I was just wondering if cars use the same braking systems at Bristol as they would use at a Superspeedway like Daytona or Talladega.
No, they don't use brakes that much at Talladega, but use them constantly at Bristol. The brake pads are much thicker for the races at Bristol.
NASCAR allows scoops to be mounted on a stock car's air dam to carry cool air to the brakes. The rules allow for three scoops per brake with a maximum opening of 24 square inches for each inlet. The tubing that travels from the scoop to the brakes may only be three inches in diameter. For tracks like Bristol, where the demands on brakes are high, cars and trucks will have three scoops installed per brake. The intakes will appear as three rectangular slots on both sides of the radiator air intake. For tracks like Daytona International Speedway and Talladega Superspeedway, where heat is not an issue, teams will run a solid steel rotor in order to reduce rotating mass and unsprung weight. On tracks that require maximum brake cooling, teams will run cast iron rotors
A much larger and complex system is used at short tracks. Many of the answers above offer great detail. I would suggest you try to watch some of the pre race shows Sunday I am sure that Larry Mac or Ray Everham will do a very detailed explanation.
