Interesting take on what it's like to drive a Champ car

[rabbit]

http://www.champcarworldseries.com/News/Article.asp?ID=7433

My favorite part:

I ease into the last turn and, in second gear, at about three quarters through the corner, apply full throttle.

The car, for lack of a better description, becomes enraged. Absolutely, positively enraged. The acceleration is ferocious, shoving me brusquely into the thinly padded seat. Startled, I can only grab for third gear. Then fourth and fifth. I have no idea of the revs – my mind is still in the final turn – I'm driving purely on reflex now. Despite the Cosworth motor howling its guts out behind me, I'm startled by the string of profanities I spew into the relative quiet of my helmet. I feel like a fastball coming out of a major-league pitcher's hand. Objects that were on the horizon two seconds ago now flash past in a blur, like they've come from an enormous sling shot directed at me. I don't travel to the next turn; I'm warped there like outtake from an episode of Star Trek. The jump to hyper-space in the original Star Wars has nothing on this thing. :D :thumbup:

[cart7]

Awesome read! :D :thumbup:

[RaceGrrl]

That is an impressive article. This is exactly the kind of thing that draws me to Champ Cars. "Enraged" is an apt description.

[racer2c]

I recall an article in R&T or C&D where a journalist took a Champ Car for a few laps around a test track. It was very interesting in the fact that he could barely get it out of the pit stall. Once he did he spun more than once. Anyone remember reading that? Circa '98.

[RichK]

Peter Egan (Road & Track) took a ride in the two-seater at Laguna Seca a few years ago, I think Mario was driving. His description of the ride was amazing, I wish I saved that article. The word he kept repeating was "lethal".

[KLang]

Excellent! Mr. Cannon could have a second career as a writer. He makes you feel like you are in the car with him.

:thumbup:

[rabbit]

Originally posted by racer2c
I recall an article in R&T or C&D where a journalist took a Champ Car for a few laps around a test track. It was very interesting in the fact that he could barely get it out of the pit stall. Once he did he spun more than once. Anyone remember reading that? Circa '98. I remember it. Although I think it was in Motor Trend. It was in Parker Johnstone's car. I remember the writer said something to the effect of... "I've driven Ferraris, Porsches, Corvettes and more. Now they all seem slow to me."

[Don Quixote]

Very cool. If that doesn't get your blood pumping, I don't know what will. :cool:

[racer2c]

Originally posted by rabbit
I remember it. Although I think it was in Motor Trend. It was in Parker Johnstone's car. I remember the writer said something to the effect of... "I've driven Ferraris, Porsches, Corvettes and more. Now they all seem slow to me."

Yeah! Strange how this author said it was a breeze to get the car going, when I specifically remember that guy made a big deal about how hard it was saying that the clutch was basically on and off and you had to have those revs high. He mentioned what a big deal the crew made out of stalling, very taboo.

I sent this article to a few of my co-workers who thought it very cool.

[rabbit]

Originally posted by racer2c
Yeah! Strange how this author said it was a breeze to get the car going, when I specifically remember that guy made a big deal about how hard it was saying that the clutch was basically on and off and you had to have those revs high. He mentioned what a big deal the crew made out of stalling, very taboo. I thought the same thing. It makes you wonder how many differences there really are between the 16,000rpm/950hp 1998 machines and the 12,000rpm/750hp 2003 machines.

[Lizzerd]

Originally posted by racer2c
I recall an article in R&T or C&D where a journalist took a Champ Car for a few laps around a test track. It was very interesting in the fact that he could barely get it out of the pit stall. Once he did he spun more than once. Anyone remember reading that? Circa '98.

That might have been Paul Haney. He followed the Pac West team in '97 and wrote a book about the season. Interesting albeit sometimes slow read. At the end of the season, the team did the same thing for the crew and a few others. He wrote of it in the last chapter, so what you read may have been an exerpt, I don't know. I just looked for my copy of the book but can't find it. Hmmm... Anyway, they threw a bunch of cones down in a parking lot for the event. I recall reading that the course wasn't long enough to get past second gear. Still would be a lotta fun.

If I find it, I'll post some quotes.

[JoeBob]

IIRC, Tasman did the same sort of thing, and LCI even sponsored a contest where a fan got to drive.

I remember the winner wrote a story about the experience for one of the sites or forums. (The funniest part being that he studied the track diagram, only to find out they'd be running it in the direction opposite what he thought they would.)

[racer2c]

Originally posted by Lizzerd
That might have been Paul Haney. He followed the Pac West team in '97 and wrote a book about the season. Interesting albeit sometimes slow read. At the end of the season, the team did the same thing for the crew and a few others. He wrote of it in the last chapter, so what you read may have been an exerpt, I don't know. I just looked for my copy of the book but can't find it. Hmmm... Anyway, they threw a bunch of cones down in a parking lot for the event. I recall reading that the course wasn't long enough to get past second gear. Still would be a lotta fun.

If I find it, I'll post some quotes.

That could be him, although I recall him discribing his 180 that he did on the backstretch and that he thought he could keep it going but he stalled it and they had to tow him back in and that was the end of it. I also thought they were at a manufactures test track, like GMs.

[racer2c]

Originally posted by JoeBob
IIRC, Tasman did the same sort of thing, and LCI even sponsored a contest where a fan got to drive.

I remember the winner wrote a story about the experience for one of the sites or forums. (The funniest part being that he studied the track diagram, only to find out they'd be running it in the direction opposite what he thought they would.)

That is funny! :D

[cart7]

Originally posted by JoeBob
IIRC, Tasman did the same sort of thing, and LCI even sponsored a contest where a fan got to drive.

I remember the winner wrote a story about the experience for one of the sites or forums. (The funniest part being that he studied the track diagram, only to find out they'd be running it in the direction opposite what he thought they would.)

I remember that article as well. IIRC, the funniest thing was the way he described how he had to sit there holding the clutch in while the engine warmed up, the clutch pressure was immense and his calf started charlie horsin while he waited. :D


I believe they ran that in the old IRC magazine.

[Chaos]

this is a cool line...

"An Indy Lights car felt like a fast FF2000 car, this thing is like the bloody Space Shuttle, only pissed. Really pissed. "