# NASCAR Question **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [September 2, 2013, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nascar-question/667800 "2013-09-02T14:22:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![SanDiegoTim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/85e7bf/32.png) [@SanDiegoTim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanDiegoTim)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2013, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nascar-question/667800/1 "2013-09-02T14:22:28Z")
Most, if not all, cars appear to have something attached to the lower/right (as you’re facing the car) portion of the grille. Looks like it could be somewhere in the area of 4" x 2", generally a bright orange or green color. Surely isn’t tape. Anyone? ---
**Author:** ![Jim\_s\_Son](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19adc/32.png) [@Jim\_s\_Son](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jim_s_Son)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2013, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nascar-question/667800/2 "2013-09-02T14:36:47Z")
They put tape on the front to reduce drag and improve downforce. [http://www.jayski.com/pages/faqrace.htm#grilltape](http://www.jayski.com/pages/faqrace.htm#grilltape) ---
**Author:** ![SanDiegoTim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/85e7bf/32.png) [@SanDiegoTim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanDiegoTim)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2013, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nascar-question/667800/3 "2013-09-02T19:52:35Z")
I’m aware of the use of tape. However, this is something different. The site you recommended is excellent. I’ll look further there. Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![GreasyJack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/df705f/32.png) [@GreasyJack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreasyJack)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2013, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nascar-question/667800/4 "2013-09-02T20:06:19Z")
I’m not all that familiar with NASCAR, but my guess would be that they’re tow hook covers. ---
**Author:** ![dzeiger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/46a35a/32.png) [@dzeiger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dzeiger)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2013, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nascar-question/667800/5 "2013-09-03T02:01:56Z")
You might be seeing the pull-tab for a section of tape. Sometimes they need to pull away sections of tape due to overheating or other issues, so they need to have a way for a crewmember wearing gloves to be able to remove the section in a split second or less. ---
**Author:** ![brad\_d](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@brad\_d](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brad_d)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2013, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nascar-question/667800/6 "2013-09-03T04:05:05Z")
Are you talking about the two red rectangular things visible on the front of Jeff Burton’s car in [this image](http://cdn-1.motorsport.com/static/img/mgl/1600000/1600000/1609000/1609000/1609011/s1_1.jpg), directly below the “SS”? If so, I’m inclined to think that **dzeiger** is right (although I don’t know for sure).