2005 Racing Issue - UAW-Chrysler.com

More documents

Recommendations

Info

Start Engines YOUR BURN RUBBER,BABY At around $400 a pop, it’s a good thing all vehicles aren’t equipped with the tires required on the Nextel Cup circuit. Likewise, street motorists should be glad they don’t have to change tires based on road surface. That’s right, NASCAR tire specifications differ from race to race depending upon the degree of track banking and whether the racing surface is asphalt, concrete or a mix of both. Tire Talk: GOODYEAR STREET vs. RACE TIRES STREET RACE ESTIMATED COST $150–$200 each $400+/- each AVERAGE LIFE 50,000 miles 150 miles AIR PRESSURE (COLD PSI) 35 psi 30 psi left/45 psi right INFLATED WITH air dry air or nitrogen WEIGHT 30 pounds 24 pounds TREAD THICKNESS 3 /8 inch 1 /8 inch CHARGER TO CHARGER THIS SEASON, THE CHARGER is turning heads on and off the track. The motorsports version of the famed muscle car and the shiny production vehicle you can test drive at your Dodge dealer share a proud heritage and many similarities. To learn what sets the NASCAR Charger apart, we talked to some experts at Dodge Motorsports. Obviously, the Dodge Charger that you see zooming past on the racetrack needs much more power than is legal on the street. The NASCAR Charger boasts a 5.9-liter V-8, MOPAR Cast Iron Block and aluminum heads with more than 800 horsepower, while the performance vehicle runs on a still impressive 5.7-liter Hemi multidisplacement V-8 engine with 340 horsepower. Because weight can literally be a drag, the engineers of the racing Charger designed the mighty vehicle to weigh only 3,400 pounds, versus the 4,031-pound street legal Charger. Speed is the name of the game. The racing Charger can reach 0 to 60 in just four seconds. But for quick highway merging, the street Charger isn’t far behind, with the same acceleration taking only six seconds. Two big differences in the racing and production Chargers are in sound systems and safety belts. The street edition comes with a sixspeaker, 276-watt digital amplifier and threepoint seatbelts, whereas the racing Charger has a two-way radio and a six-point harness. For more information on how you could own a street-legal Dodge Charger with plenty of power and performance — and options a NASCAR driver would envy — go to www.dodge.com. TOP: GETTY; BOTTOM: COURTESY OF DAIMLERCHRYSLER 4 www.uawdcx.com
RACING pretty A TRIP TO THE RACETRACK offers more than just a high-speed chase to Victory Lane. Along with the excitement of roaring engines comes a mesmerizing swish of color from the vehicles on the track. Over the years, paint schemes of racecars have evolved from racing stripes to logos to special themes. Race fans can’t always count on easily spotting their favorite driver’s car because, as in the case of the No. 9 and No. 19 Dodges, the cars could carry up to six special paint schemes determined by their sponsor per season. When it’s time for the No. 9 and No. 19 Chargers to dazzle fans with a new theme, Dodge and the Dodge Dealers work with Competition Graphics and Action Performance to come up with a design. Once a design is chosen, it takes six to eight hours for a car to be decaled. If a car is being converted from a special paint scheme and requires a new color, the makeover can mean two to three days in a body shop. All Evernham Motorsports cars are painted with PPG paint, unless a particular paint scheme or timing warrants a different technique. For example, at the October 2004 race in Charlotte, Kasey Kahne’s No. 9 Dodge Intrepid was sporting a Mopar paint scheme, which was created with a vinyl wrap. Because Kahne had competed with the same car the prior weekend in Kansas, it was not possible to repaint and redecal the vehicle before the starting gun in Charlotte six days later. Though Kahne and No. 19 driver Jeremy Mayfield are the ones who bring the themes to the public, they have little say in what is painted on the cars. Dodge and Evernham Motorsports drive these decisions and then must submit the designs to NASCAR for final approval. PAINT SCHEMES FROM TOP: SPY VS SPY; MOPAR; SUMMER SALES DRIVE; HEMI; MOUNTAIN DEW VroommMagnum! It’s not surprising that the Chicago Speedway chose the Dodge Magnum for its pace car at the 2004 Tropicana 400. Between its jaw-dropping curb appeal and the power it represents, the flashy Magnum is a fitting vehicle for the racetrack. But if you find yourself checking out the pace car more than the No. 9 or No. 19, you might want to head to your Dodge dealer and see how you look sitting in the driver’s seat. What makes the Magnum so great? For some, it’s the 5.7-liter Hemi V-8 engine. For others it’s the return of rear-wheel drive performance to the Dodge line. Then there’s the 1,000- to 3,800-pound towing capability. As mighty as the Magnum is, engineers had more than brawn in mind when designing the vehicle. For them, safety is as high a priority as performance. In fact, the Dodge Magnum has received the highest government frontal crash test rating for both driver and passenger safety. The attention to detail visible throughout the Magnum’s interior is just as impressive as its performance. The front seats are set two inches higher than most vehicles’ seats to give the driver a clear view out over the road. The rear seats, too, are positioned higher, giving those passengers a front view as well. Versatility reigns in the 2005 sedan: 27.2 cubic feet of cargo space grows to 71.6 cubic feet once the rear seats are folded down; the bilevel cargo floor and removable trifold upper divider store valuables out of sight; and the cargo management system includes a floor liner and net separators to keep items in place during travel. For more information on the Dodge Magnum, go to www.dodge.com. TOMORROW SPECIAL RACING 2005 5
Page 2 and 3: Side by Side On the Fast Track WHEN
Page 6 and 7: UAW-DC 400 Pulling Off the Perfect
Page 8 and 9: Our Fans Toy Time It was love at fi
Page 10 and 11: Our Fans Look Out for Women Drivers
Page 14 and 15: COMEBACK KID: JEREMY MAYFIELD JEREM
Page 16 and 17: “I’M DOING THE SAME THING I’V
Page 18 and 19: A DRIVER’S RACE WEEKEND THURSDAY
Page 20 and 21: MIDGETS SPRINTS AND TRUCKS DODGE RA
Page 22 and 23: The challenge to win is one sentime
Page 24 and 25: STORY BY Molly Rose Teuke PHOTOGRAP
Page 26 and 27: THE SCIENCE AND SKILL OF DRAFTING G
Page 28: 2005 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series Highl

2005 Racing Issue - UAW-Chrysler.com

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?