page_title: Disc brake
section_title: Racing
hierarchical_section_title: Disc brake / Brake disc / Racing
caption_attribution_description: English: The disc brake assembly of a Ferrari F430 Challenge at New Jersey Motorsports Park.
context_page_description: A disc brake is a type of brake that uses the calipers to squeeze pairs of pads against a disc or "rotor" to create friction. This action slows the rotation of a shaft, such as a vehicle axle, either to reduce its rotational speed or to hold it stationary. The energy of motion is converted into waste heat which must be dispersed.
  Hydraulically actuated disc brakes are the most commonly used form of brake for motor vehicles, but the principles of a disc brake are applicable to almost any rotating shaft.
context_section_description: In racing and very-high-performance road cars, other disc materials have been employed. Reinforced carbon discs and pads inspired by aircraft braking systems such as those used on Concorde were introduced in Formula One by Brabham in conjunction with Dunlop in 1976. Carbon–carbon braking is now used in most top-level motorsport worldwide, reducing unsprung weight, giving better frictional performance and improved structural properties at high temperatures, compared to cast iron. Carbon brakes have occasionally been applied to road cars, by the French Venturi sports car manufacturer in the mid 1990s for example, but need to reach a very high operating temperature before becoming truly effective and so are not well suited to road use. The extreme heat generated in these systems is visible during night racing, especially at shorter tracks. It is not uncommon to see the brake discs glowing red during use.
caption: Reinforced carbon brake disc on a Ferrari F430 Challenge race car
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