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Race Car

What is the difference between a late model race car and the stock cars of NASCAR?

For all you sarcastic folks out there: please don't tell me the obvious - yes, I know the drivers are different as well as their sponsors and the series they race in. I want to know what makes a Late Model a Late Model car and a Stock car a Stock car.

LM's are based on mostly newer technology, whereas NASCAR stock cars are based on 60's technology. The LM's run all aluminum engines (the crank, cam, and the bolts are steel, but almost everything else is aluminum), aluminum quick-change rear-ends with 4-link coil-over suspension, coil-over front suspension, torque arms on the rear ends, aluminum wide-5 hubs, and ultra-light aluminum wheels with beadlocks. LM's also run MSD, or Multi-Spark Distributer, boxes, but are limited to running carberators.

Very little is aluminum on the NASCAR cars. The front suspension is based loosely on a 60's Ford Galaxy, and the rear suspension is based on a 60's Chevy pick-up truck. They are forced to run steel block engines, thus adding to the weight difference. What makes the NASCAR cars "true" "stock cars" is that the bodies resemble their street counterparts, much moreso than the dirt Late Models.

Actually, both are "stock cars" as they are both based (although the LM's are more loosely based) on actual "stock" cars. The NASCAR cars just tend to be more "stock" based. UMP (United Midwestern Promoters) tried to get the dirt late model community to start calling dirt late models "Dirt Cars" a few years ago, but it never took off.

Jakedrake, I'd like to see you find a single "stock" piece on our Late Model. you might be able to get a few bolts to screw into a few holes in a "stock" car, but absolutely NOTHING is stock on our car.