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 Tech Q&A;: Frank Stoddard Do you have a technical question you've always wanted answered? Well, here's your chance. Each week we take a batch of questions to the garage. This week's expert is Frank Stoddard, crew chief for the No. 99 CITGO Supergard Ford and driver Jeff Burton.
Ray Smith Wantage, NJ A. Some use different types. One type, which is the most popular with teams is water wetter, but some basically use use water.
Q. Why are NASCAR Winston Cup cars not front wheel drive like the factory models? A. NASCAR rules don't allow for front wheel anymore. They haven't seen fit that it's something they want to use. NASCAR keeps everything pretty standard, and there's really no reason to change. If it doesn't make it better for racing, then it's not considered a necessity.
Q. Where does a team get its tires for testing? Are the latest tires at all of the tracks made available to test on or do the teams just use the last tires that they raced on the particular track with? A. Teams purchase new tires every time from Goodyear. We will get new tires for testing sessions as well as race preparation. Testing sessions are just as important to teams, because that's when you can get a good feel of the track with the body you're planning on using during the actual race. Some Busch teams may purchase used Winston Cup tires, but we always buy new ones.
Q. With so many different spark plugs on the market today, are teams free to choose whatever brand and type of plug they want to use? A. They are able to choose a spark plug as long as it's NASCAR approved. Teams also must make sure that the spark plug doesn't have a sponsor conflict with one of the decals on the car. Most people don't realize how important and detailed everything is in NASCAR, but there are many different items we have to look at when making key decisions with the car.
Q. Is any special modification made to the inside of the wheels to help the tire-changers align the holes in the wheels up with the lug nuts? A. No
Q. I understand what a sticker tire is, but what exactly is a scuff? How many laps/miles does a tire need to be a scuff? What keeps it from being too scuffed to run? And finally, it seems that scuffs are not used/ mentioned as often as they used to be, why? A. A scuff might only have a half of a lap on it, or it might have more, depending on what you want to run. During a qualifying run, you don't want more than two laps on a tire. If a tire has more, it might be too worn to use during a qualifying run, and that's a critical moment to have your car the best it can be. Scuffs were used more in the past, but in the last 7-8 years since we've seen radial tires, it doesn't seem there is a good reason to scuff some tires. Some still go to tracks and scuff tires to get a feel, but it's not something you see very often. |
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