i see it all the time. there would be someone with a blow torch on a tire. why is that?
2007-06-06 05:58:41 · 11 answers · asked by Anonymous in Sports ➔ Auto Racing ➔ NASCAR
They do it to clean the built up rubber off so they can check the wear indicators (sipes) in the tires. They only do it on the tires that come off of the car.
2007-06-06 06:10:57 · answer #1 · answered by David G, Jeff Gordon Rules !!!!! 7 · 7⤊ 0⤋
They use the blow torches to do what is known as "scuffing" the tires. Some Drivers at certain tracks do not like starting off with what they call "sticker tires" which are tires with the stickers still on and are usually very slick.
"Scuffing" the tires gives added traction by providing a rough surface on the tire and also heating the tire up so it sticks to the track better.
Also, Crews do this to tires taken off the car to see just how much rubber is left on the tire to determine the exact amount of tire wear and just how close the tire is to failure.
In F1 they actually have tire heaters that go on the tire until the car is ready to go, that way the tires are nice and sticky giving the car tons of traction on starts and restarts.
2007-06-06 13:05:13 · answer #2 · answered by Gene L 4 · 2⤊ 2⤋
david g is right. They do it when the tires come off the car. when they are using the torch, look what they are doing, they are using a putty knife like tool, to scrape off all the built up rubber on the tire to check tire wear. This is one of the best questions I have seen on here in a long time. Thank you for keeping it fun, serious, and clean.
2007-06-06 13:19:31 · answer #3 · answered by GODSMACK#1 4 · 3⤊ 0⤋
And to clear something up, scuffing a tire is usually done during practice. A driver will drive on a set of tires for a lap or two and then they'll take the tires off and put them on during the race.
2007-06-06 21:03:54 · answer #4 · answered by Austin B 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Hope you first few answerers never work on anyone's car! Torching the tires, as later posts have indicated is done after they are taken off and they are checking wear...
2007-06-06 15:52:54 · answer #5 · answered by jefflawdog 3 · 3⤊ 0⤋
It is used to clean the rubber build up on the tires and then they can check the tire wear. It has nothing to do with heating the tires or scuffing them.
2007-06-06 15:01:18 · answer #6 · answered by UH OH! 4 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Just a guess, but I could be wrong: My guess would be they're heating the tires to give them better traction. When you see the cars (prior to the race start or during yellow flags) swerving side to side, they're doing so to keep the tires hot. Cold tires will make those cars a lot harder to handle in the corners and can contribute to the car sliding into the wall or another car.
2007-06-06 13:04:30 · answer #7 · answered by Benny B 1 · 0⤊ 4⤋
They do it to ckeck the tire wear indicators and see how bad the tire wear is
2007-06-06 17:26:42 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 0⤋
They use the torch to warm up the tire, which in turn allows the tire to "grab" the pavement better to give the driver better turning and control.
2007-06-06 13:03:21 · answer #9 · answered by Justin D 2 · 1⤊ 4⤋
Heats up the rubber to make them tacky so they stick to the track immediately
2007-06-06 13:01:45 · answer #10 · answered by biscuitperifrank 5 · 1⤊ 5⤋