NASCAR vs. Rally Car
By Alexandra Wade - January 18, 2023

Regardless of where you live and come from, you may already be familiar with rally racing and understand how it varies from NASCAR in the United States. But if you don’t know, you might be shocked to notice the disparities between the two. The clear distinction in automotive design affects both types of cars significantly. Rally cars are modified versions of conventional vehicles, whereas NASCAR cars are manufactured specifically for racing. The NASCAR stock cars’ outside shells are made to withstand the concrete of a massive oval track, but rally cars are made to withstand various weather conditions, including mud, rain, and other elements.

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Rally vehicles’ engines are made for a different purpose than stock cars’ engines. Stock cars are designed to travel at top speed, but rally cars are street-legal vehicles that deal with twists and jumps. During a race, rally cars typically go between 70 and 80 mph, with a top speed of about 130 mph. Stock vehicles in NASCAR, meanwhile, can reach speeds of up to 200 mph on the circuit. The gap between the horsepower produced by a rally car’s engine and a stock car’s engine is the primary factor for this discrepancy. A driver needs to travel faster in a NASCAR race than in a rally vehicle, and the large engine helps out.

In addition to mud, dirt, and leaps, rally cars face other challenges. There are no such obstacles in the races of NASCAR stock cars. Depending on the weather, there are a variety of tires available for rally cars. Super soft, medium, soft, and hard compound tires are available to drivers and their crew. For hotter climates, harder tires are employed; for colder climates, softer tires are. After finding the required compound, drivers will select alternative brands based on other weather conditions. A single tire, the Goodyear Eagle, is the only option available to stock car drivers and the only NASCAR courses for which these tires are intended.