My new grill block

I thought I would try a change from my usual pipe insulation grill block this year.

Another shot on the car

One more from the front View attachment 57666

 

By mid October it is cold enough here that blocking the airflow from the lower grill speeds up the warmup cycle and reduces the internal combustion engine firing up to provide cabin heat. In the past I have used the typical pipe insulation but thought this would be easier to install and might provide a little aero benefit.

It will be put in place in a few weeks and will stay on until April.

Sorry about the photos. For some reason my ipad picture posts end up flipped even though they are correct on the ipad.

I was able to tuck this shelf liner material behind the license plate holder and under the front lip of the spoiler.
Two little Velcro strips below and the elastic up front holds it in place.

 

Seems like NASCAR testing on cars points out a different view of what works:

"Depending on the type of track being raced on, different front end valences are used by the teams. All have grille openings to allow air to flow into the radiator and cool the engine. These appear rather similar to cars on the road. For short tracks and road courses, you'll see additional intakes for the brake ducts. These help keep the enormous drilled disc brakes cool, improving their performance (heat causes brake "fade," reducing effectiveness and forcing the driver to run slower to compensate). For speedways and super-speedways, tracks where speeds are consistently high and brakes are used more to trim speed going into turns, the vents and ductwork are removed. Speed is the key - any opening on the front of the car creates drag, and drag is bad.

Enter the household item: duct tape, a.k.a 200-mph tape. Tape is used as an aerodynamic tool in NASCAR, as well as a repair device. If you look at pictures of the cars, you'll see the grille openings on the front. Teams will cover these with tape to improve aerodynamics and increase speed. If you watch qualifying, you'll see the openings are completely covered. The cars will only make 2-3 laps around the track during a qualifying run. The engine runs more efficiently when it is warmed up. Closing off the airflow to the radiator allows the water temperature to rise quicker. Once the car completes its run, the engine is shut off to prevent overheating. Occasionally you'll see steam venting from the right side base of the windshield. This venting is acceptable for the short period a qualifying run takes. Completely covering the openings allows for maximum performance, aerodynamics, and speed during qualifying."

 

A bit better shot and hopefully not upside down. It is 53 degrees out here today so I took it for a test run. All seems well