Stock control: The story behind the development of Ford's new Fusion NASCAR racer reveals that it was all about the aero

摘要

Since 1998, Ford's NASCAR challenger has been based on the Taurus sedan. It has been successful, too three Cups, three manufacturer's championships, and 107 race wins in all But with the launch of the 2006 Fusion road car, the Blue Oval decided it was time for a change at the speedways too. Developing a new car in NASCAR is all about the body shape "The chassis remains virtually intact from the Taurus to the Fusion," explains Greg Specht, manager of operations, Ford Racing North America. "The NASCAR race car is a tube frame chassis that is 90 per cent the same for all manufacturers. We each make tweaks to the size and the shape of the tubes to get the structural performance we're looking for, but the wheelbase, ride heights and so forth remain the same, and are mandated by NASCAR."