GitanesBlondes wrote:Saw this post over on Reddit as it pertains to sprint cars...
For those not in the know, nearly all cars have what is known as a differential - a clump of gears that lets one wheel spin faster than the other, while still applying power to both. This is important because when the vehicle is turning a corner, the outside wheel follows a longer path than the inside wheel - if the wheels were forced to turn at the same speed, one would have to drag and/or skip across the pavement to make up the difference. Tires are designed specifically not to drag, skip and such (lose traction), so this would put a lot of wear on the tires, strain the mechanical bits of the car, and generally make turning more difficult... Keep turning difficulty in mind.
Further to your point...
"Sprint Cars have a once-piece rear axle connecting the left and right wheels and do not have differentials, therefore if the rear tires were the same size, the driver would probably end up in the fence! The amount of stagger used varies from around 11-20 inches (27.94-50.8 cm), depending on track conditions. On a tacky or hooky track more stagger is required, on a dry or slick track less stagger is needed. Other considerations for the amount of stagger is the size of the track, a small track will require more stagger than a large track. The banking of a track is also another factor that should be considered, high banked tracks will require more stagger than flat tracks."
http://www.world-sprintcar-guide.com/sp ... tires.html
I would imagine it is difficult to control these cars while running at caution speeds. The stagger is trying to shove the car to the left. The entire car is designed to maximize drive off of the right rear.
