Robert Bosch LLC has entered into an agreement with the National Association of Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) to be its exclusive oxygen sensor supplier. Bosch first developed and introduced the automotive oxygen sensor in 1976.
In 2012, NASCAR stock cars will switch from carburetion to fuel injection. As an exclusive NASCAR Performance partner, Bosch will supply special wide-band oxygen sensors, specific to NASCAR race cars, which will provide essential data to the fuel injection engine management system.
“Fuel injection is a logical progression for NASCAR, and Bosch oxygen sensors, with their long history of superior performance under the most severe conditions, are the recognized standard throughout the racing world,” said Wolfgang Hustedt, Bosch Motorsports manager, North America. “NASCAR race cars go through many different operating conditions at every race, and oxygen sensors are an essential component of the fuel injection system.”
Beginning with the 2012 Daytona 500, all NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race car engines will be fuel injected. An onboard computer will control the fuel injectors, using input from the oxygen sensors in the exhaust to determine the exact fuel provided to the airflow just as it’s entering the cylinder. Several NASCAR teams have been testing fuel injected engines on-track to see how the new systems operate in actual race track conditions.
Every NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race car will be equipped with two oxygen sensors in the exhaust system to monitor the level of unburned oxygen in the exhaust, and therefore the engine’s relative “rich” or “lean” operating condition.
“Oxygen sensors relay vital information on engine performance to the vehicle’s engine management system, which controls the fuel injectors and determines how the vehicle reacts to race conditions,” continued Hustedt. “This change to fuel injection will give NASCAR teams enhanced control over their vehicles’ performance, and the oxygen sensors are vital in maximum but flexible performance at each track.”
