AMA I work for a NASCAR Team.

Sorry will use the reply button now.

I love NASCAR. How do you respond to the Murica posts insulting NASCAR?

I used to be a hater. I was a huge F1 fan, but working in the industry has obviously opened my eyes to the amount of technology in NASCAR. Plus the parity makes the racing exciting. Many of our engineers come from F1 and prefer it in NASCAR.

Your engineers don't come from F1...come on now. Completely different ball game.

its somewhat true. sure the aero engineers may not come, but the chassis people, simulation, mechanics..etc all can come over

I've heard that F1 actually doesn't pay engineers/mechanics that well and its expensive as hell to live in England...so NASCAR is appealing from a financial point of view

Couldn't have said it better myself. Competitive wages and way lower cost of living make the switch very appealing.

I don't know a huge amount about NASCAR, but I watched a video the other day showing a pit stop, and noticed that they didn't use centre lock wheels, any reason for this?

NASCAR as a sanctioning body likes to keep the pit stop a central part of the race. The 5 lug setup is a lot slower and harder to perform. There also tend to be a lot more mistakes which adds to the drama of the race. You have to remember it's a show.

Thanks, it's really interesting to see the difference between NASCAR and F1, in terms of how/why people enjoy it!

YW. I enjoy both. Both very different, but entertaining in their own ways.

I do not agree with Hamlin's fine. I don't think most agree with it.

I think most of the guys in the shop like the G6. Plus we like change. It gives us a chance to get a leg up on the competition. To find an advantage first.

On a scale from 10 to fabulous, how gay is Michael Waltrip?

Up there.

Would Danica be fired already if she were a guy?

Hard to say. Depends if she still had her sponsor. As long as you have $$, you have a ride right now.

I prefer not to say which team except it it a top team. I don't work for one driver since I'm in the engine shop. I have met a lot of drivers over the last 6 years. I have been involved in 3 Daytona 500 wins. Have the rings to prove it :)

Talladega nights was mostly just for fun.

ahh so you must be a hendrick motorsports man.

I'd say Roush. They have three 500 wins in six years, if you include Bayne since they get engines from RFR IIRC.

yeah looks like roush shows a pic of biff's car on his website he setup.

From an open house they were having.

[deleted]

Shaved.

Thankfully I am not on the road anymore. Well not on a consistent basis. It is very hard for those guys. Most only get one day a week off and have to work most weekends in the year. We try to keep younger guys on the road to keep them from burning them out. The ones with families have their own ways of making it work.

How many engineers work for your team, and did they graduate from any specific programs (like UNC Charlotte's motorsports engineering program)?

(I'm a mechanical engineering student who'd like to break into the motorsports field).

Oh and FSAE is a must.

We have some UNCC motorsports grads. I'd say 25-30 engineers in the engine department alone.

Have you ever got to drive one of the cars

no

How much does it cost to build a NASCAR car

A new car can be 60-80k. Used cars can be had for 25-40k. The engine can cost just as much. These are just estimates since I don't work on that side of the business.

Holy crap that's cheap, that's honestly really surprising, i thought you missed a 0 on the end.

they make up for it in other means :) in other racing the cars cost sooo much money to build, and they only build a few. in nascar the cars are cheaper to build but they build a ton of them. they build special versions for high speed ovals, short tracks, road courses etc.

so in the end they still spend a crap ton of money on cars..

Yes, it's about the quantity. The cars may only be 100k but they might build 20-25 a year for each team. Plus the engine is rebuilt every race. It adds up. V8SC may cost a lot more but they probably only have 2-3 cars.

How long have you been involved in NASCAR? What is your degree in?

5 years NASCAR, another 2 years for a supplier. I have a high performance automotive technology degree. It was never a goal to work in NASCAR. Just kind of fell into my lap.

You've clearly had a good experience with that education path, but do you recommend it in general to people who would like to work with cars somehow?

Yes it's probably even better for someone who wants to be a normal technician or open their own shop.

How does one get a job driving the transporters? Do the teams generally have one of the pit crew with a CDL drive it, or do they hire truck drivers with really good driving/safety records?

They hire dedicated truck drivers. Usually two per truck so they don't have to stop. Preferably ones that can grill a good steak too.

What do they do during races? Help out in the garage or clean/resupply the truck?

Exactly. They take care of meals. Make sure the hauler stays well supplied and clean.

What weight of oil does a nascar engine use? What type of oil do you run in your personal vehicle?

The race oil are custom blends that are much lower viscosity than your normal street engine oil. I just run Mobil 1 in my own car.

Can you provide values for Viscosity at 40C and 100C? Or just 40C and a Viscosity index?

I prefer to see it in CentiStokes

I prefer cSt too, but sorry i will not.

How many hours a week do you typically work? Do you get to take vacations?

50-60. Yes I get to take vacations, but sometimes it's hard.

Would you recommend your job to someone else? Why / why not?

oohhh that's a tough one. I'm on the wrong side of the talent line so if you want to make a lot of money probably not. A lot of people get burned out in this industry and end up doing something else. If you're really competitive and hard working I'd say go for it. I love the feeling I get when we win.

That's what I thought. I work as a project engineer at a large company. About 10 weeks a year when we are in the midst of a major manufacturing change, work can long and veery stressful. But the other 40 weeks are a random mix, depending on what breaksdown, etc

Looking at the length of the NASCAR season and the fact that it's a competitive sports, there would appear to be limited down time.

I would think it would lead to burnout and change. Has to look good on the resume.

Can always work for a supplier. Mahle is in Asheville.

What do they make?

Racing pistons for all different types of motorsports.

S'all about that Wiseco man ;)

For my owns engines I use cp.

If you ever make it up to the Asheville area, let me know.

What are you interests outside NASCAR / cars?

Shooting, Fitness, Mtn. Biking, EDM Music. Usually pass through Asheville a few times a year.

I am into mountain biking, that's why I live here. If you want to go on some awesome rides, let me know. What do you ride?

I just have an entry level Cannondale hardtail. Nothing special, but fine for the trails here.

Do the owners give a bonus when a driver wins a championship? What is the best gift you have received from working at the shop? How much time do drivers spend at the shop?

Yes, there's usually a bonus. Best gift I've received other than cash is I got to pick out two pairs of WileyX sunglasses. So nothing really that great lol. Some drivers visit more than others. When they win, they will usually buy the shop lunch.

Who is the most down to earth driver that you know? Who is the biggest diva?

For the big names... Biffle's pretty down to earth. So is McMurray. Carl can be a diva. So can Kurt Busch.

That is somewhat surprising to me. I remember when the biff was doing an interview of some kid that had won his first truck race and his phone rang and biff went into asshole mode. McMurray doesn't surprise me too much. Carl seems like such a likeable guy in the booth hard to see him as a diva. Kurt doesn't surprise me too much but I think he has really been humbled being dropped and now racing for a tier 2 team. I would have though Krylie Busch or logano on that list for sure though.

Well I guess you can look at it two different ways. On and off the track. Biffle can definitely lose his mind on the radio if the car isn't right. I was thinking more about seeing him around town and stopping to talk to people. Some drivers won't do that. Carl became quite the diva the way he handled his last contract negotiations. IMO

What was your opinion of the racing at daytona this year? I found it extremely boring as there was not really any bump drafting. I miss the days when you could be in 20th place with 3 laps left to finishing in 1st in those few laps.
Are there any changes planned for talladega and daytona for this year?

Daytona was mediocre. Really hard to pass even with help. I'm really surprised more people didn't try to hook up and two car tango for the last 5 laps. Although it was harder for the cars to hook up.

No changes that I know of yet. Nascar has been known to make changes at the last minute though.

How long does an engine last generally?

One race weekend for Cup. The nationwide engines are required to go multiple races, but it's not that big of a deal since the races a shorter.

Ok I'm out for the night. Sorry if I didn't answer you question. G-night.

Come check out the NASCAR subreddit if you get the chance. /r/NASCAR

Will do.

No, I have not driven a cup car except for on the chassis dyno.

How could one person get into the industry without knowing anyone on the inside

I have a website dedicated to this, but don't want to seem like I'm pushing it. The short answer is education and building a network of people in the industy. Oh and living in charlotte help.

share the website.

ok I made this website since I was constantly asked this question. It's pretty ghetto, but the info is there. www.breakintoracing.com

Have you seen any good fights among the drivers? Other than Tony the tiger who do you think the toughest guy in nascar is?

No not in person. Sorry.

I don't think I'd want to mess with Newman either.

My brother is a big NASCAR fan. I follow it via him and casually. The sport often has a kind of "good ole boy" feel to it. Do you believe there is a deep seeded racism/sexism in the sport among the fans or is that something that is mostly dredged up and created/hyped by the media.

The reason I ask is a while back I saw a story on CNN (I think it could have been another station) about a black driver trying to make it in NASCAR. They interviewed a decent number of fans and it seemed like there were a good number of them that were either not very happy or were acting as if they didn't care, but you could tell they just didn't want to be seen as a racist on TV.

Just curious what your thoughts on this are and if NASCAR as a league/whole is sensitive towards this or if it just something that is not spoken about.

Thanks for the AMA.

Or course there's still racism/sexism and stereotypes. NASCAR is working hard to get away from it though. As the fan base grows it will help drive diversity.

The black driver was probably Darryl (sp?) Wallace Jr. He does have some talent and I wouldn't be surprised to see him in the cup series in the next few years.

I think that was the driver in the story I saw. He seemed like a good guy and the people that worked with him spoke highly of him.

I found myself wondering again about this with Danica Patrick now on the scene. Of the people I know that are NASCAR fans they seem pretty split. Some are fine with her being there, but others hate it because they think she will either be treated differently (which could happen) or, as one guy put it, he just doesn't want to see women racing.

I'm ok with anything that brings new fans into the sport.

They were outraged when a Japanese car company dared to try and compete.

They also hired a lot of people away from the big teams in NC. Pissed off a lot of the owners. Can't really blame them though.

How much alike are the cars/engines?

The G6 car bodies are now more different. With different front bumpers and side profiles. The chassis underneath are similar. NASCAR keeps us in a tight box. The engines are probably the most different. Which is why I love them so much. I mean they are still a lot of rules but there are still a bunch of areas for us to work on.

What is your opinion on the tech schools that advertise they can help get you on NASCAR pit crews?

How did you get the job?

You can get a entry level position through one of the tech schools, but you better be the best student there. THe pit crews are mostly recruited from other universities where the athletes weren't quite good enough to go pro. Most are flown in just for race day to perform the pit stops only and may have other jobs the rest of the week.

I got in through working for a supplier.

Ever heard of the racing sim "iRacing"? If so, what do you and your colleagues think of it?

Yup. I think some of the drivers and nascar endorse it. I've never tried it. I like rFactor.

How much engine development goes on during the season, and what can the teams really do with the rules for homologation?

It never stops. If something is in the grey area of the rules it can be presented to Nascar for approval.

Could you give an example of the type of things you guys work on in-season? Like do you get new pistons on Friday test one week to try out?

Literally everything. We are constantly looking at ways to improve all parts of the engine. Increasing airflow and reducing friction are the goals.

NASCAR is like golf for me. I'm not a fan, but damn it's hard to change the channel once I start watching.

I know what you mean.

What the most common problems you run into maintaining the car?

The cars are usually completely gone through after the race. So there isn't much to maintain. The new G6 is hard on rear axles with the new camber rules.

How much pressure is on you when a race is on? Any times were you have screwed up?

Once the race is on my work has been done long ago. Haven't really screwed anything up. I'm very detail oriented.

What is YOUR opinion on the V8 Supercars coming to America?

Love it. Can't wait.

Do the tires/suspension on one side of the car wear out faster because NASCAR only has left turns?

Yes depending on the track. Right side tires usually wear out more quickly.

How much are teams in demand for aerospace engineers? I'll be graduating in May, and the job market's not looking too good for me right now.

I can see a demand on the car side. Send some resumes out to the big teams that work on aero in the wind tunnel. The smaller teams don't have the budget for that.

I know next to nothing about NASCAR. What teams should I be looking at?

Hendrick, Gibbs, Roush, RCR, waltrip, Penske. Teams that build their own cars.

who is the biggest spoiled brat in nascar and why?

Only my opinion, but I think Kyle Busch. He can frickin drive a race car, but he has done and said some things to his own team that are downright disrespectful.

You based in Mooresville?

I live in the Charlotte area ;)

Have you been accessed of using steroids?

But really, are there any PEDs widely used?

Maybe in the past. I doubt it now. Nascar's new drug testing policy would be hard to get around... well unless you're Lance.

Over the past 7-8 years, there has been a massive consolidation of engine shop resources amongst teams. In 2005, I count about 12 teams that built their own engines. Today, there are 4. Do you feel this consolidtion has hurt the sport? Did NASCAR miss the mark when they put a car ownership cap of 4 teams but did not limit how many engines a team can supply? It seems this is a big part of how Dodge ended up on the outside looking in.

It was really driven by the manufacturers. Combining resources and having to only write one check just made better financial sense. I think it was much more interesting when the teams had their own engine programs, but there isn't the money to do that anymore.

Unsure if this has been asked already, but how does one get involved with this kind of work? I am in high school and highly interested in pursuing a career such as yours.

I imagine you went to a specific school to focus on NASCAR, but I am wondering how the whole process works.

check the link in the same question above :)

Is Chocolate Meyers still the coolest crew man to ever walk the planet?

From what I've listened to he is pretty cool. I wish I had stories like him. Different era though.

I see you work in the engine department, but what is your specific job?

Also, do you feel that they should loosen the engine rules so that the work you guys do is more relevant to the real world?

What materials are the engines made of? Cast iron block and aluminum internals? Or can you guys use titanium parts?

Last question, what bore and stroke to you guys run?

Bore and stroke is too specific, sorry. I work in engine testing but valve train design before that. I wish they would they would do away with some of the min. Weight rules. We're going to spend all of our budget anyways.

Ti. Is allowed in some areas. Not for springs, cranks, and rods though. Mostly just for valves.

When you did valve train design, what was there to do? Was it just the valve spring harmonics and strengthening parts while keeping weight down?

My focus was spring design and developing a package around new, more aggressive camshafts.

You and the rest of your shop SCCA AutoX much?

I autocross. I don't think anybody else here does. Well wait one of my coworkers will bring out his old fsae car every once in awhile.

do you like the track in joliet "chicagoland"? iv been told its one of the favorites of racers.

I like the are and I like 1.5 milers. So yes. I've also spent some tume at the drag strip.

Teams often sell used parts on ebay after races. How simple would the parts be to install on a production engine I am looking to upgrade? Is buying a used block to install and build in my street car worth it?

As far as engine parts, the block and bare heads could be used. All the other parts usually have a finite life and I wouldn't put them in a street car.

How difficult would it be to find parts that fit the block to build a running engine? How much power are these blocks rated to?

Also I've noticed transmissions for sale, safe to assume that they have no reverse gear, but would they be useful for a trackday car? Thanks for your help.

Very hard. Not worth the $$ or effort. There's no official rating on the blocks.

Transmissions do have reverse.

Shame, would be fun to roll around with a NASCAR engine in a sleeper.

So they could be installed on a car, but I assume the ratios would be difficult for an engine not producing as much power.

You could probably build a tamed down SB2 for the street. 800 HP maybe.

What's one thing NASCAR could do that would make cars safer immediately?

Honestly I haven't really thought about that. From the drivers point of view they are pretty safe.

What are your thoughts on the fuel injection switch?

Is there any truth to Keselowski's remark?

Cars on the street are injected with real electronics, not a throttle body (like in NASCAR). So we've managed to go from 50-year-old technology to 35-year-old technology. I don't see what the big deal is."

Is he just saying it's port injected instead of direct injection?

No, the engines are TBI.

TBI was tested but it's port injected.... 8 injectors.

Engines are port fuel injected.

I was talking to a fan last night just before the last convenience store was closing and I was not sure if four cigarettes would get me though the night or if I should skip the 1/4 mile walk.

Anyway, he said he had the same problem earlier in the day ... Nascar was on and he ran out of cigarettes and said he had to think long and hard whether he wanted a fresh pack of cigarettes and miss 25 laps or give in.

What would you do if you were a smoker?

Be more prepared with a backup pack of cigs.

What are your thoughts on MotoGP? Do any of the drivers or mechanics watch the races? Do you think it's a little strange that MotoGP riders race in torrential rain with just a leather race suit and armor between them and the road, yet NASCAR doesn't race in the rain at all, even with a huge cage around them?

Love motogp. Tons of passing and exciting finished. I think racing in the rain would be interesting.

Proof?

I posted my website earlier. It has pic of my three Daytona rings.

What are your favourites of all the rhyming and alliterative NASCAR lingo?

I'm sorry I can't think of any right now.

Thanks for a fun AMA guys. Later!

How has the attitude within the industry been towards Travis Pastrana trying to break into NASCAR? Has there been indifference towards his presence, has he been looked down upon since his roots didn't start in stock car racing but extreme sports, or has most of the industry welcomed him into the sport?

Mostly welcomed. It's great all the new fans he's bringing in. Plus he's been doing pretty damn good so far.

How do drivers stay focused and awake?

5 hour energy

lol. ok thanks

Wasn't sure if serious. I think it would be quite have to fall asleep in a 900 hp car traveling 200 mph. I think most drivers are able to forget about the rest of the world when they climb in their cars.

I stopped watching NASCAR a few years ago because it seemed the rules enforcement was haphazard at best, cynically money-and-popularity based at worst.

From someone closer to the action, do you feel it was as uneven as it appeared as a spectator?

Do you feel it's any more evenhanded, now?

Yes I see that sometimes the rules are enforced differently for different people/teams. Nascar has been trying to be more consistent across the board, but sometimes they still make bad calls or some that seem bias.

How much room for engineering is there on the car? What can you change and what can't you?

Do you get people in the teams crossing over from touring car racing like BTCC or DTM?

Is there a reason NASCAR is so fixated on oval tracks?

Do you work on a specific aspect of the engines?

It's hard to quantify how much room there is since what may seem like a lot to me might now be a lot for you. Yes we have people coming from european race series to work in Nascar. Nascar likes oval track because most of the fans can see the entire race track. They believe it provides a better fan experience.

I used to work on valve train design, now I'm involved in engine testing.

Do you think the new car leveled the playing field between the major teams? Also whats the deal with EGR they went from winning races to the 20s in one or two seasons did something change in there funding level?

I think it has to some degree. EGR has been struggling the past few years. I find it very interesting they switched to Hendrick engines even though they have some share in ECR engines. I can tell you apart from the failures they had, it wasn't a HP problem. Their cars were just really bad. I think being only a two car team and not being a satellite (like Stewart haus) has just put them behind.

Turn left Ricky Bobby!

yeehaw!

I wanna go fast!

Have you ever got to keep a tire from a NASCAR? My dad is a huge fan and do you know of any tips to get one?

No. A lot of the tires are destroyed after the race to make other things. I know some of the team shops sell used tires to fan at what I'm sure if a ripoff price. Much easier to get a tire from a NHRA drag race. They will usually give out their old tires.

Funny you say NHRA, I have a top fuel dragster rear tire.

Haha there you go.

Does it sometimes feel unnatural to turn right when you're out on the road?

No. I turn right all the time naturally.