Carbon fiber consists of extremely thin threads of graphite fiber. Carbon fiber has many advantages over steel which is why in recent years it has gained popularity with motorsports. Carbon Fiber is much lighter then steel, but yet it still has very similar strength. Carbon fiber also has many other advantages such as that it doesn’t corrode if it’s clear coated and it can be easily shaped. For these reasons it has been very useful for racing industry, many steel components on race cars can now be replaced by carbon fiber this and causes drastic weight reduction while still maintaining the durability of the steel that it has replaced. Not only does the weight reduction give the car a huge horsepower to weight ratio advantage, but it can also make a huge positive impact on fuel economy.
Many car parts now have after market carbon fiber replacement parts available. There are now carbon fiber hoods, wheels, fenders, wings, bumpers, and exhaust systems. Carbon fiber isn’t just used in the car racing industry, but also in motorcycle racing as well. It is now common to see carbon fiber exhausts on many sport bikes for weight reduction. As you can carbon fiber is now becoming vital in competitive racing.
