why do americans call a car "stock" when it's anything but?

NASCAR should now officially be called "UNSTOCKCAR" racing.

Ciao
Phil Not Hill
Life is too short not to own a Ferrari and be an F1 race fan.
Now, go take on the day.

 

Yeah yeah, symantecs.

Dragsters don't drag anything.
Funny cars are humorless.
GTs are neither grand, nor do they tour.
Grand Prix? I've never actually seen the Big Purse.

 

It's a roots kind of word. Back in the day, they used to have to be made of parts that you could by over the counter at your local dealer.

Then, it became roof, hood and trunklid. Then, somewhere in the 90's, Ford cried enough (because they simply can not produce the power of GM) to have the rules changed (in thier favor) that a select couple of manufacturers (not GM) could basically chop the car anyway they wanted for racing. Thus, effectively ending any small similarities to their namesakes.

 

You forgot Sport Utility Vehicles, which aren't sporty.

 

Ummm, I know very little about NASCAR (hate it, actually), but I do know that "maufacturers" in NASCAR are pretty much the same as the "stockness" of the cars. Does Ford, GM, or Chyrsler build any of the NASCAR cars? Nope...I doubt they even cast the short blocks used to make to motors. It's been that way for a while. The manfucaturer is simply the highest paying advertiser.

Furthermore, the HP production from car to car is nearly identical. Hence, restrictor plates.

 

And compact cars, which just keep getting bigger (in the US)

 

For that matter, since when is a charcoal grill a busty Mattel doll?

 

haha, that took me a second...

 

So the rednecks can watch and say "HEY I GOT ME ONE JUS LIKE THAT! A-HYUK!!! YEEEEEHAW.".

 

If you're seriously interested, start reading here: http://www.nascar.com/2002/kyn/history/evolution/02/06/stockcar/index.html

http://www.nascar.com/2002/kyn/history/evolution/02/06/stockcar2/index.html

http://www.nascar.com/2002/kyn/history/evolution/02/06/stockcar3/index.html

 

Actually, restrictor plates are only used at the big tracks (Daytona, Talladega, ect.)

 

There is a difference in the power, and the engines must be based on their respective manufactures small blocks (hence the frontal distributor setup on the fords)....at least that was the case a few years ago when I lost interest.

and someone else already answered your restrictor plate comment.

 

Correctamundo!

 

Restrictor plates are also all the same size, so it's still up to the teams to try to get what they can out of them.

Funny, they use similar restrictions at Le Mans, but no one cries about 'dumb technology' there...

 

I go to Pro Basketball games, but I don't consider it even close to being basketball, which is why the USA gets trumped at the Olympics or World Games every time....

I know, I know: apples and oranges.

Hmm......... Pro Stock drag cars are anything but stock now...

 

So they can sell Monte Carlo's to people other than Auto Rental Companies.

 

Give us the Aussie opinion of your Super Touring Car series.