Sprint Car setup information is very hard to come by. We searched Google under the title "Sprint Car setup", and "Sprint Car technology" and what we got was a reference to Sprint Car schools, books and videos. Those will definitely help you get started, but what about the current trends in setup? Doesn't our approach to setting up race cars ever change? Sure it does, even with Sprint Cars.

Even on the 4M.net Web site, usually a treasure trove of good information shared by weekend racers, we did not see much discussion about specific setup trends. We saw some suggestions made to contact the manufacturer for specific spring/torsion bar setups, blocking heights, and so on.

We did find an interesting reference by the Midwest Sprint Car Association (www.msasprints.com) with the following statement: "... with the club rules focusing on driver ability and car setup, the MSA has been an attractive option for drivers looking for fun racing at a reasonable cost." It seems as though the Sprint Car sanctioning bodies encourage experimentation with car setups, so let's experiment.

We always like to think more on the fringe of common thinking and explore areas of setup that may not be either popular or common. This is the way racing has evolved ever since the very beginning, and we certainly want to continue and encourage that long-standing trend. Let's take a look at the different areas associated with Sprint Car design, construction, and setup.

BASIC DESIGN OF A SPRINT CAR All Sprint Cars are constructed in a similar fashion. The suspension is straight axle for both the front and rear. The driver sits in the center of the car. The rear axle is supported inside birdcages. The rear tires are much larger and wider than the fronts, especially the right rear, and the cars are sprung with either a coilover spring/shock combination, torsion bars, or a combination of both.

The steering is basic straight-axle steering that was used in the early 20th century passenger cars where the steering box is located just in front of the steering wheel and connected to the front axle by a link that goes from the steering arm attached to the box up to a steering arm that is attached to the spindle. A tie rod connects both front spindles. The cars may have wings or not, depending on the particular rules. This all sounds elementary to a veteran sprinter, and you may say, "So what? We know all of that." I am pointing out these various design features so we can evaluate them individually later on.

The two basic problems Sprint Car teams have associated with handling are the inability of the car to efficiently turn the corner, especially on asphalt or tacky dirt, and a lack of forward bite coming off the corners, especially on dirt when it is dry. These cars usually have a large power-to-weight ratio, meaning a lot of available power and not much weight. The wide right-rear (RR) tire helps provide...