Ross racing this weekend

[Dalton]

Fantastic work Ross. And we appreciate you taking the trouble to file reports, warts and all. What, in principle, is the correct approach for a racing start for a 40? Will the transmission and clutch handle you popping the clutch at 4000rpm or whatever?
The car looks fantastic, by the way.
The other question I had is, do you prefer the RH gear change for racing? Or are you just used to it?
Dalton

[Ron Earp]

Cool report, sounds like you had a good time despite not being exactly where you wanted to be. Is your brake switch mechanical or hydraulic? I imagine you might be able to avoid some issues with a hydraulic switch in the line.

Interesting you fellows do a standing start. I'd like to try that sometime. Ours are rolling, which has it's own set of situations. If a torqueless car has the pole (read rotary power, small 4 banger) then they'll keep speeds high on the start lap to minimize their torque disadvantage. If a torquey car has the pole (Z cars, BMWs, TR8 - yeah right) then they keep speeds low on the paced start lap to maximize that grunt.

I'd think you guys with torque on the standing starts could do some damage rather quickly as long as you can keep traction.

Have any original GT40s ever run at that track over the years?

[Ross Nicol]

Ron I've tracked back to all the historic meetings at Sandown through to 1998 and didn't find an original GT40 had raced there. It seems they favour The Phillip island historic meeting earlier in the year.

Dalton our races are like mini F1 races, we do a warm up lap zig zagging to warm the tyres and accelerating/braking to warm the brakes , then line up on the starting grid 2 by 2 ready for a start.The starter shows a 30sec board and I select 1st gear,then he holds his hand up with fingers extended to show 5 secs, then on come the red lights and I start revving 2500 to 3000 kind of pulsing the pedal. Now as soon as those red lights go out I drop the clutch and immediately feel the rear tyres breaking loose and an incredible thrust forward. If I have too much wheel spin I modulate the accelerator to control it. This may sound brutal for the clutch and driveline but the good thing with this car is that by breaking traction like it does the driveline is not likely to suffer a breakage.
I have got used to the RH gearshift now and don't have any problems with it. I don't prefer it but It's not an issue.

Russ yes the front runners in my group are very quick doing 1min 15sec laps. Interesting if you go back to 2001 Natsoft shows the marque sports car grid and at 1 min 20sec a 911 is on pole. By the way the Carrera Cup car that got pole is a current spec car and mr Twigg races in the 2007 Carrera Cup series. The Tr8 is a weapon as well although in true British sports car tradition he was unable to start the final race due to mechanical difficulties.
Ross

[Ron Earp]

Originally Posted by ross nicol

The Tr8 is a weapon as well although in true British sports car tradition he was unable to start the final race due to mechanical difficulties.
Ross

I feel his pain.

R

[I LOVE GT40- Paolo]

Originally Posted by Bill Haralambakis

Paolo

The young Italian driver is Frank Marchese.


I'm still trying to get the video up, anyone know how to convert a wmp file to an mpeg or avi format? I'll try something and see if it works...

Bill

unknown italian driver.
Just we know Maserati (at least THAT Maserati) pilots are not so good, neither at home.
This picture I get in "prima variante a monza" last year.
Wheels to the sky, all happened in yellow flag lap..and at less than 30 km/h.
The laugh from people reduced to silence engine noise...for 10 minutes, and all finished with a colossal LOOSER scream.

ONLY LOL....

[Ron Earp]

Hate to see that stuff, good driver or bad.

Having been on the receiving end of a lot race happenings like wrecks, fires, and explosions I know how much work goes into getting a race car on track and racing it. And I know why so few of us do it - it is damn hard to do and takes a phenominal amount of effort and time. Hope that fellow is okay.

Ron

[I LOVE GT40- Paolo]

nono Ron, this is really different.
maserati and ferrari challenge here is just a rich expensive way to (try??) race.
Usually actors, singer,soubrettes, pin ups.....rich puppy and so on drives in those cathegory (and thats why I support my aussie ones).
Nobody makes as u guys there...preparing by yourself the car..checking all details and feeling real race.
Here they just call..pay 10k euros and make a race, without knowing the track also.
Is just a show cathegory.
I've also seen how are done the cars under the skin..thpse are miles and miles far away from a real racecar (only a rollcage inside and some stickers).
To give an idea..Lap times in monza of such cars are 30 seconds higher than 2000 cc cars from wtcc (around 2.02..they ran in 2.40 as best time..and with 200 hp more eh...)

When the cars is that way, the team usually is happy, and a lot, cause they only earn a lot from insurances.

[Dalton]

Ross, thanks for the info on the starts. I'm a bit ignorant about these races, but always wonder about the clutch/gearbox transplanted from a little 200 odd hp Porsche (oops, wasn't going to say that word). Anyway, that brake light must be giving you the sh#ts, or you've fixed it by now. Judging by the tyre photos you had in the chassis set-up thread, you are really pushing it to the max. I was wondering if you'd need less negative camber if you had stiffer anti-roll bars, but you've probably optimised them already. I thought negative camber was to compensate for the tyre leaning over with the car as you cornered, such that when it rolled the tyre was then vertical for maximum grip. But the negative camber gives a steering effect with more twitchiness in the straight (like two bikes leaned over, fighting each other).
Anyway, you are improving your times and happy with the car, and seem to be extremely competitive, so give 'em heaps. It's all working.
Dalton.

[Ross Nicol]

Hi Dalton
You used the 'P' word naughty. I have a ZF transaxle and Ford 10.5" clutch so my starting procedure may be too much for the smaller units.Of course there's only one way to find out.Yes the brake light is about to be fixed, with the installation of a pressure switch in the rear brake line.I've got cockpit adjustable roll bars with only the front fitted so far.I had to back it off a notch as the cold tyre understeer at the first corner nearly caught me out.Your explanation of negative camber is correct but I don't experience any twitchiness on the straight and I think there may be a confusion with Caster on this one.If you take caster off the front you lose the self centreing effect and the front end becomes twitchy and darty although the steering is lighter.The trade off with negative camber is cornering and turn in (where large amounts are good) versus straight line braking and inside tyre wear (where large amounts are not good).When cornering you have to appreciate it is the outside wheels that take the load and this is where the camber on these wheels is important.Of course we go round left and right corners unlike an oval so the negative camber is set on both sides of the car. However race tracks always have more left hand or vice versa corners so this is considered when tyre wear and suspension is dialled in.Some tyres need more negative camber than others too.I don't believe my setup is perfect yet but it's a long way better than it was this time last year.
Ross

[Ian Anderson]

Ross

why not a micro switch on the brake pedal - any movement from the brake at rest position and light is on.

It save having brake fluid leak out during the change and then havint to reblead the system.

Ian

[Ross Nicol]

Hi Ian
I've had a micro switch on the pedal from the start and had issues.Main problem is the switch is activated by a tag I had welded to the top of the floor mounted Tilton Pedal.You really can't fit a switch anywhere else without it interfereing.The problem is the pedal not returning with enough gusto to close the switch.I had it set up on saturday where the switch was positive but it didn't allow the pedal to come right back and the result was brakes dragging.I tried again on sunday with a spring extending the micro switch actuator.Every time I went out the thing was working but on return the lights were hard on.One thing to come out of this: I've left a brake pedal return spring that I bracketed off the steering column to help the switch and it will ensure no dragging of the pads on rotors.So after all that a pressure switch is going in.Brake bleeding is required to regularly flush new fluid through the system on a race car Ian so There's no problem with that side of things.
Ross

[Keith Hardy]

A few years ago, some of us had a manual switch for brake lights.....

It could give you an advantage in certain areas....

The last of the late (and sometimes never) brakers....

[roaldin]

Keith, it still happens...

Tim.

[Dalton]

Thanks for the info, Ross. I forgot that you had a ZF. Do you run lower gearing than the road cars? What would be the top speed?
I have an automobile theory of relativity that when you travel very fast, such as in a 40, your time passes quickly and you age much faster than your avatar.
Cheers,
Dalton

[Ross Nicol]

5th gear is .704 with 4.22:1 C&P and by my calcs this equates to about 260km/hr at 6500 revs and I get to those revs on the straight in 5th at Phillip Island. Your theory may explain why the years seem to be flashing by so quickly Dalton.
Ross