What Is Drafting in NASCAR?

Drafting is when a car tucks in close behind another so it runs in the leader's slipstream — the pocket of lower-pressure air behind the car. That reduces aerodynamic drag on the trailing car and also, slightly, on the lead car, so both go faster than a car running alone. Drivers use the draft constantly at high-speed tracks to gain speed and set up overtakes.

A car pushes through the air, creating drag that slows it and a low-pressure wake behind it. A trailing car running in that wake meets less air resistance, so it needs less power to hold the same speed — or can go faster on the same power. The lead car benefits a little too, because the trailing car reduces the low-pressure drag pulling on its rear. Together they beat a lone car.

The slingshot is a classic drafting move: a trailing car uses the reduced drag of the draft to build up speed, then pulls out from behind the leader and 'slingshots' past using its momentum, often near the finish line. Because the leader is punching the hole in the air, the follower can carry more speed at the critical moment. Timing the slingshot for the final lap is a superspeedway art form.

Drafting matters most at the superspeedways — Daytona and Talladega — where cars run with a [restrictor plate](/what-is-a-restrictor-plate-in-nascar/) or tapered spacer that limits power. With horsepower capped, aerodynamics decide everything, so no car can pull away alone and cooperation in the draft is the only way to move forward. It matters at other big tracks too, but superspeedways are where it defines the race.

Bump drafting is when the trailing car makes contact with the rear bumper of the car ahead to push it forward, helping both accelerate. Done well, it boosts speed for the pair; done badly, especially in corners, it can turn the lead car and trigger a wreck. NASCAR has at times restricted where bump drafting is allowed because of the crash risk it creates in the pack.

No — drafting requires at least one other car to run behind or ahead of. A car by itself in clean air has no draft to use and is usually slower than a group working together, which is why a driver who gets shuffled out of the pack at a superspeedway can quickly fall back. Finding and keeping drafting partners is a core skill at these tracks.

Because drafting partners go faster than lone cars, drivers must cooperate even with rivals to stay near the front, then time their move to break away at the end. It puts a premium on track position, patience, and picking the right moment for a slingshot, all while avoiding 'the big one.' The racing often stays bunched until a dramatic final-lap scramble, sometimes settled in [overtime](/what-is-a-green-white-checkered-finish/).