Tuesday, December 30, 2008
In car racing, a safety car is a car which is used to limit speed on a racetrack for protection reasons. Safety cars may be used to keep speed safe in rainy weather while allowing the race to continue, and they are also used to regulate speed in the event of accidents and other incidents on the track. The use of a safety car can be contentious, as it can interfere with the strategy of drivers and racing teams, and some people view safety cars as interference.
As a common rule, the presence of a safety car is indicated with a yellow flag, to alert drivers to the fact that a safety car is on the track and the drivers are in a "caution period," meaning that they need to slow down for safety reasons. Dashboard lights may also be activated to caution drivers about the safety car. As long as the safety car is on the track, no driver may pass the safety car, unless the safety car's driver indicates that passing is acceptable, generally by flashing a green light.
Safety cars are also known as "pacing cars," because they set a speed for the drivers in the race. A pacing car needs to be driven at a speed which permits optimal performance for the cars on the track, while also reducing the risk of a unsafe incident. Safety car drivers are generally race car drivers, as they have experience with track conditions and they know which speeds are safe. They are typically high-performance cars which have been fitted with special light racks and brave markings to make them highly visible.
Various bodies in international car racing have opposed rules about safety cars. For example, in some cases, making a pit stop is banned during the beginning of the caution period, while in other cases, it is acceptable. Violating the rules for the caution period can result in prohibition, so drivers are careful to stay abreast of current rules in the event that a safety car is deployed during a race.
As a common rule, the presence of a safety car is indicated with a yellow flag, to alert drivers to the fact that a safety car is on the track and the drivers are in a "caution period," meaning that they need to slow down for safety reasons. Dashboard lights may also be activated to caution drivers about the safety car. As long as the safety car is on the track, no driver may pass the safety car, unless the safety car's driver indicates that passing is acceptable, generally by flashing a green light.
Safety cars are also known as "pacing cars," because they set a speed for the drivers in the race. A pacing car needs to be driven at a speed which permits optimal performance for the cars on the track, while also reducing the risk of a unsafe incident. Safety car drivers are generally race car drivers, as they have experience with track conditions and they know which speeds are safe. They are typically high-performance cars which have been fitted with special light racks and brave markings to make them highly visible.
Various bodies in international car racing have opposed rules about safety cars. For example, in some cases, making a pit stop is banned during the beginning of the caution period, while in other cases, it is acceptable. Violating the rules for the caution period can result in prohibition, so drivers are careful to stay abreast of current rules in the event that a safety car is deployed during a race.
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Friday, December 26, 2008
During many televised auto races, commentators irregularly say a particular driver has gone into the marbles. This means a driver has steered into a slick patch of track around the outer edges, mainly in the corners. The marbles themselves are essentially pill-shaped pieces of rubber shaved off the cars' tires as they race. Track maintenance crews use street sweepers to remove these marbles between races, but little can be done to prevent their formation through a race.
The tires used for both NASCAR and IROC-style racing are entirely different from the standard road tires on passenger cars. In order to provide maximum grip between the tires and the track, manufacturers produce wide, grooveless racing tires called slicks. Besides providing more contact area, these slick tires also use a softer form of rubber, which literally melts from the temperature of the track and the friction of driving. The surface of a race track can be very rough, but this provides additional grip for the drivers.
One problem driver's face with these soft rubber tires and the abrasive track surface is the formation of marbles. If there are 30 cars in a race, for example, this translates to 120 tires able to producing marbles. Over the course of a 500-mile race, the build-up of rubber marbles and other debris from the tires can become important. Under steering into a corner coated with marbles can mean a sudden loss of traction or even a crash into the retaining wall.
The tires used for both NASCAR and IROC-style racing are entirely different from the standard road tires on passenger cars. In order to provide maximum grip between the tires and the track, manufacturers produce wide, grooveless racing tires called slicks. Besides providing more contact area, these slick tires also use a softer form of rubber, which literally melts from the temperature of the track and the friction of driving. The surface of a race track can be very rough, but this provides additional grip for the drivers.
One problem driver's face with these soft rubber tires and the abrasive track surface is the formation of marbles. If there are 30 cars in a race, for example, this translates to 120 tires able to producing marbles. Over the course of a 500-mile race, the build-up of rubber marbles and other debris from the tires can become important. Under steering into a corner coated with marbles can mean a sudden loss of traction or even a crash into the retaining wall.
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