What makes a Nascar engine so powerful?

What makes a Nascar engine so powerful?

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  1. Nascar Engine, How it is works?
  2. Nascar Engine, Produce more power?
  3. A great video shows Nascar Engine

The roar of the engines is one of the most iconic sounds in motorsports. When NASCAR drivers hit the gas and speed around the track, the powerful engines under the hood are putting in major work. NASCAR engines are built for speed, power and performance. These finely tuned machines allow drivers to reach incredible speeds over 200 mph. But what exactly makes these engines so powerful and customized for racing? Join us as we take a closer look under the hood to understand what gives these motors their muscle and enables drivers to push the limits on the track.  Let's fire up those motors and see what makes them tick!

Nascar Engine, How it is works?

The primary reason NASCAR engines are so powerful is because of the way they are constructed and tuned. Here “tuning” is the key aspect. They are 5.9-liter V8 engines with up to 670 horsepower. Teams can also fine-tune them within NASCAR’s specs, which gives them more power in certain areas of a racetrack, depending on the race.

Traditionally, NASCAR engines come straight from the Chevrolet, Ford, or Toyota. NASCAR has strict specs when it comes to engine building. While the Next Gen car changed NASCAR’s landscape in many areas, only the horsepower packages and transmission changed from the Generation 6 model. Though they used 750 hp in the past as well, the Gen 6 design had engines that clocked in at 550 horsepower. 

The horsepower packages are specs that NASCAR manufacturers must follow. Also, NASCAR requires an engine that is naturally aspirated with a displacement of 358 cubic inches. NASCAR also switched up the transmission. They replaced the 4-speed transmission and gearbox. Now a 5-speed sequential transmission is used. This simplified transmission allows the driver to push down one notch to shift down and to pull back a notch to shift up. 

NASCAR engines produce so much power because of fuel composition, tuning, and the way manufacturers construct these engines. These factors combine to make engines that can put out around 670 horsepower for the Next Gen cars. 

Nascar Engine, How it is works?

Nascar Engine, Produce more power?

NASCAR engines produce so much power because of fuel composition, tuning, and the way manufacturers construct these engines. These factors combine to make engines that can put out around 670 horsepower for the Next Gen cars. 

One thing to note is that NASCAR engines are not produced on traditional assembly lines. Instead, they are built specifically for NASCAR, which is one of several reasons why NASCAR cars are not truly stock cars

A note on tuning is that NASCAR engines are capable of running higher than their targeted 670 horsepower. However, teams use tapered spacers to keep cars from going over their targeted horsepower. This horsepower is lower for speedways like Daytona and Talladega, being set to just 510. They can tune their engines specifically to the track they are racing at if they remain within NASCAR’s specs. For example, short tracks require more power and torque despite lower speeds, while road courses, given so many turns, require more acceleration. This is the same 670-horsepower engine being fine-tuned. The difference, however, is that teams tune it to where they feel the car needs the power to be at its highest. This process may even involve tuning each cylinder. Each NASCAR team’s engineers use computer software to make this endeavor possible. 

A great video shows Nascar Engine

This great article from Rookie Road discusses tuning, construction, and fuel aspects in detail should you be interested. 

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