NASCAR Sprint Cup Engine Rules

NASCAR teams are always up for revolutionary ideas on how to build a faster engine, but several rules established by officials prevent unfair advancements to be made.

Restrictor Plates

At super speedways such as Daytona in Florida and Talladega in Alabama, teams are required to put restrictor plates on their engines to limit the amount of air and fuel intake to keep the cars from reaching unsafe speeds.

Tear Down

After each race, officials take away the winning driver's car for what is called a tear down. The officials dismantle the car and engine, and look for prohibited parts that can enhance performance.

Manufacturers

NASCAR requires teams to purchase engine parts made from casting of a particular undisclosed list of manufacturers.

Engine Type

In the Sprint Cup, engines are to be carbureted V-8s with an iron block.

Cylinder Bore Techniques

To make a cylinder larger, teams remove materials from inside of it. This is called boring the cylinder. Strict limits are put on boring methods.

References

• HowStuffWorks