The Goodyear Gatorback Poly-V belt celebrates its tenth
season this year as
NASCAR’s predominant underhood belt. Veyance Technologies,
the manufacturer of
Goodyear Gatorback belts, continues to work with NASCAR
Sprint Cup teams to push
technology forward and ensure engine components run smoothly
under the extreme
conditions found on NASCAR race tracks.
Perhaps nowhere are the performance and durability of
Goodyear Gatorback belts
put to the test as much as at Bristol Motor Speedway, the
“World’s Fastest Half-Mile,”
which will host the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series March 18-20.
“Belts see the hardest wear at Bristol with constantly
changing engine speed,” said
Mike Gregg, chief belt engineer for Veyance. “Races like
Bristol are proof why
NASCAR engines are a perfect testing ground for us to push
the envelope on new ‘trackto-
street’ technology. Having our belts on every NASCAR Sprint
Cup Series race car in
the circuit helps us develop our products for the future and
improve belts used by
everyday motorists.”
With more than 30 years of experience providing innovative
solutions to NASCAR
teams, Gatorback belts have been responsible for a number of
key racing developments
during the past decade. Most notably, a 2002 rule change
that was driven by
advancements in Goodyear Gatorback belts permits the use of
Poly-V belts to prevent
“roll-over,” a serious concern for v-belts rotating at
NASCAR speeds.
“Goodyear Gatorback belts have been a game changer for
Hendrick Motorsports over
the past 10 years,” said Andrews, director of engine
operations at Hendrick Motorsports.
“Since NASCAR changed the rule in 2002 to accommodate
increased horsepower with
Poly-V belts, every Hendrick car on the track has switched
to Gatorback belts.”
Other notable Gatorback belt technology achievements over
the past 10 years include:
2002: Veyance designed a new Poly-V belt using a
combination of helical cogged
ribs and an EPDM synthetic rubber compound. Introduced at
Daytona in Feb., the
new compound was put into production later that same year
for Gatorback Poly-V
belts sold to the automotive aftermarket.
2005: Veyance developed a patented low-friction,
abrasion-resistant coating for
timing belts to withstand the high temperatures found in
today’s racing engines.
2007: Veyance introduced Gatorback cam-drive belts
to handle a 40 percent load
increase. The new carbon fiber-reinforced belt helped Jeff
Gordon and Hendrick
Motorsports win the Chicagoland race. By the end of the
season, most Sprint Cup
cars were using the new belts.
2008: Veyance introduced a new oil pump drive belt
using materials developed
for the cam belt, including a heavier cord and low-friction
coating. The coating
helps prevent track debris from sticking to and damaging the
belt’s surface, while
the heavier cord enables the belt to run should debris
causes minor damage.
For more information go to www.goodyearep.com.
