The Physics of Nascar The Science Behind the Speed

A physicist explores the science of speed racing With 75 million fans, NASCAR is the #1 spectator sport in America. Now, in The Physics of NASCAR, a scientist explains the intricate and complex way the sport works, in terms that anyone who drives a car—or maybe occasionally looks under the hood—can easily comprehend. Based on her extensive access to NASCAR race shops, drivers, crew chiefs, engine builders, and pit crews during races, Diandra Leslie-Pelecky traces the life cycle of a race car from its creation at top race shops to competing in the door-todoor action of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.

Diandra Leslie-Pelecky is professor of physics at the University of Texas at Dallas. Her research is funded by the Department of Energy, the National Science Foundation, and the National Institutes of Health.