No more bodies in white on this car, now just fabricated, you can tell by the slab sides, it will get slabbier though. Wait for it.
No more bodies in white on this car, now just fabricated, you can tell by the slab sides, it will get slabbier though. Wait for it.
I have no beef with Toyota and they have amazing NASCAR engines but I am pretty sure this isn't a Camry. (and the others aren't Taurus' or whatever the sticker says)
Good view of the slab side and maybe a little but of how / why the skew
Ford's version of the same.
And the newest. This isn't anymore stock but I think it is a fine looking car. I hope this fulfills the pictures request!
NY Nick said:
Probably my favorite NASCAR car, I loved the mid 80's Monte's. It was my first car and I loved to see my hero's as a kid in these cars.
I bought an 86 Monte as my first car because of these cars. That era is the last car to be almost completely made from factory stampings. Somewhere at home I have pics of the Luminas we made and a newer Monte that only used factory metal from the top of the quarters up.
Picture just because
Thanks for the pics NY Nick. I'll add this shot from the peak of the "Twisted Sister" era when the teams had really figured out how to optomize for areo but still fit the templates.
I liked the Asymmetrical cars, mostly because of the work that went into forming them. I wish I had that kind of skill. They were probably the last hand shaped racecars we will see.
Wally (Forum Supporter) said:
I liked the Asymmetrical cars, mostly because of the work that went into forming them. I wish I had that kind of skill. They were probably the last hand shaped racecars we will see.
Me too. It was also an era when chassis setup was optimized for areo with decisions made to position the body for downforce with almost no regard for mechanical grip.
Frankly though, I like all race cars. If I'm going to actually watch them race or drive them I like them to be evenly matched but I enjoy the technical aspects of all of them.
Wally (Forum Supporter) said:In reply to VolvoHeretic :
This set of suggestions comes up in almost every NASCAR thread and I have trouble following the logic. The first question is how adding a right turn to an oval improves them, or how running a road course does? The second question is why the factory silloueutte is more important than keeping the cars relatively evenly matched? There are countless series already giving you what are looking for.
Well... first of all, I have never been on a racetrack but I do know that when you are, you are only racing the guy in front of you and the guy behind you. I don't have cable or satellite tv so the only racing I get to watch is NASCAR, but I would much rather watch European sedan racing which uses real cars that you and I could actually buy, just like NASCAR used to be, hence the name Stock Car Racing. If you just want to drive around in a circle you are going to have to figure out some way of keeping the cars from going too fast and winding up in the grandstands. Restricter plates ruin the competition part of racing and will soon be coming to the shorter tracks so the only alternative would be to cut down on cubic inches (how about unrestricted 260 engines).
If it's too dangerous to take a Mustang, Cameo, or Camry and stick a roll cage in them, then build a standardized frame and add those car's body onto them, or fabricate a body that looks exactly like them. If Chevy can't build a slippery enough body design, then they are at the back of the pack. I don't mind the best team lapping the field if the only alternative is they are always bunched up in a pack. These new cars look like the bastard child between a late model dirt car and a funny car.
In reply to APEowner :
I like almost everything but I really enjoyed seeing how creative teams got to make their car better within the rules.
Remember this?
International Race of Champions - Wikipedia
This is what NASCAR seems to want. All the same cars. Driver ability only. No Smokey Yunik style "special modifications" allowed.
Not even Colin Chapman's "Rules are for the obedience of fools and interpretations of smart men."
VolvoHeretic said:Wally (Forum Supporter) said:In reply to VolvoHeretic :
This set of suggestions comes up in almost every NASCAR thread and I have trouble following the logic. The first question is how adding a right turn to an oval improves them, or how running a road course does? The second question is why the factory silloueutte is more important than keeping the cars relatively evenly matched? There are countless series already giving you what are looking for.
Well... first of all, I have never been on a racetrack but I do know that when you are, you are only racing the guy in front of you and the guy behind you. I don't have cable or satellite tv so the only racing I get to watch is NASCAR, but I would much rather watch European sedan racing which uses real cars that you and I could actually buy, just like NASCAR used to be, hence the name Stock Car Racing. If you just want to drive around in a circle you are going to have to figure out some way of keeping the cars from going too fast and winding up in the grandstands. Restricter plates ruin the competition part of racing and will soon be coming to the shorter tracks so the only alternative would be to cut down on cubic inches (how about unrestricted 260 engines).
If it's too dangerous to take a Mustang, Cameo, or Camry and stick a roll cage in them, then build a standardized frame and add those car's body onto them, or fabricate a body that looks exactly like them. If Chevy can't build a slippery enough body design, then they are at the back of the pack. I don't mind the best team lapping the field if the only alternative is they are always bunched up in a pack. These new cars look like the bastard child between a late model dirt car and a funny car.
I might remind you the power Formula I makes on tiny engines.
So let's use actual stock engines. As in pull it off the assembly line and if it doesn't last the race too bad .
In reply to frenchyd :
I'd be up for that.
There are already all sorts of sedan racing series that nobody cares about. Don't like stock car racing? Either educate yourself about how gosh darn simple it is to run 68mph laps speed on a FOOTBALL FIELD, or don't watch it. I'm waiting for someone to bring up the DTM in one of these discussions.
They are just as stock as can be, after all.
The one consistent thing that always comes up is how easy it is to run an oval. Give it a shot at your local track, then come back to see me.
The pics of the 29 and 24 cars are so cool. Amazing to see that much detail put into the aero to meet the rules and gain an advantage.
Streetwiseguy, not sure who your last statement was too (I hope not me!). I know how hard it is to turn left faster than everyone else. For 7 years I worked on a limited late model and then late model (same team, just moved up). It is a never end battle to try to understand what the track is doing and how the car is reacting. Tire pressures and staggers and spring rates and shock rates and and and. Note books of info and testing data and this is for some local stuff in the Carolinas. I still hang with those guys, I have been out long enough that it's all changed, everything keeps marching on. Big spring cars and coil bound set ups now. Being on the edge is hard in anything.
In reply to Streetwiseguy :
Plus this 100 times. I have raced on both road course and short ovals. Once you are close enough to another car to consider a pass (all of the time on the short oval) the track map/layout becomes irrelevant. Short oval racing is far more difficult than any other discipline.
Nick, I'm sure that was for my benefit and that's alright, I new I would be stepping on some toes with my remarks. 
I have been to the World of Outlaws races at our track and can appreciate how difficult it must be to keep those sprint cars from flying off the track. I've also read every Circle Track magazine since their first issue in 1986 because they are the only mag that has any real technical info or chassis set up. Until one day a few years ago they switched my subscription to Hot Rod with out so much as an explanation or thank you.
In reply to Streetwiseguy :
Thank You, I came here to say that. There are thousands of racers at hundreds of tracks almost every weekend running tube framed cars with bodies loosely resembling street cars in front of paying crowds. The top of that ladder for the drivers, crews, and fans. Why would i take a step backwards to a production based car that would offer less performance, less safety, and be more difficult to repair. It's not for everyone but an awful lot of people enjoy it. If you ever want to see what goes into running a stockcar week to week go to a local track and help out, almost every team welcomes another set of hands.
In reply to VolvoHeretic :
When they stopped publishing Circle Track they rolled everyone's subscription into Hot Rod. A lot of the people from Circle Track and Stock Car now write for Speedway Illustrated if you were interested.
https://speedwayillustrated.com
Streetwiseguy said:There are already all sorts of sedan racing series that nobody cares about. Don't like stock car racing? Either educate yourself about how gosh darn simple it is to run 68mph laps speed on a FOOTBALL FIELD, or don't watch it. I'm waiting for someone to bring up the DTM in one of these discussions.
The one consistent thing that always comes up is how easy it is to run an oval. Give it a shot at your local track, then come back to see me.
There are mid-level short track racers that would hand practically everyone on the board their head, racing roundy round.
But its easy.
As a hard-core NASCAR fan (and IMSA, and desert racing, etc...) I see the new cup car as the dramatic change that they intended it to me.
Not only did they go from 15" to 18" wheels with a single lug, but they worked to make the cars look more like their street counterparts. In addition, they now run a sequential transmission and a rear transaxle setup rather than old conventional trans. And yes, the numbers moved forward on the car. I think it looks fantastic, and more importantly it leaves better real estate for advertisers who will get better TV exposure and therefore invest more.
As far as the LA event goes, they are making every effort to bring the sport to new audiences. I read that about 70% of those in attendance on Sunday had never been to a NASCAR race.
NASCAR leadership is embracing change in order to attract more fans. Old fans resist anything different but I think the racing has evolved and become more interesting throughout the races in recent years.
If anything, I see NASCAR evolving in many ways to become more like IMSA and other sports car racing and I personally love the changes they have made.
........As far as the LA event goes, they are making every effort to bring the sport to new audiences. I read that about 70% of those in attendance on Sunday had never been to a NASCAR race.......
this was also the reason the Mickey Thompson started Stadium "Off Road" racing at the same place .
People who would never drive out to the desert to watch an off-road race were happy to go to a Stadium .
As far as LA fans going to a Nascar race , Fontana is a long way from the main area of LA , Orange County. and I am not sure if Irwindale is considered Nascar , but its more in the city :)
They aren't great pics but this was all the factory metal left by the mid 90s. The hood, roof, trunk lid, and tops of the quarter panels. The fiberglass bumper covers were GM parts we were required to use. Oddly the trunk lid had to have the factory inner panel as well.
In reply to Wally (Forum Supporter) :
The whole numbers on the door, even though they haven't had doors in 40 years thing? What are those 4 horizontal bars underneath the window openings called?
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