Nascar what type of car

The driver of the No. The addition of the Mustang to the series for the first time ever in is what bumps this lineup of Cup cars to the top. It is a massive upgrade over the various stylings of the Fusion, the model Ford ran in the Cup Series from Before that, the Ford Taurus and its dull, circular headlight decals looked as misplaced on a race track as one would expect for a four-door stock car model.

It also goes without saying that the Mustang, Ford's oldest car and the world's best-selling sports coupe, should represent the manufacturer in NASCAR.

The looks of Cup cars over the years can be categorized by the generation in which they fall. Generation 1, which began with NASCAR's inception in and reached the mids, was all about being "strictly stock. These cars were literally taken from the show room to the race track, with the only modifications being decals and doors that were strapped shut.

Generation 2 featured cars with modified frames for the first time — the first step in a long line of safety- and entertainment-related developments in NASCAR. Even though these cars were modified, their designs still largely matched those of the cars at the dealership.

And they were some great-looking cars. The Plymouth Superbird. The Dodge Charger. The Chevy Monte Carlo. With that in mind, this list is a mixed bag. In some cases, paint schemes that look good on next year's new models get the focus, but on some occasions, the cars themselves are the stars of the show. Without further ado, here are 10 cars sure to steal camera time next year:. Defending champion Brad Keselowski will lead the charge into next season in the famous No.

Five-time champion Jimmie Johnson and Hendrick Motorsports will lead Chevrolet's charge into the next generation of stock car racing with the new SS model, inspired by the Australian Holden Commodore. For the second year in a row, sponsor Lowe's will repaint the car in classic Chevrolet colors in selected races, starting with the non-points Shootout at Daytona in February. This one, "Daytona yellow," was used on Chevelles, Camaros and Corvettes in and Well known for his taste in clean-looking cars and having a hand in most of his paint schemes, this is Dale Earnhardt Jr.

It's a slight update of the longtime National Guard scheme, reversing the blue and white from this year, but it preserves the general theme—and of course the black rear bumper. One of many impressive new paint schemes on the fresh Chevrolet SS model, sponsor Budweiser is dropping the black-oriented look of the past two seasons for a new scheme inspired by the new design of its beer cans.

Only once the pre-race inspection is complete is a team allowed to practice and qualify for the race. On race day, another inspection is carried out before the race starts. This is a thorough inspection, with the officials measuring the entire car and checking all components comply with the rule book. After each race, certain cars are selected by NASCAR officials for post-race inspections to check for any changes to certain aspects of the cars, including their engines.

If a car fails an inspection, the driver and team can be penalized by losing championships points and face a stiff fine. The manufacturers Chevrolet, Ford and Toyota and race teams are constantly working to find an edge over their rivals. Engine builders and designers become quite creative with their solutions, using exotic materials and build processes. Where the major differences between engines come in is in the profiles of the valvetrains and camshafts, in the ignition systems, coolant pumps, oil pumps, steering pumps, camshafts, and crankshafts.

Coatings such as diamond-like carbon and titanium nitride are extensively used on internal parts to reinforce them without adding structural weight to those parts. The current engines in NASCAR cars can easily handle , hp, but the rules restrict them to hp on oval tracks shorter than 1 mile and to hp on tracks longer than 1 mile.

NASCAR cars do make use of power steering to not only help the drivers steer their cars at speeds over mph but to also place their race cars with accuracy on the tracks.

These power steering systems make use of NASCAR-stipulated recirculating ball steering mechanism that controls the way in which the wheels are turned.