Search Your Engines: NASCAR Engineers Zoom In on Motor Problems with Powerful Microscope [Slide Show]

Joe Gibbs Racing is using a powerful Nikon microscope to help solve the mystery of engine failures that have cost the team several races

JOEY LOGANO: Driver Joey Logano, ranked 20th in the NASCAR standings, had taken the pole position at the August 7 Good Sam RV Insurance 500 and led the field for the first 17 laps of the race before finishing in 26th place. JOE GIBBS RACING
KYLE BUSCH: Driver Kyle Busch, ranked third in the NASCAR standings, recently took second place in the Good Sam RV Insurance 500 at Pennsylvania's Pocono Raceway. JOE GIBBS RACING
DENNY HAMLIN: Driver Denny Hamlin, ranked 11th in the NASCAR standings this year going into this weekend's race, has had to swap out engines before two of his past three races, including the Brickyard 400 in late July. JOE GIBBS RACING
JGR: Joe Gibbs Racing—a group of NASCAR racing teams based in Huntersville, N.C., that are owned and operated by former Washington Redskins coach Joe Gibbs and his son J. D. Gibbs—has struggled with engine problems throughout the 2011 season. JOE GIBBS RACING
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VALVE STEM: This valve stem image shows the occlusions in the coating that occurred on a specific batch of valve stems, which caused excessive wear of the valve guides and resulted in premature failure. JOE GIBBS RACING
VALVE SPRINGS: The two images of an engine valve spring shoe—taken using Nikon's AZ100 Multizoom microscope—indicate two different areas of impact, where an outside force caused the premature failure of that component. JOE GIBBS RACING

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