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1) Before NASCAR mandated the restrictor plate on superspeedways, the fastest lap ever was clocked at 220 mph. The highest speed ever attained in a straight line, back stretch run was 238 mph. With today's restrictor plate carbuerators, cars rarely exceed 190 mph.

2) Bill Elliot, in 1987, set the all time speed record in qualifying at Daytona: 210.364 mph. He later set the all time speed record at Talladega that same year: 212.809 mph. "Awesome Bill from Dawsonville" set these speed records in a Ford Thunderbird.

3) Stock Car engines are 358 cubic inches.

4) A restrictor plate is a spacer placed under the carburator with smaller holes than what are in the intake, it restricts the fuel air mixture in the engine to keep RPM's (MPH's) lower so that no one manufacturer can build an ultimate package, to keep the cars the same in other words. But then again like the old addage goes, if you can't beat it, ban it (see the history of the HEMI)

5) NASCAR engines produce about 775hp without a restrictor plate and 400hp with a restrictor plate.

6) The hood, roof, and trunk lid on a Nextel Cup car are stock. Nothing on the motor is stock.

7) In 1980, Richard Petty broke his neck in a crash at Pocono, and didn't miss a race.

8) On March 11, Kevin Harvick's first win on the 4th race of the season in the number 29 car. He started in the number 5 position and finished in the number 1 position. 4/29/51 was Dale Earnhardt's birthday.

9) Dale Earnhardt's first car was PINK. He wanted the car to be the same as the roof which was an apricot color. The paint was mixed and then the car was painted. When it dried it was pink. Dale at the time didn't have enough money to repaint it so it stayed pink.

10) Dale Jarrett once considered pursuing a career as a Pro Golfer.

11) Kyle Petty once signed a record deal.

12) Richard Petty scored Daytona 500 victories in four different makes of cars: Plymouth, Dodge, Olds, and Buick.

13) Rick Mast sold a cow to pay for his first race car.

14) At Pocono in 1991, a caution was called for a chicken on the track. NASCAR officials investigated and found no FOWL play.

15) Richard Petty's Car was displayed at the Smithsonian Institution.

16) Driver Jim Sauter and his wife Penny have 11 children.

 

awsome.Any picks of a stock car engine

 

How's this?

http://para.noid.org/~thresher/images/albums/071703/

This was the car Matt Kenseth used to win the 2002 Phoenix Race.

 

Thats awsome link.thanks Kevin

 

Here's one that was on display at the NASCAR race last Sept.

 

Not the best pic...but our motor from last year:

 

Now all I need to do is find a cow.

For some more NASCAR pics go here and click on the "California 500" link on the left-hand menu.
http://home.earthlink.net/~bndonaldson/pontiac.html