ByMike MagdaAugust 27, 2012
Lake Speed Jr. is a certified lubrication specialist working for Joe Gibbs Driven motor oils. He’s the son of former NASCAR driver and team owner Lake Speed. A former crew member for Bill Elliott at Melling Racing, Speed joined the Joe Gibbs team in 2004. — Editor
When Joey Logano ran over 203 mph at Daytona in 2011, NASCAR responded with rule changes designed to break up the two-car draft. The idea seemed simple: shrink the cooling air inlet and locate the inlet so that two-car drafting would completely close the opening on the trailing car. These changes would cause that engine to lose cooling and thereby break-up the two-car draft.
NASCAR must have forgotten that we are racers, and we will continue to try to find ways to go faster. That is our job, and it is what we love to do.
Using oil as a coolant
So, we began working on ways to overcome these changes. One of the first ideas was to increase the volume of oil moving through the engine. Water is not the only coolant in the engine. The motor oil can do as much as 40% of the cooling, so we set out to find ways to increase that.Increasing the capacity of the oil system was an easy way to dissipate heat energy over a larger volume of oil, and then we built oil coolers as large as the radiator to help to cool the oil.Even with these mechanical modifications, we had to make some chemical adjustments to the oil in order to compensate for the higher oil temperatures.
These new lubricant technologies would not have been developed had NASCAR not changed the rules.
–Lake Speed Jr.
You see, with the two-car draft, only one car ran high oil and water temperatures. The car leading the pair ran cool; the car pushing ran hot. This swapping effect allowed the engine (and the oil and water) to cool down. It was common to see oil temperatures above 280F during the race. Previously, 220F was normal and 240F was cause for alarm. Of course, the “cold” temperatures of 220F allowed us to use very thin oils 0W-10. Now with temperatures reaching 300F, we increased the viscosity of the oil to a 0W-20. That was a step in the right direction, but pack racing led to sustained high temperatures.
With pack racing, everyone behind the leader has reduced airflow through the coolers. As a result, coolant temperatures remained high throughout the race – the engines never got a chance to cool down.
Modern NASCAR engines have a lot of internal oil leaks–piston oilers, valve spring squirters, cam sprayers–and all of these leaks conspire to reduce oil pressure. High oil temperatures cause the oil to thin out, and this results in lower oil pressure. Since these engines must make maximum horsepower, modifying the oil pump is not your first choice. A wider pressure section puts more drag on the pump. Speeding up the pump can cause cavitation at high engine speed, so we had to find an alternative.
We could have gone to a much heavier oil, say a 10W-40. That would have raised oil pressure. However, a thicker oil actually generates more oil temperature, so we did not want to do something that contributed to higher temperatures.
What we needed was a lightweight oil that did not thin out as much at higher temperatures. We found that oil from Chevron-Phillips. One of only three companies that actually make PAO synthetic base oil, Chevron-Phillips has recently pioneered a new generation of synthetic base oils that provides greater thermal stability. Developed for Wind Turbine gear boxes, these new synthetic base oils provide a much higher Viscosity Index. The higher the Viscosity Index, the less the oil thins out at higher temperatures.
Using these new higher Viscosity Index base oils from Chevron-Phillips, we created a new 0W-10 oil that would not thin out too much at high temperature. Joey Logano won the Nationwide race at Talladega using this new oil.
These new lubricant technologies would not have been developed had NASCAR not changed the rules. They intended to slow us down. Instead we came up with a new and different way to go faster. I guess that is why they say necessity is the mother of invention.
Of course the lessons learned restrictor plate racing at Daytona and Talladega always make their way into the other engines. Learning the limits of piston and valve spring temperatures in a plate engine allow you to push higher in a non-restrictor plate engine. Before you know it, cars are running hotter and faster at Pocono because of a rule change at Daytona. That is how new engine technologies are born from unintended consequences, and this is what makes coming to work each day fun and exciting.
FAQs
Lake Chambers Speed (born January 17, 1948) is an American retired stock car racing driver. He formerly competed in the NASCAR Winston Cup Series, scoring one career win in 402 starts.
What is Lake Speed doing now? ›
Speed still lives and works out of the same compound he bought in 1985 in Kannapolis, North Carolina. His real estate office occupies part of his original race shop, while his karts have replaced the Cup cars that used to be worked on there as well. Karting has helped keep Speed young.
Can I buy a NASCAR engine? ›
Can you buy a NASCAR engine? Yes, the public can sometimes purchase NASCAR engines, though it's rare.
Why did NASCAR reduce horsepower? ›
This is not the only time in history this has happened NASCAR has looked at decreasing horsepower for a variety of reasons. From safety to the manufacturers to looking to improve the racing product, there are plenty of reasons for why. Fans generally want to see NASCAR increase horsepower.
What's the fastest a NASCAR has ever gone? ›
During a race qualifier for the 1987 Winston 500 at Talladega, “Awesome Bill from Dawsonville” achieved the record for the top speed among NASCAR drivers – one that still stands today, some 36 year later – by pushing his No. 9 Coors Ford Thunderbird around the 2.66-mile track to a breakneck speed of 212 miles per hour.
What NASCAR driver has the most races without a win? ›
One day before his fatal accident at Watkins Glen International, McDuffie won a celebrity race in Owego, New York, at the Shangri-La Speedway, not far from Watkins Glen. McDuffie is still the record holder for the most starts in NASCAR's top touring series without recording a win.
What happened to the speed channel? ›
Although the channel was based in the United States (its headquarters were located at University Research Park in Charlotte, North Carolina), Speed ceased being available to most American viewers as a standalone network with its own original programming on August 17, 2013, when it was replaced by the general-interest ...
Where is Lake Speed race Shop? ›
Lake Speed Inc, 4025 Old Salisbury Concord Rd, Kannapolis, NC - MapQuest.
How fast can a Nascar car go without a restrictor plate? ›
Some believe that if restrictor plates weren't used, NASCAR cars could race on super-speedways at speeds in excess of 225 mph (362 kph) due to the improved aerodynamics of the cars over the past decade.
Why is NASCAR losing so many fans? ›
Reasons cited for its decline include the aforementioned track changes, the introduction of the Car of Tomorrow which both drivers and fans alike criticized, the constant tinkering of the rules of its championship and the racing itself, the change in its race day experience, the perceived decline in the quality of its ...
As it turned out, Buddy Baker broke the speed record at the Talladega Superspeedway. Baker was the first driver to ever breach the 200mph barrier, and the Dodge Charger Daytona dominated several races. Seeing it from NASCAR's point of view, there were multiple reasons behind the ban.
How much horsepower does a NASCAR have without a restrictor plate? ›
Unrestricted, Sprint Cup cars produce over 750 horsepower (560 kW) and can run at speeds in excess of 200 mph. Rusty Wallace completed a 2004 test for NASCAR at Talladega in which he used an unrestricted motor to complete average lap speeds of 221 mph (356 km/h) and top speeds near 230 mph (370 km/h).
Did Kyle Petty ever win a NASCAR race? ›
1985–1996. Petty took his number and sponsorship to Wood Brothers Racing in 1985, where he had a then career-high seven top-fives and his first top-ten points finish. The next season, he won his first career race in the infamous 1986 Miller High Life 400 at Richmond and finished tenth in the final standings.
Has Chastain won a NASCAR race? ›
Ross Chastain's first NASCAR Cup win was at COTA
Ross Chastain's NASCAR Cup Series career took off when he won at COTA in 2022 relying on an aggressive driving style that has come to anger many his competitors.
Has Denny Hamlin ever won a road race? ›
Now the longest-tenured driver at Joe Gibbs Racing with over 500 NASCAR Cup Series career starts, Denny boasts victories at 16 of the 24 race tracks that host NASCAR Cup Series races, showcasing his versatility with wins at every style of track (short tracks, intermediate tracks, superspeedways and road courses).
Has Kevin Harvick ever won a road race? ›
One often doesn't think of Harvick as a strong road racer, but he has had some success on those tracks. His first road win came at Watkins Glen International, where he bested future teammate and car owner Tony Stewart for the victory. 8. Chevy Rock & Roll 400, Richmond Raceway, Sept.
We could have gone to a much heavier oil, say a 10W-40. That would have raised oil pressure. However, a thicker oil actually generates more oil temperature, so we did not want to do something that contributed to higher temperatures.