How fast do NASCAR cars go?

In general, the top speed for most NASCAR cars is around 200 miles per hour. In April 2014, five NASCAR Sprint Cup teams achieved speeds over 217 miles per hour during Goodyear's tire testing event at Michigan International Speedway.

These top speeds are usually reached during qualifying or test events where only a few cars are on the racetrack at one time. This was true during the 2014 Daytona 500, as the top speed of 206 miles per hour was recorded during qualifying. NASCAR cars could theoretically go much faster than this, but NASCAR requires racing teams to install carburetor restrictor plates, which significantly decrease the engine's horsepower and limit the car's top speed.