I think the cost of racing at Bonneville has to be adjusted according to
where the bike or car is based. if you live in SoCal maybe it does not cost
a lot to make the trip. But what about from across the country? or Europe or
Australia for that matter. As Joe says not everyone works in an engine or
chassis shop either.
You are in the business so I will ask you if you would indulge me.
What does it cost to freshen up a 700 hp LSR SBC?? Parts and labor.
Be careful here or you might have more business than you want and they
already got the price quote LOL
How often should you do it? What parts would you change not for your
personal engine but for a customer one that was bent on setting a record and
does not live in wendover so it costs nothing to go to every race.
What would you guess it costs to have a car chassis that is capable of at
least 230 mph and up to 300 with all the appropriate safety gear and tires
etc??
How about towing this thing across the country in an enclosed trailer and
the truck to haul it?
How much money for the basic data acq system do you think is affordable?
For the logger only and I will set the parameters I have in mind.
20 a/d channels 0-5 volt
10 digital in wheel speeds rpm, nitrous on etc
10 digital channels out for warning lights relays etc..
connector to unit with pins that can be crimped with simple hand tools
how much would you add in for a wide band lambda interface?
10 minutes logging time with a pc interface and graphing software.
you or anyone else shoot me a target 3 and I will what I can do to make it
happen for the masses.....
I wish the data from Turks car would correlate to another but I suspect it
is all vehicle specific but whatever we learn I was planning on sharing.
I have worked with so many people at Bonneville that it is hard to remember
them all and I do it generally for about what it costs me in parts and labor
is generally the same or free. I do it because I like to and I like the
venue in particular. But I do it from the perspective of an engineer and do
have a certain set of 'tools' that I am used to using. It just helps to make
intelligent decisions. There is another way to look at. It takes a rich man
to put all their money on red and spin the roulette wheel. That is what you
are doing if you are not reasonably certain of what a car or engine is doing
at 250 mph and up.. I have been in the professional racing business one way
or another for about 30 years and about 5 or 6 before that at the hobby
level, I even took a few short stints at driving them but to be honesty I
suck and while I enjoy it I am not competitive. In all those years I have
broken a lot of parts and cars. If at this point someone like me is correct
on gut feel 90% of the time does that make you comfortable enough to gamble
some one else's safety and limited resources on a gut instinct call? There
have been times in years gone by circle track racing that I changed all 4
shocks 3 springs and different tires between the qualifying race and the
feature. sometimes a hero and sometimes directly into the turn 1 wall on lap
1.. I don't play that game any more LOL.. If anyone thinks it is a chore to
change a piston in LSR racing the ought to try it between the warm-ups and
consi at a short track race..
Dave
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