compare it to another. When these numbers were calculated by EPI Inc. (an engineering firm specializing in aircraft engines) it was found that NASCAR engines are only 4.1% less efficient than 2.4-liter Formula 1 V8s that are widely regarded as the pinnacle of design technology. This is a staggeringly impressive feat that proves these 5.7-liter pushrod V8s are among the most advanced in the world.
image courtesy of trdusa.com
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Compact Packaging
Despite weighing over 500lbs, the engines in these pavement punishers are compact enough to be located very low and deep in the chassis. This helps weight distribution as well as the center of gravity. Specialized dry sump systems make it all possible by eliminating bulky oil pans of the past. It’s an advanced technique you only see on the best race cars in the world. NASCAR guys have known for a long time about the benefits and take full advantage of them in every race.
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Summary
NASCAR engines work with 358 cubic inches and produce supercar levels of horsepower without ever using the latest and greatest in engine tuning. Unrestricted, it would be unthinkable how fast these engines would be with cars reaching speeds that would leave spectators awestruck. Unfortunately or fortunately, insurance keeps the cars regulated, but that pushes designers to find horsepower in new and innovative ways while keeping the sport hyper-competitive. Hope you enjoyed reading. Until next time.
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