30.08.2007, 11:55
What Is “Stock” about a Stock Car?
Not much of a NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series car is similar to a passenger car. Stock cars are built for speed and safety, not take the kids to soccer practice, so they don’t have cup holders or vanity mirrors, and none have an automatic transmission. Performance, not comfort or convenience, is what counts – which explains why stock cars last an average of three years, unlike passenger cars, which are manufactured for longevity.
The following are some things that you may be used to seeing on a passenger car but won’t find on a NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series car:
• Doors: That’s why drivers climb through the window opening to get in.
• Windows: There’s just a window-shaped opening covered with safety netting to prevent the driver’s head and arms from going outside the car during a crash. On the passenger’s side, teams install a plastic window that doesn’t roll down, but only for tracks 1.5 miles or longer. On tracks shorter than that, there’s nothing covering the windows opening.
• A glass windshield: In race cars, the windshield is in three sections instead of just one and it’s made of Lexan, which is hard, shatterproof plastic.
• Back seats or passenger seats: There’s just one seat – the driver’s seat/
• Brake lights or headlights: The lights you see the rave car aren’t real – they’re just decals/
• Speedometer
• Gas gauge
• Storage space in the trunk
• Stereo system or speakers
• An air conditioning or heating system
• Automatic transmission
• Anti-lock brakes
• Cruise control
• A key ignition: Drivers just flip a switch get the car going.
• Air bags
• Locks
• Glove compartment
• A horn
Not much of a NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series car is similar to a passenger car. Stock cars are built for speed and safety, not take the kids to soccer practice, so they don’t have cup holders or vanity mirrors, and none have an automatic transmission. Performance, not comfort or convenience, is what counts – which explains why stock cars last an average of three years, unlike passenger cars, which are manufactured for longevity.
The following are some things that you may be used to seeing on a passenger car but won’t find on a NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series car:
• Doors: That’s why drivers climb through the window opening to get in.
• Windows: There’s just a window-shaped opening covered with safety netting to prevent the driver’s head and arms from going outside the car during a crash. On the passenger’s side, teams install a plastic window that doesn’t roll down, but only for tracks 1.5 miles or longer. On tracks shorter than that, there’s nothing covering the windows opening.
• A glass windshield: In race cars, the windshield is in three sections instead of just one and it’s made of Lexan, which is hard, shatterproof plastic.
• Back seats or passenger seats: There’s just one seat – the driver’s seat/
• Brake lights or headlights: The lights you see the rave car aren’t real – they’re just decals/
• Speedometer
• Gas gauge
• Storage space in the trunk
• Stereo system or speakers
• An air conditioning or heating system
• Automatic transmission
• Anti-lock brakes
• Cruise control
• A key ignition: Drivers just flip a switch get the car going.
• Air bags
• Locks
• Glove compartment
• A horn