blown 944

Actually I don't think it goes downhill. From the lanes yes, but on the track it actually looks like a slight incline. It is very much an incline after the traps. When you watch the tech bikes come back down after checking out the track it looks like they are about 3 ft higher at the finish than the start. This is not some podunk track. Bandimere has been heavily involved in the timing systems and ran top fuel events for decades.

I think the camera angle must be throwing you off. The grandstands (where this was filmed) are about 200 ft higher than the track

95ONE

Good evening Sid!

Hmm.. well, if you look at the evo race, you will see at around the 24sec mark a noticeable bend back upwards from a slight down hill grade just after the the timing signs. Could be an optical illusion I guess on the downhill looking side.

blown 944

I don't need to look at the video really to tell me anything. I have towed enough pro mods with underpowered four wheelers to know there are not any downhill spots at this track from the lights onward. You become very familiar with the grade of it when applying the throttle at 5 mph

95ONE

Sorry Sid.. I googled it. This was in Wikepedia.. not fact, but it supports what I'm looking at.. not being harsh, just arguing as a gentlemen.

"The track is also the only NHRA sanctioned track with a downhill staging area, and uphill shut down strip. The latter being a substantial safety measure."

here is a pic that exaggerates the downhill uphill effect. But once again.. It only says downhill STAGING. not the actual strip. Could be an interesting illusion from both ends pointing up?

http://www.bandimere.com/images/hist...lsize/img4.jpg

Rogue_Ant

Lol - Bruce, that quote just proved Sid's point, not your own.

After the traps, the track goes uphill. But the track itself does not go downhill. Hell, I wish it did go downhill - then I might have broken into the 12s!

blown 944

I was just going to mention that what you may be seeing is the uphill after the traps and that may be why you thought that. The staging lanes are pretty steep and the shutdown is too... it is a very unique track design

blown 944

That is an OLD photo wow. I have never even seen the track look like that... and I've been going there 20+ years.

I bet the track surface has been rebuilt 5 times since then. It is now concrete all the way to the finsh. I do remember about 10 years ago that there was a bump at the transition. It really is a top notch facility, and I've been to many, and I can truly say it is one of the best.



Take a read at 1981
http://www.bandimere.com/services/trackHistory.php

95ONE

yeah.. I'm a rare bird. I argue to hear the other point that might prove me wrong because I like FACTS! Even if I make a wrong guess, that's ok. I will be smarter at the end of it all, even if I look dumb doing it! lol.

95ONE

Definitely. I was reading facts about the facility. VERY impressive stuff. 4 million dollar upgrade in 1988. Coolant under the track!? That's just crazy. Awesome lighting, all concrete. Good stuff. HRP (Houston Raceway Park) seems to be holding on to the good "ole days

blown 944

You may be glad that they are holding onto the good old days.

Anymore, the track is a place for all the rich guys to go show off their rigs. Even on a test night. Hell, we had to wait 1 full hr just for two jet cars to run. I repeat.... ON A TEST NIGHT. I was just a bit crabby dealing with that!! There are specific race car test nights for that type of car.

I do like the facility and the weds test nights are promoted as a "take it to the track" event , but we certainly need another one around this area. It is always packed and expensive.

rage2

Nice runs. Nice headlights too!

slownrusty

Please explain "effective altitude"

User 52121

Very cool - and damn impressive. Low 13s @110 at altitude on a 26/8 with only a 2.2 60'? Put some stickier tires back there and get yourself down into the 2.0 60' range and there's your 12.9.

You may have posted this before Josh, but what's all done to your car aside from the turbo @ 20psi and the M-Tune?

gregeast

Density altitude is a comparison of how dense the air is on a particular day and elevation compared to a standard day. The factors are altitude, temperature and, to a lesser degree, humidity. So, in this case the track is at ~5,800 feet of elevation but the temperature was mid-90's (I think) and presumably the humidity was fairly high, at least for Denver. Crunch all those numbers together and you end up with air density that is equivalent to the air density at 9,000 feet of elevation on a standard day.

All that mumbo jumbo just means that there was less air for Joshua's and Sid's turbos to fiendishly ingest air, which means slower spool up and the turbo having to spin faster to produce full boost (and potentially be outside the optimal range on the turbo's boost curve.) For us it means slower cars, for pilots it can mean the difference between getting off the ground and not!

Here's how it's calculated: (Cut & paste from Wikipedia)

Density altitude can be calculated from atmospheric pressure and temperature (assuming dry air).



where
DA = density altitude in feet
P = atmospheric (static) pressure
PSL = standard sea level atmospheric pressure (1013.25 hPa ISA or 29.92126 US))
T = true (static) air temperature in kelvins (K) [add 273.15 to the Celsius (°C)] figure
TSL = ISA standard sea level air temperature in kelvins (K) (288.15 K)
b = 0.234969

spammajamma

impressive speed/times at this altitude!