Edwards Oil Tank ??????

[svfetter]

While I consider myself pretty knowledgeable about cars and NASCAR, could someone please explain to me how the top of the oil tank being off is an advantage. How does that help the car create downforce. Thanks.

[TJ4Cam]

I'm all ears too.......

[Sabre]

I'm certainly no expert, but from what I can gather from everything I'm reading it goes something like this. It's not really like a cap on oil canister that broke, more like an access lid or plate, to get to the oil tank. This plate or lid, is apparently located in a wheel well or somewhere near the wheel well inner liners. Maybe this plate/lid is hinged somehow and secured with a single bolt or something. Anyway, when this plate/lid comes open...by whatever means....it creates an opening from the outside of the car, to the inside of the car...allowing air to flow in and out....which is airflow that is deemed illegal because it may or may not create more or less downforce on the car body. That's as good as I can understand the situation right now.

[F4iMerlin]

Originally Posted by Sabre

I'm certainly no expert, but from what I can gather from everything I'm reading it goes something like this. It's not really like a cap on oil canister that broke, more like an access lid or plate, to get to the oil tank. This plate or lid, is apparently located in a wheel well or somewhere near the wheel well inner liners. Maybe this plate/lid is hinged somehow and secured with a single bolt or something. Anyway, when this plate/lid comes open...by whatever means....it creates an opening from the outside of the car, to the inside of the car...allowing air to flow in and out....which is airflow that is deemed illegal because it may or may not create more or less downforce on the car body. That's as good as I can understand the situation right now.

According to the 2008 NASCAR rule book I just got along with my NASCAR license (), that is correct. People dont realize the advantages a simple change can make when you are moving 150+.

[Scarface]

WTH is wrong with NASCAR!?!?!? Edwards docked 100 Points!

[bigtone408]

...................

Originally Posted by bigtone408

A loose or removed oil filler cap can and does affect the "underpressure" of a car. I'm not real sure it is a positive, especially without proper undercar aerodynamics which the COT exhibits. I would be interested to see the example in the wind tunnel.

Originally Posted by bigtone408

Either way, the fundamental answer is that with the cap removed, air is allowed to escape. If that air is allows to be channeled from inside the car to outside or from outside to outside (if the cap were in the engine bay) it would create additional negative lift and hence the theoretical advantage. I am not entirely sure it would create enough to give the 99 a real advantage though.