Why doesn't NASCAR use real stock cars, close to what you get at the dealer?

Question

NASCAR: cars they race are far from stock: rear wheel drive, straight drive trans., carburetors, etc.

should be: front wheel drive, V6, fuel injection, automatics

That is what we drive on the street.

I don't have a problem with the roll bars, fire extinguishers, and other safety equipment. (these should be on passenger cars too.)

Answer 1

They just dont build cars like they use to.

Answer 2

the whole thing is about the auto makers getting all the research and development it can handle and have us the fans pay for it. you didn't realy think it was about racing

did you

Answer 3

Ignorance

Answer 4

Boring?

Answer 5

I don't have a real technical answer to this, but I think the racing would be boring with "stock" cars. Race cars are made to race competitively, stock cars are made for the road.

Answer 6

The engines, transmissions and bodies are too weak to withstand the demands of Nascar.

Car dealers sell cars, not stock cars. Stock cars are what we race in Nascar.

Answer 7

Beacause its not 1982.   Death isn't something we condone or admire in the 21st century.

Answer 8

Because that would be like removing all the Roller Coasters from all the Amusement parks! V6 and FWD? Come on man.  And don't get me started on why fuel injection has NO business in Nascar.

With the current crop of 'car bodies' in Nascar, you would be putting a Hemi Charger and a V8 Impala SS against a Camry. That would be funny to watch however.

Answer 9

Do you want to watch 43 cars run around Daytona at 120 mph for 10 laps before they blow the engine?

They could build real stock cars that are capable of running like now now.  They would just cost so much that the average fan couldn't even dream of owning the cars.  Viper's, Vette's, and GT's couldn't run 500 miles under race conditions and you think a Charger, Impala, Fusion, or Camry could?

Answer 10

If you want to see that type of racing, check out the SCCA sedan series. You will see cars that start as showroom production cars, added safety equipment, wheels and tires, and go racing.

Answer 11

NASCAR has been evolving for almost 60 years.  There are too many people making way too much money to return to they days of racing cars that can be bought at a dealership.

Answer 12

The cars you are mentioning may have some performance traits but are far from anything that you could race.  Front wheel drive does not make for good racing and I do not know if they race automatics in any form of racing.  The name "stock car" does come from the series heritage where they ran cars that came off the showroom floor.  That was great but went out the window when the car companies starting building cars just to race in NASCAR.  Take the Superbird, it was built to race NASCAR.  The thought of truely "stock cars"  has been dead ever since!

Answer 13

Well if that happened in this aerodymically dependant sport 1 car either the Impala SS, Camry, Fusion or Charger would also have the advantage. I'd like it to be somewhat as you said, but having all the cars as alike as possible increases the competition level, which is better from a fan perspective.

Answer 14

I'd say if they were very close to stock (from Detroit) they would break down in the first 60 miles.