Taking It to the Streets

VEHICLE TECHNOLOGYTaking It to the StreetsWhen time is the factor to success, durability and reliability become key to winning the race. JOLIET, IL - You've got a herd of 800 broncos and need to get them to a destination in time. Are you up to the challenge? In the world of NASCAR, that pretty much sums it up. Each car - with 800 horses under the hood that are tuned and tweaked - is traveling a few hundred miles in a matter of hours, and all of them are trying to get there first. It's the high-performance world of racing technicians, teams and sponsors. It's about performing consistently, despite being squeezed by high pressure, standings, owner expectations, the randomness of trials and tribulations along the way and, of course, time.

Tony Stewart's #20 NASCAR Nextel Cup racecar.
(Photo: Timken)Cut the horses to a quarter, spread the time horizon a tad, and it's the world of the automotive service provider. Although far removed from the rings of thunder, you, too, are required to consistently perform to high standards, handle unexpected problems along the way, meet owner expectations and do so in a reasonable timeframe. Experience, skills and training are arrows in your quiver, and like the world of racing, the need for quality parts and components can make the difference between being both top of field and top of mind. Similar traits Motor Age recently spent a day in the garage area at Chicagoland Speedway with Joe Gibbs Racing (JRG) and The Timken Co. Besides learning about the technology and strategies used to take performance to ever-higher levels, the number of professional analogies shared among race teams, manufacturers and automotive repair shops that emerged from the discussion was surprising.Shared Professional TraitsCOMMON BONDDESCRIPTIONA commitment to training provides technicians with the winning edge.Be it pit crew or engine rebuild practices, or new training in emerging technologies and servicing techniques, racing teams and suppliers who embrace training find edges and opportunities the same way automotive shops and technicians do.Effective communication fuels success.Whether a shop or race team, being able to transfer information, share problems and find solutions requires listening skills, questioning techniques and speaking qualities that need to be honed and kept that way.Continual practice under pressure fuels reliable performance.Whether it's a three-hour race or a three-hour repair, racing and automotive technicians both feel the pressure of time. Saving fractions of a second in racing or minutes in a bay translates to more money-earning potential.There is value in working with the right parts.Being an average team or shop may, at best, keep one in the game for a time, but it won't drive one to the top. Consistent performance and reliability is what makes a team shine.The real job is delivering peace of mind to drivers.Whether it's a shop and its hard-working technicians, a race team with a dedicated crew, or a supplier designing and delivering technology that matters - all are focused on meeting the expectations of drivers. Adopting practices and procedures than meet or exceed drivers' expectations builds relationships and loyalty.(Table source: Timken) Be it in a shop bay, a racing pit or backstretch garage, more than success is at stake: Careers are on the line. Safety cannot be compromised, and the vehicles in one's charge need to be primed for performance without issue. The roar of the fans, the fumes and the feel of 800 horses thundering past may not be present in a shop. But the pressure to perform in time, reliably and without comebacks is a constant shared with NASCAR. A shop just deals with its fans one at a time. Old technology rolls faster
The key is friction management. Timken specializes in bearings, seals, specialty steel, coatings, lubricants and more - all designed to optimize friction and deliver performance to the street. In fact, the company has more than 100 years' experience in racing, including supplying the bearings used in the racecar that Ray Harroun won the first Indy 500 in 1911. "Without reliable performance, you don't finish races and you don't win championships."
- Two-time NEXTEL Champion Tony Stewart

"Racecars today have 800 horsepower, and the name of the game is to get all of that horsepower on the ground. Anything that gets horsepower to the track, NASCAR jumps on," says Timken's chief technologist, Dr. Gary Doll.

Timken is one of many companies involved in the NASCAR racing. It has partnered with Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR), which runs three separate teams and cars, driven by Denny Hamlin, J.J. Yeley and Tony Stewart. For all the glory and excitement that NASCAR provides, it's a small niche market for Timken - although the company does support the design, testing and development of technologies under high performance that ultimately make it to the automotive aftermarket. Ultimately, that is the goal: having the right product for the right application.

(Photo: Timken) Today's NASCAR racecar is a fascinating blend of old and new technology. Despite sophisticated wheel, engine, aerodynamic and safety technology, today's NASCAR vehicles still use many older technologies. For example, the cars still use carburetors - although that's likely to change, should unleaded fuel be adopted after the recent testing period. In addition, the vehicles still use the same spindles that were used in the late 1950s. Back then, racecars ran at speeds in the low 100-mph range. Today, they run close to 200 mph. The key for teams, such as JGR, is working with their partners to implement technologies that reduce friction loss and save horsepower, says Doll. "Race cars today have 800 horsepower, and the name of the game is to get all of that horsepower on the ground."
Dr. Gary Doll,
chief technologist,
Timken Co. Optimization separates wheat from chaff
Friction management technology is crucial to improved performance. The Timken/JGR partnership has led to some improvements on the racing side, many that are now available to the aftermarket or are about to be launched. Finding the right balance that delivers the most horsepower is both a science and an art: It involves juggling interconnected components, parts, lubricants, temperature, type of track and weather. It isn't enough to maximize one or two items. One has to optimize the entire package. Hub assemblies provide one such optimizing technology. Timken provides wheel hubs to JGR preassembled and pregreased - notably with "just the right amount of grease." The hubs are a consistent component that only requires race technicians to mount and tighten to the specified torque setting. Rather than assembling individual parts into a hub and then greasing it, JGR techs spend their time on other important tasks. "Timken taught us that more grease isn't always better," says David Holden, chief engineer for JGR. "Before [the preassembled] hubs, our technicians would have to add grease till it began to seep out. Too little grease can lead to high friction and horsepower losses, even failure. Too much grease puts heat into the grease itself, leading to viscous-related losses." "It's like stirring pudding too much: It's a waste of energy that is better used elsewhere," adds Doll.

Preassembled and pregreased hubs (top) and tapered roller bearings (bottom) are just some of the technologies JGR uses in its vehicles.
(Photos: Timken)

Post-race, every hub is sent to Timken labs for analysis and rebuilding. A set of four of these hubs costs a NASCAR team nearly $3,600. In the aftermarket, the technology, in a downscaled version, is available for weekend racers for $400 per set of four.

The use of fuel-efficient tapered roller bearings is another application that has found its way to the racetrack from the street. At the track, they contribute to lower power consumption, reduced horsepower loss, lower operating temperatures and improved fuel efficiency.

"The two tapered roller pinion bearings in the differential reduce operating temperatures by 68