Pro teams may use what's known as the 'Belgian Tourniquet', taking turns at the head of a group of riders to conserve energy.ĭiagram 2: Riders rotate and take turns at the front of the group Slipstreaming can be seen in use at almost every stage of a race, with the biggest cluster of riders grouping in what's called a peloton, drafting behind one another.
#Slipstream definition professional
Slipstreaming is especially popular in the world of professional cycling, with teams and riders making use of slipstreams competitively and also tactically. In sports, the effects of slipstreaming and drafting are particularly beneficial, where just seconds can be the difference between coming 1st or 2nd.Īnd it's not just top-level autosports like F1 and NASCAR that take advantage of the performance increases slipstreaming and drafting offer.Ĭycling, swimming, running, speed skating and even downhill skateboarding are all slipstream sports. A closely trailing object will experience reduced drag when sitting in this partial vacuum due to the particles dispersed by the leading object. In the wake of that object, a lower pressure area, or partial vacuum is left. And crucially, the science behind it.Īs we explained briefly at the top of the article, a slipstream is created behind any moving object where there is some form of resistance. Now you know what a slipstream is, we're going to look at how slipstreaming works in sports other than motorsport. What is the Science Behind Slipstreaming? Although slipstreaming can also be detrimental to F1 drivers, which is something we’ll cover.Ī general rule of thumb is that the more aerodynamic a car is, the less effective it will be at drafting.ĭiagram 1: The middle car travels in an area of low pressure and less air resistance Creating overtake opportunities through the increased straight-line speed generated by sitting in a cars slipstream.
#Slipstream definition drivers
Racers achieved and sustained higher speeds, used less fuel and reduced the number of pit-stops needed, all through drafting.F1 drivers also make use of slipstream aerodynamics. He used the drafting technique to make up for a lack of straight-line speed and win the 1960 Daytona 500.Īs drivers experimented they discovered the benefits of racing following one another, as opposed to running alone.
NASCAR's Junior Johnson is widely accredited with being the first to discover the benefits of the slipstream. Race Car Drivers Discovered The Benefits of Slipstreaming So essentially slipstreaming is when a vehicle takes advantage of the space behind another vehicle where there are decreased air and wind resistance. The dictionary definition of the word slipstream, in the context of motorsport, is: 'the partial vacuum created in the wake of a moving vehicle, often used by other vehicles in a race to assist in overtaking'. In this article, we're going to talk about slipstreams: how slipstreaming works, why it's important and how it's used in motorsport with a particular focus on NASCAR and Formula 1.įirst thing’s first, what is a slipstream, and what does slipstreaming mean? What next? It's time to learn about 'slipstreaming' or 'drafting'. You're now a heel-toe shifting pro and you've read all of our racing tips from the pros.
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