3 ms·

> I'd watch the hell out of a sport based on creative attempts to overcome the rules and hide it from the judges. NASCAR. This sport is all about bending the

> I'd watch the hell out of a sport based on creative attempts to overcome the rules and hide it from the judges. NASCAR. This sport is all about bending the rules, gray areas and just plain trying to cheat. Back in the old days they would fill the roll cages will ball bearings during inspections, then pull a plug and drain them out before the race. The jack men, used to strategically dent the side of the car to strategically steer the air to get better downforce. Larry McReynolds has a video series on such things. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3-o44EmtRDE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3-o44EmtRDE it's a fun watch. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gtuEBl4iUDg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gtuEBl4iUDg antenna placement https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WxJOiDsgxl4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WxJOiDsgxl4 "accidentally" denting the sheet metal

rtkwe 2y ago
There was a version of denting the side recently where they were pulling out a corner near the outside back wheel for an aero advantage. I think they banned that pretty quickly because it was tearing up tires way more often.
InitialLastName 2y ago
Matthew Carter (ex-team principal of the latter-day Lotus F1 team) has an anecdote that the team had a wing component that held the wing in a legal configuration, but was designed to break under racing forces. When it (inevitably) broke, it allowed the wing to flex into an illegal (but more performant) configuration. Since F1 has a rule that allows exceptions to illegal car configurations if they are due to damage, they were able to pass inspections by saying that the illegal configuration was due to the (intentional) damage.
1-more 2y ago
there was a recent thing where Joey Logano was penalized for driving with a webbed glove. He'd hold it over a gap in the window (open but with a safety net over it) to reduce drag. Lots of drivers use their hand to do that, but the gloves can't have extra webbing. It's kind of shocking how much that matters for drag. https://www.roadandtrack.com/news/a46973038/nascar-driver-gloves-cheating-explained/ https://www.roadandtrack.com/news/a46973038/nascar-driver-gl...
- zikduruqe 2y ago
  Indeed. Today's advantages are all about steering air around the car, since most teams have access to wind tunnels now.
userbinator 2y ago
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smokey_Yunick#Automobile_racing https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smokey_Yunick#Automobile_racin... Another Yunick improvisation was getting around the regulations specifying a maximum size for the fuel tank by using 11-foot (3 meter) coils of 2-inch (5-centimeter) diameter tubing for the fuel line to add about 5 US gallons (18.9 liters) to the car's fuel capacity.
dclowd9901 2y ago
Back during the Wild West of Group B rally, some teams (I forget which), ran their cars with cardboard tubes in place of roll cages! Perhaps an apocryphal story but those times were nuts.

rtkwe 2y ago

There was a version of denting the side recently where they were pulling out a corner near the outside back wheel for an aero advantage. I think they banned that pretty quickly because it was tearing up tires way more often.

InitialLastName 2y ago

Matthew Carter (ex-team principal of the latter-day Lotus F1 team) has an anecdote that the team had a wing component that held the wing in a legal configuration, but was designed to break under racing forces. When it (inevitably) broke, it allowed the wing to flex into an illegal (but more performant) configuration. Since F1 has a rule that allows exceptions to illegal car configurations if they are due to damage, they were able to pass inspections by saying that the illegal configuration was due to the (intentional) damage.

1-more 2y ago

there was a recent thing where Joey Logano was penalized for driving with a webbed glove. He'd hold it over a gap in the window (open but with a safety net over it) to reduce drag. Lots of drivers use their hand to do that, but the gloves can't have extra webbing. It's kind of shocking how much that matters for drag. https://www.roadandtrack.com/news/a46973038/nascar-driver-gloves-cheating-explained/ https://www.roadandtrack.com/news/a46973038/nascar-driver-gl...

zikduruqe 2y ago
Indeed. Today's advantages are all about steering air around the car, since most teams have access to wind tunnels now.

userbinator 2y ago

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smokey_Yunick#Automobile_racing https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smokey_Yunick#Automobile_racin... Another Yunick improvisation was getting around the regulations specifying a maximum size for the fuel tank by using 11-foot (3 meter) coils of 2-inch (5-centimeter) diameter tubing for the fuel line to add about 5 US gallons (18.9 liters) to the car's fuel capacity.

dclowd9901 2y ago

Back during the Wild West of Group B rally, some teams (I forget which), ran their cars with cardboard tubes in place of roll cages! Perhaps an apocryphal story but those times were nuts.