IRL Iowa Test - Manipulated for Entertainment Value

[Sean Malone]

All five cars were on the track simultaneously through most of Thursday’s session. No data were released, but drivers indicated they were closing in on an aero sweet spot that will allow the cars to use more than one line on the 0.875-mile oval.

“We’re working on setups that will allow us to pass each other,” Patrick said. “We need to be able to run close together, and they’ve been taking away downforce. That causes the cars to not be able to run close together, so from that standpoint it defeats the purpose. We’ve been debriefing with all the teams together and trying to find something that works.”

Eight of the 19 cars crashed out of the inaugural IndyCar race at Iowa Speedway in June. Franchitti won over Andretti in a race that turned into a single-file parade. By experimenting with different wing configurations during the test, IRL and team officials hope to create conditions suitable for side-by-side racing and sufficient passing.

“It’s not that easy,” Andretti said. “It’s a very fine line. If you take downforce away, you can’t get close to another car. The opposite of that is if you have too much downforce so we can just sit there, easily flat out, but we can’t pass each other. That’s probably what we had (in June). We want to keep it close, but we want to be able to pass. That’s very challenging.”


Champ Car worked with the panoz on the design of the DP01 to help promote passing, but do they go to specific tracks and tweek, I mean 'test' the aero to help the show?

I wonder if they tested giving more boost to Danickles power steering. Maybe if they give her a booster chair to help her see over the dash. Just a thought.

Quote above is from Speed.

[opinionated ow]

Champ Car worked with the panoz on the design of the DP01 to help promote passing, but do they go to specific tracks and tweek, I mean 'test' the aero to help the show?

I wonder if they tested giving more boost to Danickles power steering. Maybe if they give her a booster chair to help her see over the dash. Just a thought.

Quote above is from Speed.

i watched a 20+ minute highlights package of that race as well as watching the midget and sprint races from earlier in the year. My thoughts were that the Sprints and midgets could run in any lane of the track, yet the indycars struggled in all but the bottom. This had me wondering whether the track's lanes were too narrow for a crapwagon. But it turns out both sprint and crapwagons run a 78" track. So my next thought was the ridiculously oversize wings those things run. The track hasn't got the problems, its the crapwagons. hopefully they do something about the barndoor wings as a result of this.

[Sean Malone]

i watched a 20+ minute highlights package of that race as well as watching the midget and sprint races from earlier in the year. My thoughts were that the Sprints and midgets could run in any lane of the track, yet the indycars struggled in all but the bottom. This had me wondering whether the track's lanes were too narrow for a crapwagon. But it turns out both sprint and crapwagons run a 78" track. So my next thought was the ridiculously oversize wings those things run. The track hasn't got the problems, its the crapwagons. hopefully they do something about the barndoor wings as a result of this.

Do you recall the speed difference? 40 mph slower will probably allow more usage of the track.

[opinionated ow]

Do you recall the speed difference? 40 mph slower will probably allow more usage of the track.

I can't help with USAC Lap Speeds (they give you screw all timing...it peeves me. i can go and compare qualifying though)-using IRL's defined length of 0.894mi
-Sprintcar: 21.554s/149.318mph
-Midget: 22.572s/142.584mph
-Indycar: 17.649s/182.360mph
-Indy Pro:19.952s/161.306mph

I don't believe that the speed differential is the problem. When you run meeting with both Supermodifieds and Midgets, the racing is as good in either class despite huge speed differentials.

[Sean Malone]

I can't help with USAC Lap Speeds (they give you screw all timing...it peeves me. i can go and compare qualifying though)-using IRL's defined length of 0.894mi
-Sprintcar: 21.554s/149.318mph
-Midget: 22.572s/142.584mph
-Indycar: 17.649s/182.360mph
-Indy Pro:19.952s/161.306mph

I don't believe that the speed differential is the problem. When you run meeting with both Supermodifieds and Midgets, the racing is as good in either class despite huge speed differentials.

I'm no physicist, but I would think that 142 would allow multiple 'grooves' over 182 if equal downforce was a constant. I'll leave this to those that know though, I'm just typing on my keyboard. Typing...typing..typing. :)

[Andrew Longman]

I think at some point the speed simply 'outgrows" the track. The car doesn't stay in the straight long enough to complete the pass. And to run that speed you have so much downforce that you can run the optimal line and not be passed in the corners either.

They need to generate more downforce from the tunnels and undertray so they are less effected by turbulence off the car in front and have less downforce over all so they actually have to lift in the corners. That way, he who lifts last, leads.

More interesting is it sounds as if they may be moving from spec cars and mandated wing angles to spec cars and mandated identical set ups. Not a lot of engineering left there.

[Methanolandbrats]

WGAF

[Sean Malone]

WGAF

Cuz it's the racing of the future. Designed for your entertainment!!:tony:

[Sean Malone]

I think at some point the speed simply 'outgrows" the track. The car doesn't stay in the straight long enough to complete the pass. And to run that speed you have so much downforce that you can run the optimal line and not be passed in the corners either.

They need to generate more downforce from the tunnels and undertray so they are less effected by turbulence off the car in front and have less downforce over all so they actually have to lift in the corners. That way, he who lifts last, leads.

More interesting is it sounds as if they may be moving from spec cars and mandated wing angles to spec cars and mandated identical set ups. Not a lot of engineering left there.

Are crapwagons running tunnels and undertrays? I thought they were still flat bottom girls.

[Andrew Longman]

Are crapwagons running tunnels and undertrays? I thought they were still flat bottom girls.

I believe you are correct. I'm just saying what is needed to race closely on a 3/4 mile oval. Can't be done with the current crapwagon

[Methanolandbrats]

This thread makes my head hurt. WTF is wrong with you people.....a technical discussion of an IRL car from an article that contains quotes from Danica and a goddamn Andretti :yuck: Couple that with the fact that this weekend the F1 World Champion (I use that term loosely) from 10 years ago is driving a Cab and a Scottish dude who was in CART 10 years ago is driving a cab-lite makes me think I'm trapped in an episode of the Twilight Zone.:saywhat:

[dando]

This thread makes my head hurt. WTF is wrong with you people.....a technical discussion of an IRL car from an article that contains quotes from Danica and a goddamn Andretti :yuck: Couple that with the fact that this weekend the F1 World Champion (I use that term loosely) from 10 years ago is driving a Cab and a Scottish dude who was in CART 10 years ago is driving a cab-lite makes me think I'm trapped in an episode of the Twilight Zone.:saywhat:

You are. Deal with it. :p To top it off Illini > Badgers this weekend. :gomer:

-Kevin

[Sean Malone]

This thread makes my head hurt. WTF is wrong with you people.....a technical discussion of an IRL car from an article that contains quotes from Danica and a goddamn Andretti :yuck: Couple that with the fact that this weekend the F1 World Champion (I use that term loosely) from 10 years ago is driving a Cab and a Scottish dude who was in CART 10 years ago is driving a cab-lite makes me think I'm trapped in an episode of the Twilight Zone.:saywhat:

Tech discussion about the IRL, that was the ironic point of the thread. Doy!!:gomer:

[Methanolandbrats]

I just threw in the towel and set up to tape the ARCA race. Gonna be a long winter waiting for Homestead! :D

[Sean Malone]

I just threw in the towel and set up to tape the ARCA race. Gonna be a long winter waiting for Homestead! :D

Good boy. We must prepare for assimilation. Must prepare for assimilation. ...assimilation.

[pchall]

Are crapwagons running tunnels and undertrays? I thought they were still flat bottom girls.

The crapwagons do have an undertray. We've all seen the underside of Dario Judd's car enough times this season to know that. ;)

Notes on the barn doors ripped from the heart of darkness:


consists of a mainplane with no flaps. [I]There are no restrictions on the angle of the mainplane. This configuration is used only at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

[Speedway rear wing] consists of the standard (–2.5 degree) mainplane with a top flap. The IRL-designated minimum flap angle varies according to track. This configuration is used at Homestead-Miami Speedway, Twin Ring Motegi, Texas Motor Speedway, Kansas Speedway, Nashville Superspeedway, Michigan International Speedway, Kentucky Speedway and Chicagoland Speedway.

[Road/Street/Short Oval rear wing] consists of the standard mainplane with two vertically-stacked flaps. The IRL-designated minimum flap angles vary according to track. This configuration is used at short tracks such as The Milwaukee Mile and Richmond International Raceway. The three-element wing is also designed for street and road-course use at Infineon Raceway, Watkins Glen International and St. Petersburg, Fla.


Looks like they are tightening the noose on aero set ups everywhere to improve the Kwality Racertainment.

[oddlycalm]

I'm trapped in an episode of the Twilight Zone.:saywhat: Unfortunately, and it's an episode many of us correctly predicted back in 1996. :(

oc

[Methanolandbrats]

Unfortunately, and it's an episode many of us correctly predicted back in 1996. :(

oc I know nobody predicted Jack and Dario would be in cabs now. :saywhat:

[Sean Malone]

I know nobody predicted Jack and Dario would be in cabs now. :saywhat:

or JPM and Speed and AJ?


What the hell is goin' on 'round here?


Thanks TOny you F. :flame:

[G.]

But yeah, if you'd told me a couple years ago we'd see Franchitti, Speed, Marks, Colin Braun and Mike McDowell racing together, I'd have been interested in watching. Whoda thunk it would be @ 'Dega in Class-A cabs?

[Accipiter]

http://www.allamericanracers.com/images/987_rear330x350.jpg