fender flares?

[rollinsmoke]

How come this year I noticed that there using what looks like to be the older style fender flare on the passenger side, the one that is more flat? Last year they both flared up almost 3 inches and now I see only the drivers is still like this, is it something for aero on the front?

[jedclampit]

Yep. that's why

[JCSullivan00]

Same reason guys are trying to run a bigger sail panel on the left side.

[merc123]

The reasons would be.......?

[Matt49]

The idea of the taller fender flares was to guide more air over the top of the car and ultimately to the rear spoiler. It would work nice if the cars ever drove straight but they don't. When the car goes through the corner (and most of the time down the straights) it is "leading" with the RF corner. A "flatter" fender flare will disrupt less air and allow it to flow to the back. They're leaving the left flare taller to try to grab some air and guide it back to the spoiler. Bloomquist is the first one I saw do it and that was at the Topless last year. Several others are doing it now. There may be something to it or it may be the dog turd effect.

[hpmaster]

Same reason guys are trying to run a bigger sail panel on the left side.

Not trying to argue but most guys I see in the early races of 2014 are running way way wide open sail panels that are little more than a 3" outline.

[Matt49]

Not trying to argue but most guys I see in the early races of 2014 are running way way wide open sail panels that are little more than a 3" outline.

If they had their druthers they'd be running open on the right and closed on the left but most rules state that the sides must match.

[EAMShater]

I ran mine like that in 2012 but couldn't tell a difference. Which that was a crate car and is driven more straight. I went back to the new style. Now I run an AR and the right side flare is laid down flatter and flared out.

[merc123]

Not trying to argue but most guys I see in the early races of 2014 are running way way wide open sail panels that are little more than a 3" outline.

Less resistance (drag) and most amount of air able to get onto the spoiler while letting the most amount of air out of the left side to reduce resistance. That's my guess. Looks like they would be 10x easier to fabricate since you don't have to cut them any special way. Just three straight pieces of metal and put them together.

[Jim11h]

audie swartz said years ago at his chassis seminar that air is the cheapest tuning tool you have, use it.....take that for what its worth

[Team Steele Racing]

With respect to the sail panels, I have "heard" that the high dollar team operating out of WV has invested a lot of money in the wind tunnels. Positioning the car, not just straight through the wind stream, but at angles more commonly seen on the track. Take a look at their body structure...especially the roof line, sail panels, and fender flares. The lower budget teams can benefit greatly in some circumstances by just observing what the big boys are doing cosmetically to their cars.

[MasterSbilt_Racer]

With respect to the sail panels, I have "heard" that the high dollar team operating out of WV has invested a lot of money in the wind tunnels. Positioning the car, not just straight through the wind stream, but at angles more commonly seen on the track. Take a look at their body structure...especially the roof line, sail panels, and fender flares. The lower budget teams can benefit greatly in some circumstances by just observing what the big boys are doing cosmetically to their cars.

23 or 1. I'd say 23 has more money.

[Dirt2727]

And all this time I thought the taller left flares helped the car turn left.