Mathematics is found everywhere in life and work and auto racing isno exception. There are many applications of math in racing.The purpose of racing is to win and in order to do that there must be a lot of math involved. If you don't use math and use it correctly then you will not win.Mathematics is involved in racing in two ways, the car setup and scoring an measurements. The car setup involves tire pressure, down force, wedge, aerodynamic Drag, camber, track bar and valance. The scoring system also uses math.In addition to scoring math is also used to measure different racing relatedsubjects such as car weight, gas mileage time interval, qualifying, and the track characteristics. Tire pressure is used as a setup tool that is akin to adjusting spring rates inthe vehicles suspension.
Increasing the air pressure in the tires raises the spring rate in the tire itself and changes the vehicles handling characteristics. In order foroptimal performance the teams must know the proper p.s.i ( Pressure per square inch)for a certain tire on a certain track for a certain air temperature. Math is also used in measuring the "downforce." Downforce is the air pressure traveling over the surface of the car. This air pushes the car downwards which createsthe term downforce. The greater the psi the greater the downforce which creates bettertire grip for higher speeds through turns.
Wedge is another racing term that relies on math. Wedge refers to the relationship from corner to corner of the weight of the car. The weight on any corner of the vehicle affects the weight of the other three corners in direct proportion. The wedge determineshow the car handles by either stiffening the wedge or loosening it up. Aerodynamic drag is another math related racing factor.
A number that is a coefficient of several factors indicates how well a car will travel through the air is theaerodynamic drag. Teams use specific tests to determine how to achieve the least amount of drag on the car in order to obtain the fastest speed possible. Math is involved in the camber of a tire which is also very critical in creating the fastest car possible. Camber is the angle at which a tire makes contact with the track surface. The camber varies from tire to tire depending on which tire it is in order to achieve the fastest and best handling car possible.Math is also prevalent when dealing with a cars track bar. The track bar locatesthe vehicles rear end housing from left to right underneath it. In calibrating the vehicles "suspension geometry" by raising or lowering the track bar a team is able to changethe rear roll center which determines how well the car will handle in turns. Determiningthe proper angle of the track bar a team controls the car. A cars valance also involves using math.A cars valance is the panel that extendsbelow the front bumper, also known as a front air dam. The amount of clearance between the valance and the ground directly affects the amount of front downforce the vehicle creates. The lower the valance the greater the downforce. The teams must use math in order to determine the distance the valance is to the ground and the amount of downforce it creates for the best possible performance. In addition to the setup of a car math is also used in auto racing in order to score and determine racing related measurements.Math is used in the scoring or points system of auto racing. The points system in NASCAR uses math in order distribute points to the drivers and teams. The winner receives 175 points and from there the points given decline in five point increments for places two through six. Points awarded then drop four points per driver for positions seven through eleven and then three points per driver from there on out. Divers who lead at least one lap receive five bonus points and the driver who leads the most points in a race receives ten bonus points. Math is used in another simple but important aspect of racing, the car's weight.There are important reasons for having certain weight distributions.
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