Race Car Roof Flaps

Following rusty wallace s crashes at daytona and talladega penske racing designed the original roof flaps.

Race car roof flaps.

In 1994 nascar introduced roof flaps a safety device designed to keep cars from going airborne and tumbling over the track. The flaps are stowed during normal vehicle operation. In 1994 nascar introduced roof flaps to the car which is designed to keep cars from getting airborne and possibly flipping down the track. Before this when the cars spun out at high speeds more than 195 mph 324 kph they would often fly into the air once they had rotated about 140 degrees.

A roof flap is an aerodynamic feature on race cars mainly stock cars which functions as an emergency spoiler to prevent the vehicle from lifting off the ground. Roof flaps are two plates located on the roof which measure 12x8 inches 30x20 cm and are depolyed as the car is either sideways. The proof of success of this system has been the virtual elimination of aero lift off in nascar race cars since the introduction of roof flaps when coupled with previously mandated anti lift devices in february 1994.