In the world of racing, adrenaline, and speed keeps all fans across the globe hooked. Series like NASCAR will continue to evolve and make space for technological advancements in the sport. Over the years NASCAR has made several regulation decisions to make races much safer.
The current cars are one of the fastest cars in the history of NASCAR but they are not the fastest cars. While NASCAR continues to juggle between what is safe and what is fast, one of the common questions among all NASCAR enthusiasts is how fast can these cars go.
NASCAR Top Speed
Current-day NASCAR is fast but has been much faster in its older days. Currently, the average top speed of the stock cars is clocked around 200 mph, which is around 321 km per hour. This top speed restriction can be traced back to 1987 when Bill Elliot reached 212.809 miles per hour (324.483 kmph) in qualifying. During this race, Bobby Allison suffered an engine explosion, scattering debris and injuring many in the crowd. This accident was made more severe due to the speed at which the cars were going. After this accident, restrictor plates were introduced by NASCAR to all the cars. This led to a limitation in the horsepower of the cars, thus, slowing them down.
In the modern era, Michigan Speedway records the highest speed in the Cup Series and has an average top speed of around 190 miles per hour. This was achieved by Bubba Wallace in 2022 at this circuit during the qualifying. Though these top speeds are nowhere near the fastest times, NASCAR has continually said that the cars are made slower for the safety of drivers and spectators alike.
Are NASCAR's faster than F1?
When NASCAR is compared to Formula 1, Formula 1comes out as the faster series. But there is more to this sentiment. The NASCAR Cup is a stock car series with a much bulkier and heavier car. This is in stark contrast to the single-seater much lighter Formula 1 car. Another difference is that when considering this statistic, NASCAR records the average top speed across a circuit whereas, F1 takes the top speed at a specific straight of the circuit. This can be observed when Valtteri Bottas hit 213 mph (or 372kmph) in the 2016 Mexican Grand Prix. Bubba Wallace had a top speed of 305.75 kmph (or 190 mph).
FAQ's On Fast At NASCAR
A. During the current regulations, Bubba Wallace has the fastest average top speed of 190 miles per hour. He achieved this feat in 2022 qualifying at the Michigan Speedway.
A. NASCAR Cup Series sees many drivers reach the top speed of 200 miles per hour.
A. Formula 1 cars are much faster than NASCAR cars due to their very different build and weight.
A. Speeds exceeding 190 miles per hour are very commonly seen during the Daytona 500 sessions.
