Testing the engine

In racing, the standards of tomorrow are created bywas facing its own test. Previously, these cars had
the testing of today. No part gets into asteel bodies and body replacement was a time
manufacturer's catalog or onto a retailer's shelfconsuming and costly step for the teams. It was a
without going through some type of testing.necessary evil because many have sponsors who
When a change comes about in the sport, thewant their products to stand out, and it won't
process that brings on the change involves testing.happen on a battered body.
At the PRI show in Orlando in December 2005, there"We'll be getting these bodies from one
was plenty of interest in an engine sitting on a standmanufacturer, who will have a distributor network.
in the NASCAR booth. The engine was a piece thatWe know the teams were spending $10,000-$15,000
could be destined for use in the Grand National Westto hang a new body. The lesser teams were forced
and Busch East series if all goes well. At the point ofto buy bodies that had been cut off other cars. The
the display, initial testing had been done, but therecomposite bodies are much more cost effective.
was more to come.They are pretty flexible and much easier to repair,"
The next phase of testing happened at USAsaid Roy.
International Speedway in Lakeland, Florida, inRoy said the Richard Petty Driving Experience had
mid-January. It was the same location as theswitched to the composite body and found
previous tests. There may have been some changessubstantial time and labor savings. The bodies will be
from the display engine to the track, but thoseused for the Busch East and the Busch West series,
changes were not obvious. Some parts may havebut there's a small concern. The rules are not exactly
been swapped to see if a certain manufacturerthe same, as one series uses cars with a 105-inch
should be preferred over another. After all, one goalwheelbase and the other requires a 110-inch
of the test is to determine the menu of best partswheelbase. To accommodate this, the manufacturer
for the competitor.will sell the bodies without the wheelwells cut out,
Wegner Automotive Research has played a key roleleaving it to the teams. Fitment is not expected to
in the development of the engine and was on handbe an issue. The 105-inch car that was tested looked
at the test to make adjustments and try newfine.
components as needed.Chevrolet Monte Carlo Race Car front drivers side
For the test mule, NASCAR reached out to Grizcoview side half
Racing, the North Carolina-based team that finishedThe car on pit road. This gives you a good look at
First and Second in NASCAR Busch North Series pointthe composite body, another innovation in the works
standings last year. (Note: The Busch East Series isfor Grand National competitors in 2006. The body
the new name of the Busch North Series.) On thecould save the teams time and money during the
first day, veteran Brad Leighton took the wheel forcourse of a season.
the laps around the 3/4-mile speedway. On day two,While the body was facing its own perusal, the
the chore fell to series Rookie of the Year Seanengine was getting plenty of fine-tuning. Squirters in
Caisse. Defending series champion Andy Santerre,the carburetor were changed after a few laps during
who will focus on a management role with the teamthe morning session. Near the end of the morning
in 2006, supervised the testing.run, a new intake manifold was brought in for a trial
The engine had been developed by renowned engineby fire.
builder Carl Wegner of Wegner AutomotiveAt the end of the testing, the car was transported
Research, and Wegner's team was present to handleback to North Carolina. The engine was removed and
all adjustments. After having 17 percent humidity forthe time-consuming process of parts analysis was set
the first day, the reality of Florida kicked in as theto begin.
humidity was 80 percent on day two. AirRoy remarked that there was a growing interest in
temperature lingered in the mid-60s with the trackthe Busch East Series, and the development of the
temperature starting off at a cool 59 degrees.engine and body could really spur the continued
Weather readings were regularly taken throughoutgrowth.
the day."From what we've seen, this engine holds up well,"
After a period of adjustments, including springsaid Santerre. "It runs very competitive lap times. For
changes and the early discovery and replacement ofanybody new coming into the Grand National division,
a faulty brake rotor, the laps started to mount. Thethey should be able to put this type of engine in their
goal on this day was to run about 400 laps, whichcar and know they're going to be competitive at the
would be close to 300 miles. That is well in excess ofracetrack. If this motor doesn't show any signs of
the ordeal these cars typically endure on a givenfatigue after this test session, I think that's a great
weekend.sign for the future of the spec engine."
On hand to watch the test was NASCAR Busch EastThe last day of testing included several long-distance
Director Lee Roy, who explained the idea behind theruns, and the car showed no obvious signs of
new engine. "Our objective is to develop an enginereduced performance. The true test comes when
that will keep a similar horsepower figure, lessen thethe parts are removed and inspected. NASCAR
rpm, and cost less than half of what the competitorsofficials will make a determination on specific parts to
are paying now for a built engine. Carl [Wegner]be required in the engines, which will allow the
came up with a good package that hits the goal onengines to be built by anyone. A complete parts list
the cost. With effort to get a spec engine and thewas expected to be available a few weeks after the
composite body, we are taking two of the areas oflatest testing, with the possibility of more testing
largest cost and cutting them by half or more. Wedown the road. There is no set timetable since
think that will help us keep the competitive nature ofNASCAR wants to be certain of its engine before
the series and help the series grow."offering it to competitors.
While the engine was the main attraction, the body