The drivers have suited up and climbed into their cars. Engines roar. All eyes are on the checkered flag. The flag drops. The drivers roar off—challenging themselves, their teams, and other drivers to perform to the best of their ability. Math is used by the drivers, by their pit crews, and by race car designers before, during, and after a race. This is a sport where everything is measured and analyzed!
There are different kinds of racing. Each has a different kind of car and track. In all of the types, though, math is used in many ways. How much fuel should be put in the car before a race? How fast was the driver’s qualifying time, and how does it compare to the times of other drivers? What was the driver’s speed on the straight part of the track compared with the curves? The driver and team answer these questions and more by doing math.
