Someome please splain to me on the COT

[jslone]

I think this was covered on the old style of the forums but refresh my memory,was is NAscar still using leaded fuel and also Carbs, and iron blocks,with the so called new COT,one would think that Nascar could jump into the 21st century with technology,with Toyota in the fold and others thinking about coming in(Honda).It makes me wonder why Nascar spent so much money on the COT and they still cant get out of ancient technology.

[Jonesi]

They've now gone to unleaded fuel without any major problems.
What was talked about a few years ago was that after the CoT was phased in, there would be a phased in Engine of Tomorrow. Car manufacterers are much more opposed to a common engine. (It would probably an easier sale to set new specs and let the companies develop new motors. Something like: F/I 3.5L OHC V8 engines are in a lot of cars on the road and could easily make 3hp per CI in racing trim.)

[colinspooky]

Carbs, and iron blocks ------- one would think that Nascar could jump into the 21st century with technology --------- still cant get out of ancient technology.

Good points - answer is probably quite simple. Cost.

Mind you, using this ancient stuff will be getting expensive soon - they will be antiques.

Now aluminium blocks, fuel injection, suspensions which can be adjusted inside the cars by drivers, and low profile tyres are commonplace even on normal road cars perhaps NASCAR will have rethink in another decade or so.

Mind you, the racing is still darn good - best in the world in my opinion.

[RaceFanStan]

John, look on the dash of the racecar & you will see the ignition boxes.
NASCAR mandates them to be there so they can keep out traction control.
If high tech came to NASCAR the big money multi-car team owners would extend their advantage.
Be careful what you wish because the gap between the haves & the have-nots would grow wider.

[trumperZ06]

There is absolutely NO REASON why NA$CAR has to continue using 1980's technology !!!

ECU/PCM's can be mapped to insure driver's aids (traction control) is not being used.

Carburetors are Antiques... it's been ~ 20 years or so, since automobile manufacturers changed over to fuel injection !!!

Distributors have been replaced by ECM's, providing more accuate management of fuel and timing, while also greatly reducing polution levels.

It wasn't until this year that NA$CAR finally encouraged the use of un-leaded fuels. Engines, now using unleaded fuel are having problems with the valves & valve seats. These engines are also being set-up to run RICH... ie. more fuel is being put thru the engine... attempting to help cool the heads.

This changes the AFR which creates more polution.

Having looked at Toyota's COT (car of tomorrow) chassis... at the Atlanta auto show... the car set-up is closer to a short track modified jalopy... using a solid rear end, than it is to any current state-of-the-art racing car.

NA$CAR has added "splitters" and a rear wing to adjust down-force. These aero devices have been in use by other series for many... many years.

IMO... it would be great to see NA$CAR put the "Stock" back into...

"Stock Car Racing".

Maybe we will see Stock Car racing again, in a couple of years...

if the Factories get back into "Trans-Am", with the Mustangs, Carmaros, and Challenger's.

Until then, the closest thing to "Stock Car" racing, seems to be the GT2 Sports Cars being run in the ALMS series.

[DEI8151]

the COT is pointless, these cars push way more than the regular cars. it is very hard to pass which is evident and wasnt the point of this car to increase competition and passing?

the sport is moving out of our current sleake looking cars into boxes with wheels

[jslone]

thanks for the info kids,some of the stuff I remember being covered but its been so long that a refresher was needed.

[Hoss Ghoul]

They've now gone to unleaded fuel without any major problems.
What was talked about a few years ago was that after the CoT was phased in, there would be a phased in Engine of Tomorrow. Car manufacterers are much more opposed to a common engine. (It would probably an easier sale to set new specs and let the companies develop new motors. Something like: F/I 3.5L OHC V8 engines are in a lot of cars on the road and could easily make 3hp per CI in racing trim.)

In what way would going to small overhead cam V8 engines reflect modern cars? Where are all these small OHC V8's?

Last time I checked the most powerful V8 in a production car is the pushrod LS7 in the Corvette, and it is 7liters. LS4's, LS2's, and LS3's are 5.3-6.2L Ford uses 4.6 and 5.4L(supercharged) engines, sure they have overhead cams, but they aren't much smaller than the 358ci engines NASCAR uses. Dodge also has a 5.7 and 6.2L V8-both pushrod engines.

If anything the general automotive trend the last decade has been to go to larger and larger engines, not smaller. Every single BMW, Merceds, Porsche, all the domestics, etc, their engine sizes have been increasing, not decreasing.

[Bob Riebe]

In what way would going to small overhead cam V8 engines reflect modern cars? Where are all these small OHC V8's?

Last time I checked the most powerful V8 in a production car is the pushrod LS7 in the Corvette, and it is 7liters. LS4's, LS2's, and LS3's are 5.3-6.2L Ford uses 4.6 and 5.4L(supercharged) engines, sure they have overhead cams, but they aren't much smaller than the 358ci engines NASCAR uses. Dodge also has a 5.7 and 6.2L V8-both pushrod engines.

If anything the general automotive trend the last decade has been to go to larger and larger engines, not smaller. Every single BMW, Merceds, Porsche, all the domestics, etc, their engine sizes have been increasing, not decreasing.

Hoss:
THere is no reason to go to OHC engines, as the OHC design is actually older than push-rod engines by about a decade.
Carburettors are actually harder, and take more skill, to tune that electronic inj., which means you need true auto mechanics and engineers, and not computer hackers.(If you read the high performance US auto magazines, you will notice there has been a flury of new advanced carbs coming out)

Here, and at most forums, these boyts who whine about supposed superior this or that, and so called "old" tech. are ususally mechanically illiterate and simply love to here themselves babble.

I actually think the France boys would like to go to elec. inj. as then they could force a spec. NASCAR system on every team, "so no one could cheat" ditto for a generic OHC engine.

It is a lack of torque in the plate engines that helps keep them in freight train strings; smaller engines would force that lack of torque on everyone at all tracks and the boring strings would become the norm, every where.
Bob

[trumperZ06]

: BRUHAAHAA.... you need to get into the 21st Century.

Carburetor's are an old style anolog system... and full of compromises !!!

The good ole boys with many years of experience can "fine-tune" a carburetor... but they are still sacrificing precise control over the Air-Fuel ratio through-out the RPM band. Jetting a carburetor maximazes it's performance over a narrow RPM range... and you are not able to make adjustments to AFR while the engine is running !!!

ECU/PCM's work hand in hand with fuel injection systems to precisely tune an engine over the complete RPM band. You enrich the fuel and add or substract timing to maximise the engine's performance. No carburetor/distributor combination can come close to the precision that is currently available using the latest electronic control systems.

That's fact... not hear-say, and not opinion !!!