CONCORD, N.C. – Plate racing is back this weekend as the cars take to the track at Talladega Superspeedway.
With only four plate races on the schedule, Talladega offers the drivers a different challenge than the majority of the other tracks on the circuit.
With one Hendrick Motorsports win at the Alabama track in 2015, the organization heads there this weekend with hopes of adding yet another to that list.
But before they lay down some laps on the 2.66-mile oval, the teams must add one crucial piece to their cars: a restrictor plate.
Check out the 12 fun facts below about restrictor plates.
1) A restrictor plate is a stamped piece of aluminum with a sharp edge on one side and a rounded edge on the other.
2) Restrictor plates are mandated by NASCAR and are provided to each team prior to a plate race. Hendrick Motorsports purchases its own plates for practice sessions.
3) Even a minor scratch on the sharp bottom edge of a restrictor plate can affect the amount of power from the plate.
4) The plate is placed on top of the manifold and restricts the amount of the air the engine receives.
5) Restrictor plates are intended to help keep cars bunched together for tighter racing on the larger racetracks such as Talladega.
6) The plates also help enforce safety regulations on the larger tracks because of the high speeds and banking.
7) A restrictor plate eliminates around 300 horsepower from the engine.
8) The plates can be various sizes but what is enforced by NASCAR now is a size of 57/64ths of an inch.
9) Before a plate race, each team draws a number out of a Bingo-like roller. Based on the number and color chip pulled, that is the plate that the team receives from NASCAR from the bin of restrictor plates.
10) Each team has an engine tuner that travels to the track each weekend and is responsible for anything engine-related throughout the course of the weekend. John Boydston is the tuner for the No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet SS.
11) Boydston said that his duties are more technical-based at the plate tracks but “on a weekly basis, my main job is to maintain the engine; to put the intake, the injectors, the throttle body on before we leave the shop.”
12) Restrictor plates used for practice can be used as long as their condition holds up. Boydston said he will save plates as long as he can tell that the sharp bottom edge is still in good condition.