Formula 1 Racing Technology – KERS and Exhaust Systems
Formula One is considered the ultimate stage for open wheel racing around the world. What most people don’t realize, is that Formula One is also the source of many automotive technology innovations.
In the 70’s and 80’s, Formula One was a hotbed of technological development. Many of the features that are standard on most cars today were proven effective in Formula One racing. Traction control system, fuel injection and carbon brakes are common technologies that all came from the rigorous world of Formula One.
Of course, it was not a smooth road for any of these innovations. When these technologies were adopted in F1, they were new and presented numerous performance issues. Many teams struggled to make the technology work and often introduced new designs and specifications at every race.
This glowing orange hot exhaust manifold shows just how hot exhaust temps can get in Formula 1
Exhaust Manifold Design
The exhaust manifold on the typical 2.4L Formula 1 V8 is subjected to tremendous stress. Consider the following:
- Peak RPM on a 2009 F1 race engine was upwards of 19,000RPM. That means that each cylinder is exhausting spent fuel and air 158 times per second…that’s a lot of exhaust gas. Read more
Driving Basics for Wannabe Rally Racers
Amateur rally racing is an increasingly affordable sport to try out and test your driving skills “to the max” without resorting to pulling donuts in the local K-Mart parking lot. Rally driving experience days are popular events for people of all ages and ability levels. From ambitious young drivers dreaming of motor racing stardom, to those looking for 60th birthday ideas for the gear-head in their life, investing in a genuine one-day rally racing class is good fun.
To help you make the most of your day on the rally racing course, here’s a little bit of advanced knowledge to help you get comfortable, not to mention that you can show off to your friends by sounding like you know what you’re talking about.
NOTE: Needless to say, don’t try these techniques on the open road and listen to the advice of your instructors on the day of your rally driving experience.
Handbrake Turns
Handbrake turns are a crucial skill for quickly negotiating those hairpin bends, kicking the car around the tight corners. They also look pretty cool as well.
Problem retrieving videos from provider: Not FoundYou will be advised which corners are appropriate for this on the day, but Read more
Car Personalization Tips and Tricks – Bodykits, Rims, and More
While most of us have our ‘dream car’ in mind, few of us are fortunate enough to ever own it. Instead we’re resigned to owning an “identikit” vehicle seen roaming the roads in its thousands. [In this case, “identikit” means a car that has the same exact custom parts as a lot of other cars…it’s a “kit” that a lot of customized cars have, so it’s sort of identical.] Yet it doesn’t have to be that way. A few personal touches can transform your car from a carbon-copy to a distinct driving machine that you’re proud to sit behind the wheel of – regardless of its original cost.
Bodykits and Other Add-on Custom Body Parts
Bodykits, like this one for a Subaru WRX, can be a great way to customize your car
Whether a spoiler or head-to-toe transformation; bodykits can revamp the appearance of your car, making it look faster, sportier and more valuable than it actually is.
However, beware that bodykits can: Read more
Three Reasons To Get Your BMW Performance Tuned
Each and every year thousands of people all over the world purchase BMW performance cars. The vast majority of those people purchase such cars simply to enjoy day to day motoring in a comfortable yet powerful vehicle. However, a proportion of people that purchase such cars do so in order to take part in track days or even races. Whatever the reason for purchasing a BMW performance car the owner may consider tuning the vehicle. But why would the owner of a vehicle use the services of a BMW tuning specialist?
Three reasons to invest in a performance tune for your BMW
First and foremost, tuning a BMW performance car will enhance the performance of the vehicle. Depending upon the tuning, the top end power output, low-end acceleration, or even handling of the vehicle may be improved. Read more
Ford Warns 2011 Mustang Owners Not To Modify Their Cars
Ford recently announced a TSB (Technical Service Bulletin) for customers who have purchased the 2011 Ford Mustang, warning against modifying any powertrain components or calibration. Both of these modifications are meant to improve performance, but Ford warns that both could mean problems for the car. The reasoning for this TSB is that these modifications may exceed the limits of existing components and cause vehicle problems and/or safety concerns.
2011 Ford Mustang owners are warned not to modify their car
As can be imagined, Mustang enthusiasts have not reacted well to this news at all. To Mustang owners, their muscle car is practically built for modification. Any warning against modification is a slap in the face to Mustang lovers everywhere.
In addition to a generic warning from the Ford TSB, the company added that modifying the Mustang may result in: Read more
Video Proves Auto Racing Is A Physical Sport
So here’s a funny little video for anyone who argues that auto racing isn’t a “physical” sport – check it:
Problem retrieving videos from provider: Not FoundWhat you’re seeing is a professional driver taking someone for a ride in a Jaguar XKR – the Jag that has a 5.0L, 510 hp V8. Please note that the driver – a professional – isn’t wearing any special harness, yet he remains “locked” into his seat. His body isn’t moving or flopping around like the passenger.
Granted, the passenger may be high as hell and suffering from a mild case of shock, but the point here is clear. You need abdominal and upper-body strength to survive a quick lap in a race car. While a Formula or NASCAR or IRL driver may benefit from a variety of harnesses, etc., to keep them stationary, the forces exerted on a race car driver are intense.
NBC’s Allen Bestwick addresses the physical demands of NASCAR in this enlightening op-ed. My favorite tidbit from that article?
The moments [the driver’s] not pushing or pulling against the wheel and working the pedals are brief…the G-forces of the cornering speed are pulling a drivers’ head, torso and legs to the right — the opposite way the rest of him is trying to go. His ribs and shoulders are jamming against his seat and restraints and that’s a feeling like taking a hit from a linebacker every minute for a few hours. In racing schools like the Richard Petty Driving Experience, most people are sweating and have an elevated heart rate after just a few laps of driving…A stock car driver must be able to handle these forces and stresses over three to four hours of competition.
Yahoo Sport’s Glen Kemery talks about the physical demands of IRL racing, saying:
there’s no denying the physical demands of auto racing … the high g-forces, insane speeds in traffic, the absence of power steering that makes driving a race car akin to swimming in molasses. Do that for 500 miles and you’re exhausted
Kemery goes on to quote several IRL drivers who detail their physical fitness routines. Am I saying that racing is as hard as something like football, or basketball? No. Of course not. But it’s not “riding around” either.
Bottom Line: Driving a high-performance car around a race track isn’t like taking a corner kind of fast on the way to your part-time job at the coffee shop, dude. It’s a little more difficult than that, so all you haters can STFU. Thanks! 🙂
Amazing Lamborghini Aventador LP700-4 Promo Video
So there isn’t much in the way of exhaust sounds in the following video, but I promise you won’t be disappointed:
Problem retrieving videos from provider: Not FoundWhat I like about this video: Read more
Guest Post: Five Reason To Buy A Car Cover
There are several benefits to buying a car cover, the most obvious of which is protection and preservation of your car’s appearance. Car covers protect your ride from dirt and debris, sun, rain, ice, and other natural hazards, which means that a good car cover can pay for itself many times over by helping to preserve the appearance and condition of your vehicle.
Here are five reasons to buy a car cover for your ride: Read more
Guide to Finding a Good, Reliable Auto Repair Shop
You probably found your family doctor, dentist and favorite restaurant in similar fashion. Why then would you not use the same techniques for finding a reputable auto shop?
It has been said that most people spend more time planning their annual vacation than they do developing a solid life plan. If this is true – and we only tend to spend time and energy on the things we like the most – what do we do when we’re confronted with something simple, like finding a reliable auto repair shop?
First things first. While it might be tough to ask car owners to make the task of finding a trustworthy mechanic “fun and games,” it is still a task that must be done. If you wait until you have no choice about getting a repair completed – because your car will no longer operate – you might have to go with an unsavory character out of necessity.
So, advanced planning is key. Read more
New Hushpower dbX Mufflers from Flowmaster
Flowmaster’s most recent newsletter mentions that a new Hushpower muffler called the dbX is “set to debut.” This is sort of funny because the dbX has been out at least since SEMA (about 4 months ago, give or take) and probably longer. I guess the public still hasn’t found out about it.
The big benefits to the dbX are:
- They meet strict noise regulation requirements. If you live in a place where loud mufflers are verboten – or you aren’t the kind of guy or gal who digs a loud exhaust system – the dbX should be on your consideration list.
- The external surface runs cooler than most other after-market mufflers, which makes it easier to use them on small cars, run them closer to other components, etc.
- No ‘fast and furious’ fart-can noise that so many sport-compact mufflers and/or mufflers for small displacement engines seem to suffer from. Hushpower doesn’t want your small engine to sound like a lawnmower.
- Price. They’re cost-competitive with anything you’ll find on the market
Here’s a schematic of the new dbX from Flowmaster: Read more
