ROCK ON BACK TO MAIN STREET
Even though the 1996 racing season was a great one, we have
to look forward to 1997. There are a lot of driver, sponsors and crew changes.
So don't be left out on all the racing news get your copy of Southern Roads
Magazine which will be available in January of 1997. Hey, see you all at the
1997 Daytona 500 !
The smell of burning rubber, the sound of roaring engines, the
taste of victory, and the need for speed, where do you find this? Auto Racing!
It is the only place in America where you can drive up to speeds of 300 miles a
hour and not go to jail.
Becoming wrapped up in the sport of Stock Car Racing can be a wonderful and
confusing thing? Are you new to Auto Racing? If so, maybe this “Dummy Sheet”
will help you out.
Apron- The surface bordering the inside of the track.
Banking-
The angle of the track surface.
Black flag- The flag that is used to signal a driver that he/she is being
penalized.
Downforce- The force exerted in a downtown direction by air on a object
moving through the air.
Draft- When a car follows another car closely to improve handling which
allows two cars to move at a fast speed.
Groove- The path(s) around the track that tends to produce the fastest
speed.
Lift- A handling condition created when air gets underneath the car,
causing it to rise from the racing surface.
Line- The groove- the path the driver chooses to drive around the track.
Loose- A handling condition that results when the rear end of the cars
wants to drift outwards going through the corners.
NASCAR- The National Association for Stock Car Racing
Pole- The
position that is given to the fastest team during first round qualifying.
Provisional- A position that is given by NASCAR allowing a team to start a
race even if they fail to qualify. (each team starts the year with four
provisional credits.)
Push- A handling condition in which the car has a tendency to continue in a
straight line although the front wheels are being steered into a turn.
Restrictor Plate- A safety device inserted between the carburetor and
intake manifold at a specific super speedway. It is designed to limit the
engines power output, there by limiting the cars speed. The plate is a narrow
sheet of metal with four holes of a specific diameter drilled through it which
limits the amount of air that can flow from the carburetor into the intake
manifold and on to the cylinders.
Setup- Refers to the chassis equipment and adjustment made to prepare a
car for a race at a particular track.
Slingshot- To pass rapidly- usually after drafting to conserve power.
Spoiler angle- The angle of the rear deck lid spoiler.
Spotter- The person who tells the driver by two way radio when it is safe
to move up and down the track and how to avoid any accidents or debris on the
track.
Stop-n-go- A penalty requiring a driver to come into his pit stall, bring
the car to a complete stop, then go back racing.
Under yellow- The race is running under yellow when the caution flag is
out. The cars are kept under the yellow while NASCAR makes sure the debris is
cleared from the track.
Wedge-An adjustment made to the suspension that alters the car’s
handling.
White flag-The flag waved to signal the last lap of the race.
L.
Douglas c.1997 Southern Roads Magazine .............................Daytona
Beach, USA Racing Season To Begin Well it’s that time again!!!
FINALLY.....I thought February would never get here. How many of you race fans
have been waiting patiently for this racing season to start? There are a lot of
changes that have taken place in the off season, new cars, teams, drivers, crew
chiefs, and sponsors with only one thing on there minds WINNING.
If you had a chance to go to the Rolex 24-hour sports car endurance race
then you know what I’m talking about. These guys, now they’re really
into racing. It is a team that includes a group of drivers, a car, and 24 hours
of long hard racing. The winners covered 690 laps and 2,456.4 miles on the
3.56- mile Daytona International Speedway road course. The quartet driving
team of a Riley & Scott MK111 captured the victory . The ford- powered car
crossed the finish line, ending the 35th running of the twice-around -the clock
race. It was the second straight American made car and engine combination to
win this event averaging a speed of 102.292 mph. The winning drivers were James
Weaver, Andy Wallace, John Paul Jr., and Butch Leitzinger. Other cars
finishing in the top 5 were Ferrari, Another Olds Riley & Scott MK111,
Porsche 911, and BMW M3. Forty-four of the eighty cars that ran the race were
still on the track at the end.
Racing wasn’t the only
thing going on at the track. As I was walking through the infield looking at all
the souvenirs and vendors, I heard a band playing across the field. As I walked
closer I noticed it was J.B. Walker and The Cheap Whiskey Band. Boy were they
jammin’!!! The fans really loved them , everyone was partying and having a
great time. I saw Motorhead Morris standing in the crowd, he tells me JB and
the Cheap Whiskey Band have booked several shows for motorsports events this
year.
There are several events taking place over the next
couple of weeks at Daytona Motorspeedway. On February 8th Busch Pole
Qualifying for the Daytona 500 - 9th Busch Clash and ARCA 200 - 13th Gatorade
Twin 125-mile qualifying races for the Daytona 500 - 14th Daytona USA
Motorsports Attraction 200 Dash Series Race and International Race of Champions
- 15th Goody’s 300 Busch Grand National Race and on the 16th The Daytona
500. This is racing at it’s best, you don’t want to miss it. Come on
out and have some fun. See ya at the track.........................L. Douglas
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