Aero Warriors

[Steve Shauger]

50 years ago manufacturers Aero Wars began with the Charger 500, Dodge Daytona, Plymouth Superbird, Mercury Cyclone Spoiler. Ford even named the Torino Talladega after the famed Talladega Superspeedway.


It's amazing the lengths the manufacturers went to enhance/ modify these cars to create an advantage. The rub is... in the end the sanctioning body changed the ruled which ended the run for these purpose built cars.




https://www.hotrod.com/articles/aero-warriors-lap-atlanta-motor-speedway-50th-anniversary/

[Keith Seymore]

It's amazing the lengths the manufacturers went to enhance/ modify these cars to create an advantage. The rub is... in the end the sanctioning body changed the ruled which ended the run for these purpose built cars.

The pen is mightier than the wrench.

K

[JoeC]

nice article

The Aero war flared up again in 1986 when Chevy built the 1986 Monte Carlo Areo Coupe and NASCAR allowed it even thought only 200 were built.

Ford and Chyrsler protested the low volume special built car and NASCAR jacked up the minimum build number to 6000

Chevy built 6052 in 1987

Dale Earnhardt picked up 5 mph at Daytona and Talladega with the Monte Carlo Areo Coupe over the standard Monte Carlo

[Lee Stewart]

It was the tires that forced NASCAR to outlaw the Aero Cars. Goodyear kept telling NASCAR that their tires were rated at no more than 200 MPH, a speed easily surpassed by these cars.

[JoeC]

NASCAR didn't really ban them for 1971 as many people say but that was their intention.

They didn't want people to run them anymore so they put a 305 cu in limit on them.

One team thought they can still be competitive and got Keith Black, a well known top fuel drag racing engine builder to build a 305 for it

here is a cool story on "The Last Wing Car"


https://www.hotrod.com/articles/found-last-wing-car/

[sixt9rsx33]

This Cyclone was cruising down the road last Thursday. Then I saw the same car Friday in a totally different part of town. I don’t live in a small town either. 2.6 million people in the MSA. To see it twice was crazy

[JoeC]

The 1976 Chevy Laguna S3 was called "an aero model" by NASCAR

quote
"The third generation Chevelle was an extensively used body style in NASCAR competition from 1973 to 1977. The Chevelle Laguna S-3 in particular was extremely successful. Its sloped nose, small rear quarter windows and "fastback-style" rear glass gave it an aero advantage over other GM body styles at NASCAR's fastest tracks. Junior Johnson's team, with driver Cale Yarborough, won 34 races and earned the first two of three consecutive Winston Cup championships. Considered a limited edition "aero" model by NASCAR, the Laguna S-3 was made ineligible for competition following the 1977 season. The Laguna was so fast that Nascar required the cars be fitted with 'restrictor plates' to effectively slow them down when no other cars had this requirement."

Motor Trend said in 1973: "While neither Chevrolet or Pontiac are back in racing, the new crop intermediates out of GM's styling studios are curiously aerodynamic. They are also curiously competing on the NASCAR circuit tracks, and selling as fast as they can be hauled to the dealerships."

[Nova Pete]

I raced a 1976 Laguna S3 in 1990.