Haas CNC Racing NASCAR Rolling Road Testing Facility (Images courtesy Jalopnik)
By Andrew Liszewski

Man, how crazy is this? While wind tunnel testing is perfect for planes and other flying vehicles at times they’re not so perfect when dealing with cars, especially at very high speeds. The road surface sometimes leads to incorrect readings since wind travelling at 200+ mph likes to stick to the floor. So for a more accurate way to test their cars the Haas CNC Racing NASCAR team has created this full-size rolling road testing facility called WindShear Inc.

That track is actually a 1mm thick steel belt capable of rolling at over 180 mph! It has sensors located underneath that can take readings for each wheel and the whole setup seen here will be used inside a massive wind tunnel to accurately recreate the driving conditions on a NASCAR track. Minus of course the left-hand turns.

[ Jalopnik – Haas Builds Rolling Road Wind Tunnel ] VIA [ Autoblog ]

A larger picture of the testing rig is available after the jump that better shows the scale of this setup.

Haas CNC Racing NASCAR Rolling Road Testing Facility (Images courtesy Jalopnik)

17 COMMENTS

  1. Hey Deb….since it’s testing speed in the car, I would think sitting in back of it might be more hazardous since that’s where the car would go if it came off…..that is, unless they were testing the speed of the reverse gear

  2. Keep in mind though that if the steel belt suddenly stopped the car would still be running at 180mph. That’s of course assuming the car is actually running and keeping pace with the belt.

  3. “That’s pretty cool, though I’m not sure I’d want to be sitting right there at the end of it! LOL”

    Agreed. I think that guy at the computer should be in another room where it is somewhat safe… hehehe

  4. They aren’t going to run it right there. That looks like a shop, not a wind tunnel. I’m 100% sure that assembly will be recessed below the floor of the wind tunnel when it is done.

  5. i had heard of this and thought it was BS but now i know its not that is cool as @#%& thanks for the info! im a big nascar fan so where do sign up for a test driver on this thing???

  6. Nascar RUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUULS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  7. i dont know how you would get an accurate reading, nascar is full of turns, and running it wide open in a wind tunnel in a straight line might be good for a TF dragster, but not for nascar. they should set it up to rotate, that way it can simulate corners, which are a big part in nascar.

  8. More Accurate way ro test this is a “seven post shaker rig”. Huge platform that sits under the car with seven contections to the wheels, tires, front, rear etc. The shaker rig moves right, left, up, down to simulate any track that Nascar visits. Not sure about this pic, never heard of such a contraption….. Never know, moonshine, fast cars, tools, all the hands of one of us rednecks with an internet connection… WATCH OUT!

  9. More Accurate way ro test this is a “seven post shaker rig”. Huge platform that sits under the car with seven contections to the wheels, tires, front, rear etc. The shaker rig moves right, left, up, down to simulate any track that Nascar visits. Not sure about this pic, never heard of such a contraption….. Never know, moonshine, fast cars, tools, all the hands of one of us rednecks with an internet connection… WATCH OUT!

  10. More Accurate way ro test this is a “seven post shaker rig”. Huge platform that sits under the car with seven contections to the wheels, tires, front, rear etc. The shaker rig moves right, left, up, down to simulate any track that Nascar visits. Not sure about this pic, never heard of such a contraption….. Never know, moonshine, fast cars, tools, all the hands of one of us rednecks with an internet connection… WATCH OUT!

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