November 18, 2002

Coming off of turn four and going to flag the car is getting great forward bite.

Forward bite is in most cases the determining factor of who will win a race on a flat track with low banking. The setup to achieve that condition can happen with good balance but, can also be emulated with the aid of electronic traction control.

Electronic traction control relates to the controlling of the timing in a cars ignition with the symptom which can be explained as the lateral (front to back) loss of friction during acceleration.

Traction control began to enter the scene in this noted chronological order.

In 1978 we saw the introduction of ABS which is on most of your cars AKA anti lock brakes. In 1985 traction control came on the scene with a series of sensors that reads information from a tachometer and detects slippage in the driveline. In 1995 the introduction of stability control found its way into higher end cars.

All three technologies came from the laboratories of Robert Bosch Company, a German firm that deals with everything that has to do with improving contact with the tires of your car and the pavement. You have seen the Bosch name on Brake pads and electronic parts for years now.

In July of 2002 sanctioning body President Mike Helton came forward with Gary (race cop) Nelson and announced that they are officially on the look for electronic traction control devices used in the Winston Cup series. In the meeting Mike Helton held up what he thinks is a state of the art transmitter that hooks into the ignition of a car and by means of information coming from the tachometer sends a signal that controls the accelerator of a car by means of retarding the timing thus not allowing the rear tars to spin.

With the aid of electronic traction control you can actually stand on the gas without lifting and never spin the rear tires because the timing has become the controlling factor.

NASCAR has gone as far as implementing the use of listening devices that monitor the sounds being emitted from every car on the track. They have closely listened and dissected varying sounds from groups of cars as they go through the corners at desired tracks. Traction control will vary the sound of a motor when activated and NASCAR believes that they can detect that sound.

NASCAR uses analog systems in cars and, tries real hard to stay away from any digital components. The ignition boxes of cars is an area that drivers NASCAR batty because they believe this is the area in which the traction control receiver is located if used. In 2003 the sanctioning body will force the teams to display the ignition boxes in the open near the dashboard area.

Enter into the picture Steve Peterson whom is in charge of data telemetry for cars on the track. These telemetry boxes are installed by NASCAR officials and removed by them after a race. Peterson also stated that there is at least a visual check of the boxes. The telemetry box is used in an effort to transmit information for TV as well as other related media needs that may offer you the viewer a dashboard scene.

Currently there is telemetry data being transmitted around the track in gross amounts. I for one can read this telemetry from my computer right here in the office during a race. You can also see telemetry on cable television in a pay per view climate as well what is seen on the networks.

There is something that NASCAR is missing.

Mike Helton and Gary Nelson are looking in the wrong place. Mike Helton held up a transmitter that was bulky and oversized in this informational meeting to get the word out about traction control.

You don’t need a transmitter like Helton held up. What you need is a Palm Pilot hand held computer and a cell phone. You can actually sit in the grandstands and receive telemetry data which is transmitted from the track by way of the black boxes. With the aid of a computer program that senses loss of traction you can transmit a signal by means of a cell phone to the tiniest of receivers that NASCAR can’t find on the car. That receiver in turn retards the timing on the car thus the rear wheels do not spin. The receiver can actually be molded into plastic with the tiniest of wires right in the distributor.

Oh yes they have ripped cars into pieces looking for transmitters and the like but will never find the newest of technologies. The NASCAR inspectors have removed complete wiring harnesses and have spent hours trying to find a system that they believe can control traction on these cars.

NASCAR the sanctioning body for the Winston Cup series is so far behind the times it’s actually funny to see how they react. It is legal for the teams to have as much electronic equipment on the cars during testing as they wish. Teams are far ahead of NASCAR in this area.

You can search the cars all you want NASCAR you will never find it because it isn’t there. The grandstands are where you will find the man with the Palm Pilot and the cell phone that initiates traction control.

Let me know what you think fans. Do you think I need to be in a straight jacket? Or do you think NASCAR and Gary Nelson (race cop) do good to find Dunkin Donuts.

You can contact Joe at: Insider Racing News