The Physics of NASCAR: How to Make Steel + Gas + Rubber = Speed | 
 enlarge | Author: Diandra Leslie-pelecky
Publisher: Dutton Adult
Category: Book
List Price: $25.95
Buy New: $14.07
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Rating:  24 reviews
Sales Rank: 86496
Media: Hardcover
Pages: 286
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.2
Dimensions (in): 8.9 x 6.1 x 1.8
ISBN: 0525950532
Dewey Decimal Number: 796.720153
EAN: 9780525950530
Publication Date: February 14, 2008
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Product Description
Every NASCAR fan at one time or another asks the same question: Why isn t my favorite driver winning? This is your chance to discover how much more there is to NASCAR than Go fast, turn left and don t crash. If you ve ever wondered why racecars don t have mufflers, how bump drafting works, or what in the world Let s go up a pound on the right rear and add half a round of wedge means, The Physics of NASCAR is for you.
In this fast-paced investigation into the adrenaline-pumping world of NASCAR, a physicist with a passion uncovers what happens when the rubber hits the road and 800- horsepower vehicles compete at 190 miles per hour only inches from one another.
Diandra Leslie-Pelecky reveals how and why drivers trust the engineering and science their teams literally build around them not only to get them across the finish line in first place, but also to keep them alive. Professor Leslie-Pelecky is a physicist in love with the sport s beauty and power and is uniquely qualified to explain exactly how physics translates into winning races.
Based on the author s extensive access to race shops, pit crews, crew chiefs and mechanics, this book traces the life cycle of a race car from behind the scenes at top race shops to the track. The Physics of NASCAR takes readers right into the ultra competitive world of NASCAR, from the champion driver s hot seat behind the detachable steering wheel to the New Zealander nicknamed Kiwi in charge of shocks for the No. 19 car.
Diandra Leslie-Pelecky tells her story in terms anyone who drives a car--and maybe occasionally looks under the hood--can understand. How do drivers walk away from serious crashes? How can two cars travel faster together than either car can on its own? How do you dress for a 1800 F gasoline fire? In simple yet detailed, high-octane prose, this is the ultimate thrill ride for armchair speed demons, auto science buffs, and NASCAR fans at every level of interest.
Readers, start your engines.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 19 more reviews...
 The Trek to the Track June 28, 2008
Mr. Richard D. Coreno (Berea, Ohio USA)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
For less than a price of a hat feature the sponsor's logo of your favorite driver or most new die-casts, you can get an easy-to-understand explanation of what makes the NASCAR hot-rod get around the track every Sunday afternoon.
Through the use of diagrams and text, author Diandra Leslie-Pelecky, a physicist at the University of Texas - Dallas, delves into the chemistry, physics and - yes - the human element in the quest to develop the perfect ride.
Doing everything but throwing a helmet down on the ground in the initial chapters, Leslie-Pelecky discusses the chassis, diagrams how welding works, and some nuances in the game, like how the white paint on a car appears white to our eyes. But getting the car onto the track is where the book picks up speed. She reports on the kinetics of racing through engines, brakes, tires, drag and lift.
Leslie-Pelecky gets a reader as close to the real action of the sport and the NASCAR fan will not view that favorite die-cast in the same way ever again.
Science, Teamwork, and Agony of Tweaking to Run Faster and Safer March 17, 2008
Donald Mitchell (Boston)
5 out of 6 found this review helpful
If you love NASCAR, this book will increase your love.
If you don't think NASCAR is interesting, this book will change your mind. There's lot more going on than just turning left and keeping the pedal to the metal.
Each NASCAR track presents different challenges to drivers, team leaders, car designers, mechanics, and pit crews. At the same time, NASCAR is trying to keep the cost of racing down, to reduce accidents and deaths, and to make the sport fairer for all. Professor Leslie-Pelecky goes behind the scenes to explain the technical challenges, and shares anecdotes and vignettes of what racing is like for the technical teams and drivers.
Fans are naturally frustrated if a favorite driver seems to have a slug rather than a race car some weeks. If the weather is changeable, it's hard to avoid a slug. Why? The cars are optimized to so many factors that a switch in the weather makes the car work much less well. Although the mechanics can make lots of last minute changes, there's still a lot guess work involved.
While many books about the physics of something can be pretty dry, The Physics of NASCAR doesn't have that problem. The scientific explanations are short and simple. The human stories about what the science means are rich and long.
I came away very impressed with the brain power that goes into NASCAR winning. My interest was greatly increased by learning more about the non-driving side.
Entertaining and informative April 1, 2008
L. F. Smith (E. Wenatchee, WA)
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
This is an entertaining, informative, and very unusual book. The author has actually written two books, one about NASCAR technology and one about elementary physics; however, she has melded them seamlessly into something rare: a serious academic book that is so entertaining that you forget it's serious.
On one level, the book is about how NASCAR race cars are engineered, constructed, and adjusted to enable them to achieve two often contradictory goals: safety and high performance. On another level, the book is about the basic principles of physics and chemistry, including motion, fluid dynamics, combustion, materials science, etc. The uniqueness of the book derives from the way she combines the two, using car racing to illustrate the scientific principles.
I'm a NASCAR fan, and I have a pretty good background in science. I found this book engaging on both of those levels. At the same time, I think it would be a very valuable book for a casual fan-- or even a non-fan-- to read. It makes the sport come alive as something much, much more than just a bunch of guys who stomp on the gas and turn left.
I thought this was a valuable, enjoyable book, and I recommend it most highly.
The science behind the speed February 23, 2008
R. Thompson (Michigan)
10 out of 11 found this review helpful
This is an excellent book about how NASCAR race cars are engineered to perform like they do. The author is a college Physics professor and the book is written to explain with basic scientific terms and knowledge that the average reader can understand written in a very interesting manner.
The areas discussed include aerodynamics, materials,engines, fuels, tires, shocks, drivetrain and others, and the author spent time with Elliott Sadler and the 19 team both at the shop and the track to help the NASCAR fan understand how things work like they do. I am a long time fan and also an engineer and there was a lot of info that I can use when I give fans pit road and garage tours at Michigan Intl Speedway. This book will help me explain things to the fans in a easy way.
This would also be a great book for a high school aged race car enthusiast/budding engineer to help them understand how school subjects like Physics can have exciting real world applications. I was a big racing fan when I was taking physics in high school and engineering courses in college and the textbook problems we had did not seem very relevant or interesting. A book like this would have made those subjects a lot more fun.
I own many many NASCAR and racing books and this is one of the best. Highly recommended!
The Racing of Automobiles - From Inside Out April 4, 2008
G. Poirier (Orleans, ON, Canada)
7 out of 7 found this review helpful
I'm not a NASCAR fan by any stretch of the imagination. But this book's title intrigued me. Browsing through it and seeing all the interesting diagrams convinced me that I should buy it and read it. I did and I was not disappointed. The author, a physicist, is a gifted expositor of scientific principles at a level ideal for the general reader. She explains, using many useful analogies (and no mathematics), the finer points involved in building an automobile suitable for racing the NASCAR circuits. The book could just as easily have been entitled "The Science of NASCAR" since sciences other than physics are also involved and explained, e.g., chemistry, metallurgy, aerodynamics, engineering, biology, etc. In addition to the science, the author gives a fascinating overview of some of the dedicated people who are involved in building and racing a potentially winning car as they do their work before, during and after a race. The writing style is clear, authoritative, very accessible and quite engaging. Based on the way this book is written, it can be enjoyed by absolutely anyone, not only science buffs or NASCAR fans.
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