Restrictor Plate Racing
Let’s start with my usual disclaimer about all things Nascar — I’m not an expert. I’m actually quite the newbie, and just blog aboput stuff as I start to figure things out. One thing I know, though, is that I really enjoy restrictor plate racing. It was after the Talladega restrictor plate race earlier that I acknowledged that I’m a Nascar fan.
A restrictor plate is a device used to limit the engine’s airflow. It reduces power, and therefore speed. It also flattens out the difference between cars. As best as I can tell, most fans of restrictor plate racing like it because it has a lt of massive crashes. This happens because when all the cars can run at about the same speed, there is less passing, and they tend to bunch up in a giant string, sometimes 2 across. They run so tight together that a small incident can cause a huge pileup.
What I like, however, is another side-effect of the restrictor plates. They increase the benefit that two cars get from drafting one another, when they really tighten up the space between them to mere inches or less. Two cars will get into such a position, and suddenly benefit from a speed boost that provides a temporary advantage that lasts for as long as they can maintain their relative position. The speed differential seems to far exceed the differential that can be obtained in any other races. This leads to a lot of impromptu teamwork throughtout the race between ever-changing pairs of drivers who might have little in common except fortuitous circumstances. At the end, drivers are less willing to be the second car in such a pairing — you are esentially agreeing to make a strong run to finish second.
I looked for YouTube clips that demonstrate the drafting effect of restrictor plate racing, but it seems all the restrictor plate compilations focus on the crashes. I settled for footage of the finish of last night’s Coke One 400 at Daytona, won by our family’s favorite, Kylel Busch, who also won the Talledaga race I mentioned above.
