Race cars suck
Really. Formula One Grand Prix cars and other racers use aerodynamic down force to suck the car down to increase tire traction and to keep the car from literally flying.
The suction created under the race cars is so strong that manhole covers have to be welded down when the cars take to street circuits such as Monaco and Long Beach.

F1 cars produce more down force than they weight at speeds over 80 mph, so the car could actually stick to an inverted road!
TH
The suction created under the race cars is so strong that manhole covers have to be welded down when the cars take to street circuits such as Monaco and Long Beach.

F1 cars produce more down force than they weight at speeds over 80 mph, so the car could actually stick to an inverted road!
TH
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http://ails.arc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/
cuwp_cgi/19.jpg?directArg=
VAC2827742347,19.jpg
This is a tractor-trailer that was put in NASA’s 80x120ft wind tunnel at Ames Research Center. Their goal was to reduce the drag the Semi saw and determine what those reductions might do to gas mileage. You can see the side panels that were installed on the trailer. These help to prevent the air streams from going around the cab and then coming back together before they hit the back wheels (that is what happens in that large void under the trailer). If they do come back together before hitting the back wheels, there are huge drag effects as that powerful air slams into the rear wheels and has no place to go. Also, the panels that are on the rear of the trailer act to smooth the flow as it comes off of the back of the truck to prevent a large drag bucket from forming behind the trailer, which also causes large drag contributions. From what I have heard, these simple modifications could save millions of dollars in gas mileage, and who knows what the results might be for the environment. You can probably expect to see company’s like Wal-Mart to start using such technologies on their trucks, not only to save money, but also to save the environment.
- Hoser