Since the early days of cars there has been car racing. At first, the engine and tires were very important. Racers wanted a very powerful engine and good tires. Later, the body of the car was important. The body had to be smooth so the air could flow easily. This reduced drag.

As the engines became bigger the cars were able to go faster and faster. This became dangerous. The air flowing around the car at high speed caused "lift". This lift gave the drivers less control. There were more accidents.

To overcome this problem modern race cars are made to create "downlift" or "downforce". This helps keep the tires solidly on the road for control.

The downforce is made by adding different devices to the car. An air dam or spoiler on the car reduces lift.

Some cars actually have small wings. On an airplane, wings help make lift. On a car the wings are turned over so that instead of lift, downforce is created. This helps the driver control the car.

Air flow is controlled in many different ways. But, the purpose is to allow more control and more speed. This is so drivers can win more races safely!