Keith, we talked about this a little in the pits
last summer. Aerodynamics and basic physics have
to be applied jointly to determine the car's
handling. You just commented about "running out
of horsepower". Once the car stops accelerating
and reaches what you called "terminal velocity"
all of the basic forces on the car take on
different effects. It becomes a whole new ball
game. You can feel that even in a slower car,
like mine. I ran out of horsepower about 300
feet from the timer and I could definitely feel
the change in the car's handling. The old girl
just started to float and the rear wanted to pass
or fly over the front. I felt like I had just
driven onto one of those famous bridges with the
signs about "bridges ice first". That's the same
effect you feel with your tow truck on the way to
the races when a cab-over 18-wheeler passes you
and your own trailer wants to pass you. As long
as you have power to accelerate, just a little
bit, you can drive out of it. It you don't have
any pedal left - or God forbid, if for any reason
you have to use the brakes or slow down - the
basic laws of physics will help that trailer pass
you real fast, unless you're really careful. I
suspect that the same thing happens with a race
car once it is no longer accelerating. Quite a
few of the fast car drivers have commented, here
on the list, that the real driving starts when
you get to the end and have to slow down.
Dick J
--- Keith Turk <kturk@ala.net> wrote:
> Tom I can Roil the tires about anywhere until I
> get in 4th gear.... the car
> always goes straight... it doesn't float it
> doesn't move it just goes
> straight... until it runs out of
> Horsepower..... ( John Goodman and I have
> Plans in the works for Dave if this happens
> again!!! ) and that weight an
> balance sheet I just did was close to the
> actual one for the car.... except
> we have a bunch more weight then that.... If
> anyone expresses an interest I
> will take the actual one and transcribe it
> here....
>
> K
>
> ----------
> > From: Thomas E. Bryant
> <saltracer@awwwsome.com>
> > To: Dick J <lsr_man@yahoo.com>
> > Cc: Flowbench@aol.com;
> landspeedracer@email.msn.com; kturk@ala.net;
> land-speed@autox.team.net
> > Subject: Re: Maxton Ballast
> > Date: Wednesday, January 03, 2001 10:39 AM
> >
> > Most cars handle well until the rear wheels
> come loose. I suspect that
> > there is little wheel spin on #265. From
> experience, I can tell you that
> > when the weight is forward the car goes
> straight even when there is
> > wheel spin. It also seems that the heavier
> the rear, in relation to the
> > front, the quicker the spin.
> >
> > Tom, Redding CA - #216 D/GCC
> >
> .
> edding CA - #216 D/GCC
> >
> .
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