NASCAR Team Confidant Holds Secrets to Power

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla., July 2 -- On the highly competitive NASCAR Nextel Cup circuit, there is one fact that crew chiefs and engine builders agree on.

 
   Mike Gregg can keep a secret.

Gregg, chief engineer for Goodyear Engineered Products' power transmission belts, is making a career out of being a confidant to Cup teams looking for competitive advantages hidden under the hood of their racecars.

Engine setups are closely guarded secrets, according to Gregg. They vary from car to car, and are changed to match the demand of individual tracks. Each configuration requires a unique combination of power transmission belts to run a growing list of engine components and accessories.

Belt combinations are virtually endless. Goodyear provides more than 200 different length-and-width Gatorback Poly-V belts to meet race application requirements.

"A crankshaft and water pump can be driven together by five-or six-ribbed Goodyear Gatorback Poly-V belts that are 24-to 30-inches long," said Gregg. "Setups change when a restrictor plate is introduced on super tracks, or if a 20-horsepower, energy-absorbing mechanical fan is used to cope with short- track engine demands."

He said a power steering pump and alternator could use a three-ribbed belt that is 22-to 30-inches long, depending on the alternator type and output. Conventional alternators can run at 12,000 rpm, while high-performance units reach 17,000 rpm. Alternator output is dependent on how many cooling fans and TV cameras are on a car.

"The goal," said Gregg, "is to operate all components with the least amount of power consumption, saving the horsepower to drive the tires."

To stay neutral, Gregg refrains from consulting about engine setups. His job starts after engine builders position pulleys and need help to determine how best to drive them. "I recommend belt sizes," he said, "and tension, which is as important to belts as air pressure is to tires."

Gregg said each Cup Series car is equipped with at least three Gatorback Poly-V belts. "With a field of 43 cars at the start of a race, more than 125 Gatorback belts are out on the track," he said. "That adds up to a lot of secrets."

Gatorback's tooth design resembles the back of an alligator, providing flexibility and more exposed surface to help the belt run cooler and last longer. It also clears sand and other track debris that can damage belts during races.

"They're just like the straight-off-the-shelf Goodyear belts used by motorists driving to the track and sold at auto parts stores," said Gregg. Although working in a race environment where a few revolutions-per-minute can mean the difference between a first and second place finish, Gregg said humor endures at trackside.

He said that during one race, he was summoned to Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s pit, where a straight-faced crew informed Gregg that a belt on the car had "rolled," meaning it lost tension and turned over in the pulley, taking Earnhardt out of the race.

"Of course, my jaw dropped wide open because our Gatorback Poly-V belts are designed and built to hold tension," said Gregg. "Then the entire team burst into laughter. The car's alternator had failed, which had nothing to do with the belt."

Gregg got even with the team the following week, sending belts that were too small to fit even on a lawn mower.

For each race, he also works closely with engineers of North Carolina- based CV Products, distributor of high-performance race products, such as Gatorback. "Together, we provide individualized technical support to ensure that each team has the right belts that are properly installed and tensioned to obtain optimum performance," he said.

According to Gregg, CV was instrumental in helping Goodyear introduce Gatorback Poly-V belts to NASCAR teams in 2002. "CV invested in equipment to machine the first metal pulleys used with the belts at Daytona."

Goodyear Engineered Products has supplied belts to NASCAR for 24-years and is the exclusive NASCAR performance licensee of automotive replacement Poly-V and v-belts, timing belts and curved radiator hose. Visit http://www.goodyearbeltsandhose.com/ for additional information.