 Oval track Hobby Stocks | |
| Nicknames | Sport Compact, Factory Stock, Street Stock |
|---|---|
| Sanctioning: Oval Road course Dragway | IMCA,DIRTcar,NASCAR,CRA FIA,SCCA,IMSA,DMSB NHRA,WDRA,IHRA |
| Characteristics | |
| Team members | Yes |
| Mixed-sex | Yes |
| Type | Outdoor |
Production car racing, showroom stock racing, street stock, pure stock, touring and U-car racing are all categories of auto racing where unmodified (or very lightly modified) production cars race each other, outright and also in classes.
When the first oval speedway built for automobile racing was constructed in England in 1906, ordinary street cars were the vehicles of choice for racing. [1] These cars were typically procured directly from dealerships, with minimal alterations made to meet the demands of the racetrack. The affordability and accessibility of stock cars allowed racing enthusiasts from all walks of life to participate, contributing to the growth and popularity of the sport. [2]
As the sport evolved, so did the modifications made to the stock cars. Drivers started customizing their vehicles by enhancing performance and safety features, such as reinforcing chassis frames, installing roll cages, and improving engines and suspension systems. These modifications allowed the stock cars to withstand the intense demands of racing, turning them into formidable competitive machines. [2]
These modifications increased the cost to compete, and in order to attract new competitors, race promotors responded by adding new divisions for "lesser modified" passenger cars. [3] [4] Requirements for these introductory divisions can vary greatly, but all are based on a full-bodied passenger vehicle and an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) production engine. Roll cages must be welded into the frame, and all glass, vinyl, upholstery and lights must be removed from the vehicle. [5]
In various regions, they may be known as hobby stocks, street stocks, pure stocks, bombers, factory stocks or stingers. In British oval racing, the term "production car racing" has been used as an alternative for hot rods, as run in the West Country during the late 1960s to the mid-1970s, and a production car world championships. The West Country production cars were later reclassified as hot rods to come in line with the country's other promoters although this causes some confusion with the history of the West country racing as there was another class called hot rods that ran on those tracks. [6]
The major U.S. sanctioning organizations – International Motor Contest Association (IMCA), DIRTcar, NASCAR, and Championship Racing Association (CRA/ASA) -- generally promote these classes as one of three levels: entry, intermediate, or advanced. [5] [7]
The Sport Compact (IMCA, DIRTcar) or Pure Stock (NASCAR) or Mini-Stock or Bomber divisions are the lowest entry-level racing class. Four-passenger vehicles with a four-cylinder or limited six-cylinder engines, the rules for these race cars mandate a stock body and a stock suspension. The vehicles can be made race ready for $500 to $2,000, and involve merely gutting the interior and adding a racing seat and roll cage. [8] [9] [10] [11]
The Hobby Stock (IMCA) or Factory Stock (DIRTcar) or Thunder Car (NASCAR) are also divisions designed to give new competitors the chance to go racing. The body and frame must match, and very few alterations are allowed to the stock frame and suspension. The engines produce roughly 300 horsepower and must reflect the correct pairing to the model. Racers can generally build competitive cars for between $3,500 and $10,000. [10] [12]
The Stock (IMCA, DIRTcar) or Street Stock (NASCAR, CRA/ASA) or Pro Stock (DIRTcar Northeast) divisions characteristically have bigger engines that produce roughly 360 horsepower, yet still require an OEM passenger vehicle production block. The rules also allow for some changes to the suspension, including the addition of screw jacks. While a used race car can be purchased for around $6,500, competitive stock cars can cost upwards of $25,000. [13] [14] [15] [16] [17] [18] [19]
Many production racing categories are based on particular makes of cars. There are many Porsche and Audi racing series around the world. These are also called "one make series". Some series use a handicapped start, where the smaller cars are released up to 45 seconds ahead of the larger cars, and are slowly caught, the idea being that all the cars are together at the finish of the race. Many series follow the group N regulation with a few exceptions. There are several different series that have run all over the world, most notably, Japan's Super Taikyu and IMSA's Firehawk Series which ran between the 1980s to 1990s all over the United States. [20]
Cars usually have a protective roll cage and run race tires (either slicks or radials). Some freedoms are allowed, like gearbox coolers, giving the cars increased performance and components longevity. Production car racing, known in the US as "showroom stock", is an economical and rules restricted version of touring car racing. [21]
Major races include the Bathurst 6 Hour, Bahrain 24 Hour, Dubai 24 Hour and Malaysian 12 Hour and sanctioned by organisations such as the FIA and SCCA. Normally using an entry-level formula, it has grown into a stand-alone series, with national, state and club events and championships. The first NASCAR "strictly stock" race was held at Charlotte Speedway, on June 19, 1949. Where a racing class requires that the cars raced be production vehicles only slightly adapted for racing, manufacturers typically produce a limited run of such vehicles for public sale so that they can legitimately race them in the class. These cars are commonly called "homologation specials". [22]
The World Drag Alliances (WDRA), which operates in the U.S., Canada, and Aruba provides a "Factory Street" class for factory produced vehicles to race legally and safely on a drag strip. The regulations for Factory Street vehicles rely on the manufacturers unaltered standard safety features of the vehicle to. All the vehicle’s original and unaltered OEM safety equipment is mandatory and must be fully functional. [23]
The National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) promotes a "Stock " class in the U.S. and Canada where virtually any car is eligible to compete, and entries are classified using a system that divides factory shipping weight by a horsepower factor. Bodies must be unaltered and retain a full factory interior. Engines must be correct for the make and model vehicle and must retain stock cylinder heads, intake manifold, and carburetor. [24] The NHRA has developed a Stock Car Classification Guide to position a vehicle in its proper class. [25]
The International Hot Rod Association (IHRA) has included a "Sportsman" class which is open to door cars only. Electronics, pneumatics, hydraulics, throttle timers, staging controllers and counters prohibited, as are or any other device which may way affect the throttle operation. [26] In Australia, the IHRA promotes a "Real Street" class, which requires the vehicles be legally registered and licensed. [27]
Every September at Mid-Michigan Raceway in Stanton, hosts the Pure Stock Muscle Car Drag Race. The event hosts classic drag racing with stock (or nearly stock) U.S. muscle cars factory built between 1955 and 1979. [28] [29]
Auto racing is a motorsport involving the racing of automobiles for competition. In North America, the term is commonly used to describe all forms of automobile sport including non-racing disciplines.
Drag racing is a type of motor racing in which automobiles or motorcycles compete, usually two at a time, to be first to cross a set finish line. The race follows a short, straight course from a standing start over a measured distance, most commonly 1⁄4 mi, with a shorter, 1,000 ft distance becoming increasingly popular, as it has become the standard for Top Fuel dragsters and Funny Cars, where some major bracket races and other sanctioning bodies have adopted it as the standard. The 1⁄8 mi is also popular in some circles. Electronic timing and speed sensing systems have been used to record race results since the 1960s.
Stock car racing is a form of automobile racing run on oval tracks and road courses measuring approximately 0.25 to 2.66 miles. It originally used production-model cars, hence the name "stock car", but is now run using cars specifically built for racing. It originated in the southern United States; its largest governing body is NASCAR. Its NASCAR Cup Series is the premier top-level series of professional stock car racing. Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, and the United Kingdom also have forms of stock car racing. Top-level races typically range between 200 and 600 miles in length.
The National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) is a governing body which sets rules in drag racing and hosts events all over the United States and Canada. With over 40,000 drivers in its rosters, the NHRA claims to be the largest motorsport sanctioning body in the world.
Funny Car is a type of drag racing vehicle and a specific racing class in organized drag racing. Funny cars are characterized by having tilt-up fiberglass or carbon fiber automotive bodies over a custom-fabricated chassis, giving them an appearance vaguely approximating manufacturers' showroom models. They also have the engine placed in front of the driver, as opposed to dragsters, which place it behind the driver.
A dragstrip is a facility for conducting automobile and motorcycle acceleration events such as drag racing. Although a quarter mile is the best known measure for a drag track, many tracks are eighth mile (201 m) tracks, and the premiere classes will run 1,000 foot (304.8 m) races. The race is begun from a standing start which allows three factors to affect the outcome of the race: reaction time, power/weight ratio, and traction.
The International Hot Rod Association (IHRA) is the second-largest drag racing sanctioning body after the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA).
Car tuning is the modification of a car to optimise it for a different set of performance requirements from those it was originally designed to meet. Most commonly this is higher engine performance and dynamic handling characteristics but cars may also be altered to provide better fuel economy, or smoother response. The goal when tuning is the improvement of a vehicle's overall performance in response to the user's needs. Often, tuning is done at the expense of emissions performance, component reliability and occupant comfort.
Dirt track racing is a form of motorsport held on clay or dirt surfaced banked oval race tracks. Dirt track racing started in the United States before World War I and became widespread during the 1920s and 1930s using both automobiles and motorcycles, often running on horse racing tracks. There are a myriad of types of race cars used, from open wheel Sprint cars and Modifieds to stock cars. While open wheel race cars are purpose-built racing vehicles, stock cars can be either purpose-built race cars or street vehicles that have been modified to varying degrees. There are hundreds of local and regional racetracks throughout the United States. The sport is also popular in Australia, New Zealand, Canada, South Africa and the United Kingdom.
Pro stock is a class of drag racing featuring "factory hot rods". The class is often described as "all motor", due to the cars not using any form of forced induction such as turbocharging or supercharging, or other enhancements, like nitrous oxide, along with regulations governing the modifications allowed to the engines and the types of bodies used.
The International Motor Contest Association (IMCA) was organized in 1915 by J. Alex Sloan, and is the oldest active auto racing sanctioning body in the United States. IMCA is headquartered in Vinton, Iowa, and features several classes and divisions of weekly racing in six geographical regions of the United States.
Seekonk Speedway is a family entertainment venue that features racing of all kinds on a semi-banked 1/3 mile asphalt-paved oval, located on U.S. Route 6 in Seekonk, Massachusetts.
IMCA Modified is the top modified division sanctioned by the International Motor Contest Association. The series began in 1979. It was designed to be a mid-level class between late models and hobby stocks. The first IMCA modified race was held at the Benton County, Iowa Speedway in 1979 on a 1/4 mile track.
Hoosier Racing Tire is a subsidiary of Continental AG that primarily specialises in the production of tires for race competition use.Headquartered in Lakeville, Indiana, the company was founded in 1957. Hoosier employs nearly 500 people, and has provided tires for use in series sanctioned by IHRA, NHRA, ARCA, CRA, NASCAR, IMCA, WISSOTA, SCCA, NASA, AIS, USAC, World of Outlaws and Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series. Hoosier makes tires aimed at both amateurs and professionals competing in a variety of disciplines including stock car racing, road racing, dirt track racing, drag racing, rallying, and more.
Late Model stock car racing, also known as late model racing and late models, refers to a type of auto racing that involves purpose-built cars simultaneously racing against each other primarily on oval tracks. This type of racing was early-on characterized by its participants' modification to the engines of post-World War II passenger cars, but the modern day understanding references a class that allows considerable modifications to both the engine and body, yet requires some form of front fender package.
Don Nicholson was an American drag racer from Missouri. He raced in the 1960s and 1970s when there were few national events. The National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) estimates he won 90 percent of his match races. As of 2002, he held the record for the most number of categories in which he reached a final round : Funny Car, Pro Stock, Super Stock, Competition Eliminator, Stock, and Street. He was nicknamed "Dyno Don" after he was one of the first drivers to use a chassis dynamometer on his cars in the late 1950s, a skill that he learned while working as a line mechanic at a Chevrolet car dealer.
Modified stock car racing, also known as modified racing and modified, is a type of auto racing that involves purpose-built cars simultaneously racing against each other on oval tracks. First established in the United States after World War II, this type of racing was early-on characterized by its participants' modification of passenger cars in pursuit of higher speeds, hence the name.
Stock car racing in the United Kingdom covers a number of different oval racing formulas. Contact is allowed in UK stock car racing, that is, if you are unable to pass an opponent using speed alone, you are allowed to push or hit your opponent in order to pass. The degree of contact allowed varies between categories.
The following is a glossary of terminology used in motorsport, along with explanations of their meanings.