"One day I was flipping through TV channels when I came across a NASCAR race," Pelecky said. "When one of the cars came out of a turn it started to wobble; then it crashed into the wall.,”For Diandra Leslie Pelecky, associate professor of physics at the University of Nebraska, getting into NASCAR was literally an accident.

"One day I was flipping through TV channels when I came across a NASCAR race," Pelecky said. "When one of the cars came out of a turn it started to wobble; then it crashed into the wall.

"I didn't know what made the car crash, and as a scientist, I like finding out the answers to questions, so what I thought would be a 10-minute Google search, turned out to be a two year project."

And so began Pelecky's presentation Friday in the Weasler Auditorium on her upcoming book, "The Physics of NASCAR."

The majority of Pelecky's presentation was based upon what she said are the two most important aspects of racing: friction and aerodynamics.

"Most of racing depends on friction, people in the industry call it 'grip,' " she said. "This makes the tires extremely important."

According to Pelecky, racing tires are between 10 and 11 inches wide and are completely smooth. This is because NASCAR doesn't race when it's raining so there is no need for treads. These tires are also much softer than regular tires, which add friction, but shortens the tire's life expectancy to only 50 to 100 miles, she said.

"Racing tires typically cost $450 each, and teams spend over $1 million per year on tires alone," Pelecky said.

Besides the tires and the weight of 3,600-pound car, Pelecky said the bank of the tracks provide the extra friction needed for cars to turn at the average rate of 110 mph.

According to Pelecky, all NASCAR tracks are banked at the turn with the incline moving upward toward the wall. Bristol Motor Speedway in Tennessee has a 24-degree bank and the Talladega Super Speedway in Alabama has the most banked track with a 33-degree incline at the turns. At Talladega, an object rises six inches for every foot closer to the wall it gets, she said.

Pelecky said the bank of the track is the main reason why centripetal force allows drivers to take such fast turns without getting thrown into the wall.

The other important aspect to racing is aerodynamics.

Pelecky said racing teams spend millions of dollars trying to reduce unnecessary drag against a car while increasing the necessary downward pressure a car needs from the wind to keep it on the ground.

Bump drafting is a technique two cars use when they get right behind one other to reduce drag and become more aerodynamic.

"When two cars get together, they can go three to five miles per hour faster, which is why qualifying times are usually higher than race times," Pelecky said.

Even though the presentation was part of the Wisconsin Association of Physics Teachers' annual meeting, many students—physics and NASCAR fans alike—were in attendance.

Pelecky said teachers are doing a lousy job of explaining why physics is interesting and relevant to students.

Ruth Howes, professor and chair of the physics department, said, "It's incredibly effective to teach physics using fun and exciting examples from everyday life."

Tim Lyons, a freshman in the College of Arts & Sciences who was in attendance, said Pelecky did just that.

"I just came to the presentation because I love NASCAR, but it was really interesting to learn about all the science that plays a role in the sport I love," he said. "Now I'll have even more appreciation for Dale Earnhardt Jr. when I see him making those turns at 100 miles per hour."

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