Posted on 04/10/2009 10:48:51 AM PDT by zaphod3000
The most advanced piece of technology in a Nascar vehicle these days isn't its engine, its suspension or anything made of carbon fiber. It's the motor oil.
Joe Gibbs Racing, a team that owns three top-level Sprint Cup cars, has spent about $1 million a year over the past decade to perfect its motor oil. As a result, its engines have squeezed out an extra 10 horsepower, a roughly 2% increase that can be a serious advantage in Nascar races, where the typical margin of victory is about one second.
With Nascar increasingly cracking down on the use of technology in the sport to cut costs, motor oil is one of the last places teams can innovate without restraint. Companies like Shell, Quaker State and Mobil also make special oils packed with synthetic lubricants, new polymers and experimental molecules for the teams they sponsor.
(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...
They probably don't have to deal with the UAW.
“...Spend Millions on Lubricants”
What did bwaney fwank do?
No problem, since its private money, not a federal bailout.
Is there an advantage to using synthetic oils in street cars?? Adverse effects on engine longevity or efficiency?? Just asking, because I have never considered using synthetic based on the higher price and have not seen empirical evidence that they were better? Please comment.
The government may try to cut down on wasteful spending by making NASCAR illegal. Just because he can.
I would use synthetics in a car that put particular stress, especially heat, on the engine oil. The example that comes to mind would be turbocharged or supercharged cars. Other than that, I’d just change regular dino-oil every 3k-5k miles.
I drive an 07 maxima and use the regular—the car does not get the mpg claimed by the manufacturer—gets 23.5 on hiway and I think was supposed to get 26 mpg. I use whatever 5W30 is on sale and have always changed it myself. Funny thing is the car has 30K miles on it now and about every 5K more miles on the engine, the mpg goes up about another 0.1 mpg.
When oil prices rose the differential between synthetics and conventional oil closed. Every mechanic I know tells me I can elongate my oil change intervals. I drive an ‘04 frontier (v6) and I change the oil every 4k miles with Mobil 1.In ten years I may have an informed position on the synthetics.....or not.
I’ve used only Mobil 1 synthetic oil in the last two vehicles I’ve owned and neither has used a drop of oil between changes. One was a Volvo with turbo which had 104K miles when I disposed of it and the replacement is a GMC pickup with 30K miles.
Engines have been getting better with time, so I can’t attribute it to just the Mobil 1, but I intend to continue using it.
Jack
Private sector R&D. It’s a beautiful thing.
Thank you gentlemen for the comments. I will try the mobil 1 next oil change to see if the mpg changes. I don’t drive the car hard because I am too old for that foolishness. I am however, drooling buckets over that 422 HP Camaro that is about to hit the showrooms. My wife would attempt to beat me if I bought one, but she is old too and less handy with a club.
My guess is they'll be racing those new electric things from GM/Segway...
I really got a hoot out of seeing Gibbs in drag
racing for a few years running top fuel cars
Too much money to refuse NASCAR I guess
Seemed like a nice guy too
I’ve never met him but my company sponsors them with machine tools. All the upper echelon fight to go there, I guess his operation is first class with marble floors and a private golf course. Since I don’t play golf that doesn’t excite me, but I’d love to see the “inner sanctum”.
That article was pretty slick! :)
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