Question about the penalty to the Joe Gibbs racing team.?

Question

I don't know much about cars so could someone explain how the magnets under the pedal decreases the horsepower?

Answer 1

It limits the travel distance the pedal is allowed.

Thereby acting like a "rev limiter" in Indy cars.

It would keep the driver from flooring it, getting too many RPM's and spinning the tires.

Good try though.

Answer 2

They will be forced to sign Junebug to a driving contract.

Answer 3

The magnet sticks the underside of the pedal, without any obvious modifications (Bolts, nuts, etc), it just sticks to the metal pedal.  The magnet prevents the pedal from being pushed all the way to the floor, which doesn't allow the car to be run wide open, which will register a lower total HP on the dyno.

Answer 4

it does not actually decrease the horsepower but limited the amount the amount the pedal could be pushed .  

Answer 5

It only limits how far the pedal can be pressed down. All this technology and NASCAR is checking the HP with the motor in the car??? I thought they did these tests in a lab with the motor on a stand hooked up to a computer to control the throttle.  Maybe they just figured out that they didn't need the full throttle and the car handled better without it.

Answer 6

Scott they do that because there is a big difference between motor horsepower and RWHP(rear wheel horsepower) a significant amount of horsepower is lost throughout the drive train.If they dyno tested the engine only and limited the horsepower it would not be a true usable horsepower.