What is a "stock car?"

[JohnBM01]

Hello, GTPlanet.

If a person says his/her car is "stock," it usually means that whatever modifications and configurations the car has had, it hasn't been changed by anyone or anything. Go into auto racing (especially American racing) however, a stock car is basically a purpose-built race car that resembles the car it represents. The only difference is that the car has in most cases, a V8 motor capable of horsepower levels close to or past LMP1 prototypes. Whereas a street car resembled in oval racing is usually front/front with 200 or so horsepower at 3400+ pounds (sorry, I don't do Metric), a typical stock car which resembles its street car is front/rear with 700 or so horsepower at 3400 or so pounds. But it is in no way that a car company can take its car and rebuild it without head and tail lights, side-view mirrors, functional doors, limited airflow to the engine, air conditioning, back row seating, and so on. So why are they called stock? I don't know. Maybe watching Jeff Gordon and Juan Pablo Montoya "trade paint," a stock car was described as one that closely resembles its street car.

Going to a website that showed absolutely no respect to NASCAR, one said that "real stock cars are touring cars." And I tend to agree. There are little modifications, and they GREATLY resemble the street car they modify. The only exclusions are spoilers, racing tires, airbags (if any for the street car), back row seating, and (I'm not sure about this, but) carbon fiber, as well as some other differences. Whether you want to defend or attack the way we learn what stock cars are in terms of racing, you're free to reply.

So tell us, what ARE "stock" cars?

 

[zoxxy]

[color=deeppink hover=red]Stock cars is stock. Most people (including me) thinks that 'stock' means that the engine is stock.[/color]

 

[///M-Spec]

They're called "stock cars" because in the very early history of NASCAR they in fact were. I'm talking back in the days when they raced on the beaches in Florida.

These days "Cup cars" as in Winston Cup, etc. Have absolutely nothing to do with production cars. Nothing. Zero. Zlich. No parts, not the block, not the chassis, not the shape, not the anything. Most fans I've talked to call them Cup cars, not stock cars anyway. The 'stock car' term is an old vestige of the sport's past, the same way we call a Prototype a "sports car".


M

 

[ExigeEvan]

a stock car- a car that is always kept in stock. e.g. in store

 

[911_Carrera]

Ouch I split my sides then.

I think ///M-Spec hit the nail on the head pretty much.

 

[Sleek Stratos]

Originally posted by 911_Carrera
...I think ///M-Spec hit the nail on the head pretty much.

That he did. 👍


I've heard Dodge is looking to bring back the Charger and looks forward to replacing the Intrepid used in the Nextel/Busch series. The biggest hurdle of course will be meeting the aero-equal regulations, something which the suits at Detroit who run the cars in NASCAR are getting tired of (not just Dodge, but all manufacturers as I understand it) they want car recognition. The only way to tell a Monte Carlo from a Taurus in NASCAR is by the headlight (decals) and grill openings.

I've heard such matters will be discussed between NASCAR and the manufacturers. If NASCAR waves a bunch of money in their faces it might keep them at bay for a while, but sooner or later the brands will ask the one question no motorsport form wants to hear: "Why? Why should we run in the ________ series?"
Anyone who's seen Peter DeLorenzo on Windtunnel talk on the subject knows about this.

Here's a pic of what could very well be the new Charger by the way.

 

[shopping_carts_]

Originally posted by Sleek Stratos

Here's a pic of what could very well be the new Charger by the way. [/B]

i dont tihnk i like the looks of that

is that the concept or a production model?

 

[Sleek Stratos]

I believe it's a concept, so it will be subject to change 'here and there' probably. I kinda like it as is, I might want to take a couple inches off the overall lenght, but otherwise it looks fine to me. Can't expect it to look all square and "muscley" like the old ones.

 

[shopping_carts_]

Originally posted by Sleek Stratos
I believe it's a concept, so it will be subject to change 'here and there' probably. I kinda like it as is, I might want to take a couple inches off the overall lenght, but otherwise it looks fine to me. Can't expect it to look and square and "muscley" like the old ones.

i think that what looks odd about it...its really really long...i think maybe they should shorten the front end and decrease the wheel base and itll look good

btw do you think the sides sorta reseble a speed 12 or maybe its just the paint job that reminds me of a tvr

 

[Solid Lifters]

Originally posted by shopping_carts_
i think that what looks odd about it...its really really long...i think maybe they should shorten the front end and decrease the wheel base and itll look good

btw do you think the sides sorta reseble a speed 12 or maybe its just the paint job that reminds me of a tvr

Here's a better pic of the 1999 Dodge Charger Concept. It will go into production and will be available as a 2006 model car, so I've heard, but I'm not sure if that is true.

 

[shopping_carts_]

Originally posted by Solid Lifters
Here's a better pic of the 1999 Dodge Charger Concept. It will go into production and will be available as a 2006 model car, so I've heard, but I'm not sure if that is true.

is that a 4 door model it looks like it

i dont like either of them

 

[JohnBM01]

I like to think the only real stock cars are either the ones raced in SCCA Touring and GT (even though they are race-modified), or the touring car series of the world. NASCAR likes to think their cars are stock because they are based on the cars they modify. Since sometimes America has a funny way of describing and defining stuff, that's where the rest of us come in, right?

Have you all noticed how NASCAR has a "Touring Series?" I don't know if that means "touring across America" or "touring-spec cars," but NASCAR is all mixed-up in more ways than one. For one, someone on another site I did forums threads for mentioned this. He said that "how come there are no rear-wheel drive models of the Taurus?" Well, beats me. But the American tradition of building true cars goes like this: big motor, big power, front engine, rear drive. You don't get that in an economy car for sure. So NASCAR takes economy cars and build them up so thay they look like economy cars you will NEVER own. And I mean, most of the air holes on the car aren't real. In fact, you basically race a hunk of metal around mostly ovals. Stock? Please.

If you want to make these cars shine, make them handle as well as Trans-Am or sportscars. I say that you should take lines from SPEED Touring Car. Sure, the cars are low on horsepower, but take a lesson from them. IT IS NOT ALWAYS ABOUT HORSEPOWER. You want to work with raceable cars, you have two options. 1.) You can make racing one-offs of the cars. That means that if there is a Ford Taurus making hot laps at Darlington, then a rear-drive Taurus with maybe 279hp and rear wheel drive at 3400 lbs would make them CLOSE to the NASCAR cars, but not quite a NASCAR car. 2.) You can just make the cars more realistic. This means that no one wants to see an economy car get downgraded to a big jalopy that can somehow ride in circles pretty well. You'd be better off making a car that can corner effectively for a 3400 lbs car like an Indy car than a tank.

These "stock cars" then, should be more of purpose-built race cars instead of some car resembling an economy car. I mean, a car from Detroit is different from a car built in a race shop in North Carolina. Make upgraded versions of the economy cars that have big power and rear-wheel drive. THEN maybe the cars will greater represent the street cars they modify. These mods will still have 3 times less HPs than an oval racing machine, but at least you'll have some car models to be proud to have. If not that, I hate to say this, but maybe NASCAR should be shut down until it can get "stock" right.

 

[Sleek Stratos]

Dude, you aren't listening. NASCAR had 'stock' right way back then, as time went on it transformed into what it is now, and since the series is huge now and running like a top it won't change anytime soon. No need to fix what isn't broken. Mike Helton isn't going to wake up one day and realize what his sport has become because the bucks are rolling in quite nicely.

Don't like it? Don't watch it. Ranting is optional.

Seriously, I know what you're feeling, I once hated stock car racing with just as much intensity as you, maybe even a pinch more, just give it time and you'll soon realize you could care less about what NASCAR is up to. And if they take up most of the time on Speed channel, well, Speed isn't that great anyways.