As a new tire is used it goes through a couple of changes. First, the heat gradually causes chemical changes in the rubber, breaking down the molecular structure. Second, the outer tread will gradually wear down, changing the dynamics of heat dispersion within the tire carcass. These effects add up to a gradual loss of grip over time. Abusing the tires, such as spinning the rear wheels under acceleration, will cause this gradual loss to become rapid. Managing tire wear without traction control is one of the most demanding skills for a Champ Car driver.

Regarding budgets, teams will generally find ways to spend as much money as possible. The more they spend on talented people, high-quality equipment, extra spare parts, and especially in-house engineering and fabrication capabilities, the more likely they are to find their way into the winner's circle. Champ Car has done a terrific job of keeping the playing field level and lowering the basic cost of competing, but if you want to run consistently at the front of the pack nothing replaces "cubic dollars".

In almost every form of motorsports, the lowest budgets are determined by the basic cost of equipment, travel and personnel compensation, while the highest budgets are determined by the marketing value provided to sponsors by a winning team. Champ Car teams operate on as little as $3 million dollars per season or as much as $20 million plus, but due to the nature of the Champ Car rulebook the $3 million dollar team can still end up on top of the podium - just not as often as the $20 million teams!

Perhaps the most significant Cosworth developments found in today's Ford street cars are in the area of electronic engine management. With very efficient fuel mapping and ignition controls derived from Champ Car programs, the overall ratio of horsepower to gas mileage has gone through the roof in the last decade. Today, enthusiasts can modify a stock Mustang Cobra to achieve well over 500 reliable horsepower while retaining smooth driving characteristics and still seeing over 20mpg on the highway! Add things like traction control, advanced anti-lock brakes and electronic diagnostic capabilities, and you have some clues as to just how much racing technology has contributed to today's highly evolved Ford street cars.

An anti-roll bar is also a torsion device, but with a different purpose as suggested by its name. Instead of supporting the weight of the car, an anti-roll bar links the two sides of the suspension together and provides resistance to the tendency of the chassis to roll right or left from cornering forces. This facilitates using softer spring for increased grip and a more compliant ride without incurring excessive roll. In a Champ Car there are two anti-roll bars, one front and one rear, each with a center tubular section mounted to the chassis and with 90-degree arms on each end. These 90-degree arms are attached to the right and left suspension assemblies. As the wheels move up and down together over bumps, the anti-roll bar just rotates with them with no resistance. However, if one side of the car tries to dip down while the other side tries to rise up (as in a corner), the anti-roll bar kicks in and works to limit how much the two sides move in opposite directions.

Teams usually have a selection of front and rear anti-roll bars with different torsion levels. Drivers can then fine-tune the stiffness of the bars with levers in the cockpit to help balance the handling as the track, tire wear, fuel level or weather changes. For example, a driver experiencing understeer will often soften the front anti-roll bar to give the front a bit more grip.

How does a driver soften or stiffen an anti-roll bar? Usually one or both of the 90-degree arms at each end of an anti-roll bar consists of a flat piece of metal that can be rotated around its longitudinal axis by moving a lever in the cockpit, making it stiffer or softer. A flat piece of metal will flex easily front to back but will flex very little side to side. If the arm is rotated so that the flat section is perpendicular to the direction of pressure, the anti-roll bar will flex easily and more chassis roll will be allowed. If the arm is rotated so that the flat section is parallel to the direction of pressure, the anti-roll bar will be very stiff and very little roll will be allowed. Somewhere between the two extremes is usually desired. The anti-roll bar is a clever but simple solution to one of the basic handling challenges in setting up any four-wheeled vehicle.

Instead of spoilers, Champ Cars have low-drag, high-downforce inverted wings. To get back to your question, no; drivers cannot adjust the wing angles or any other aerodynamic devices while in the car. Such changes can only be made by mechanics when the car is stopped. Good question!