Goodyear Gatorback celebrates 10 years in sport

The Goodyear Gatorback Poly-V belt celebrates its 10th season this year as NASCAR's predominant under-hood belt. Veyance Technologies, the manufacturer of Goodyear Gatorback belts, continues to work with Sprint Cup teams to push technology forward and ensure engine components run smoothly under the extreme conditions found on NASCAR race tracks.

Perhaps nowhere are the performance and durability of Goodyear Gatorback belts put to the test as much as at Bristol Motor Speedway, which will host the Cup Series on March 18-20.

"Belts see the hardest wear at Bristol with constantly changing engine speed," said Mike Gregg, chief belt engineer for Veyance. "Races like Bristol are proof why NASCAR engines are a perfect testing ground for us to push the envelope on new 'track-to-street' technology. Having our belts on every Sprint Cup Series race car in the circuit helps us develop our products for the future and improve belts used by everyday motorists."

With more than 30 years of experience providing innovative solutions to NASCAR teams, Gatorback belts have been responsible for a number of key racing developments during the past decade. Most notably, a 2002 rule change that was driven by advancements in Goodyear Gatorback belts permits the use of Poly-V belts to prevent "roll-over," a serious concern for v-belts rotating at NASCAR speeds.

Engine builders such as Jeff Andrews of Hendrick Motorsports rely on Veyance and other automotive technology leaders to help him meet the extreme under-hood demands found on the race track.

"Goodyear Gatorback belts have been a game changer for Hendrick Motorsports the past 10 years," said Andrews, director of engine operations at Hendrick Motorsports. "Since NASCAR changed the rule in 2002 to accommodate increased horsepower with Poly-V belts, every Hendrick car on the track has switched to Gatorback belts."

Other notable Gatorback belt technology achievements the past 10 years include:

-- 2002: Veyance designed a new Poly-V belt using a combination of helical cogged ribs and an EPDM synthetic rubber compound. Introduced at Daytona in Feb., the new compound was put into production later that same year for Gatorback Poly-V belts sold to the automotive aftermarket.

-- 2005: Veyance developed a patented low-friction, abrasion-resistant coating for timing belts to withstand the high temperatures found in today's racing engines.

-- 2007: Veyance introduced Gatorback cam-drive belts to handle a 40 percent load increase. The new carbon fiber-reinforced belt helped Jeff Gordon and Hendrick Motorsports win the Chicagoland race. By the end of the season, most Cup cars were using the new belts.

-- 2008: Veyance introduced a new oil pump drive belt using materials developed for the cam belt, including a heavier cord and low-friction coating. The coating helps prevent track debris from sticking to and damaging the belt's surface, while the heavier cord enables the belt to run should debris causes minor damage.