NEW CRAWFORD WING FOR GT3
12-15-2014, 04:25 PM
#1
Burning Brakes
Thread Starter
NEW CRAWFORD WING FOR GT3
I believe the 991 GT3 is the Best Road / Track Car that Porsche has ever built
and comes closest to the Holy Grail of Sports Cars, “EQUALLY at home on
Road and Track”.
But it has a very ineffective wing design, which is too small, mounted too low for
maximum airflow and burdened further by an 18 inch brake light in its widest area, interupting much of its laminar air flow and downforce effectiveness.
The Porsche Wing delivered on my 1995 993 GT2 Race car was also mounted
too low and was too small to be effective. GT2 Rear Wing downforce specs were
only 7.5 KG @200 KPH. I ordered a new wing from Wing Specialist Max Crawford
in 1995 which was superb and largely responsible for the GT2’s many podium
finishes in PCA and SCCA Racing from 1995 through 2005.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crawford_Composites
To my delight, Max agreed to help design a new Wing for our 991 GT3s.
I drove my GT3 to Max’s expanded new Race Car Manufacturing facility in
Denver, NC <www.crawfordcomposites.com> where his designers, engineers
and technicians invested the next 3 days analyzing the car and its wing structure
to come up with a far more effective longer, wider, higher, and fully adjustable
Carbon Fiber Wing incorporating interchangeable Gurney Flaps and operating in
clearer air. Each Wing Pillar incorporates a vertical Brakelight with is more easily
seen from both the rear and from the sides and does not affect Wing Air Flow.
I supplied Crawford with the matching color paint for my pillars.
http://crawfordcomposites.com
My Wing arrived as a kit with dual supporting 5.5 inch pillars, 60 inch Carbon Fiber
Wing, Dual Endplates, a GT3 compatible Brake light harness on 12/5/14 A Wing
Adjustment Tool was also included, painted to match my car’s color - a nice touch.
The dual pillar extensions mount using the existing 4 Wing Bolts and the harness
simply plugs into the existing brake light cable harness with no further wiring necessary.
The added mounting height of the wing gives me a clear view out the back window.IMHO, Even if I had no interest in tracking, that would easily justify my investment in the new wing.
The OEM wing can be quickly and easily remounted upon sale.
An effective Wing is very important in reducing a Race Car’s Lap Times.
FMI Please read “Race Car Aerodynamics: Designing for Speed” by
Dr. Joseph Katz. who explains “Why Downforce Is More Important than Streamlining or Drag Reduction” Amazon keywords: katz+aerodynamics
Yesterday I took My GT3 to Sebring to test its new Wing with Chin Motorsports.
With 7,500 Miles on my original set of MPSC2’s and dozens Heat Cycles, my Tires
are long past their Prime. I have retained the stock factory wheel alignment.
1. With the new Wing my lap times had improved a full 2 seconds over my
last Sebring Event several weeks previous.
2. As an added bonus, an ex-student of mine who had progressed through the years to Red Group status, was also attending with his new 2015 GT3 and we had a great time driving nose to tail, changing the lead through several complete laps. Without the new Wing, I could not have stayed anywhere close to his very well driven GT3 on new tires.
3. I was concerned if the new wing with higher downforce would affect the turn-in ability of the GT3. I could not feel any difference in its turn-in or any tendency to understeer.
4. Another “peculiarity” of the 991 GT3, was the tendency to “wag its tail” under high speed (140-150 MPH) maximum braking. It would only come under latebraking into Turn 17 and diminish under 120 MPH, but was discomforting enough to me to avoid maximum braking into that turn. The additional downforce of the new Wing appears to have sufficiently “planted” the rear end to eliminate that less than charming behavior.
5. The new Wing has increased my entry speed into corners by 1-3 MPH and provides a more stable rear end and that bit of extra confidence against snap oversteer.
I conclude If the new Wing works at Sebring, with its 17 High and Low Speed Corners, Long High Speed Front and Back Straights, and rough, changing racing surfaces, it should work well at any track.
Hopefully, I’ll be posting photos and Track Videos shortly.
and comes closest to the Holy Grail of Sports Cars, “EQUALLY at home on
Road and Track”.
But it has a very ineffective wing design, which is too small, mounted too low for
maximum airflow and burdened further by an 18 inch brake light in its widest area, interupting much of its laminar air flow and downforce effectiveness.
The Porsche Wing delivered on my 1995 993 GT2 Race car was also mounted
too low and was too small to be effective. GT2 Rear Wing downforce specs were
only 7.5 KG @200 KPH. I ordered a new wing from Wing Specialist Max Crawford
in 1995 which was superb and largely responsible for the GT2’s many podium
finishes in PCA and SCCA Racing from 1995 through 2005.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crawford_Composites
To my delight, Max agreed to help design a new Wing for our 991 GT3s.
I drove my GT3 to Max’s expanded new Race Car Manufacturing facility in
Denver, NC <www.crawfordcomposites.com> where his designers, engineers
and technicians invested the next 3 days analyzing the car and its wing structure
to come up with a far more effective longer, wider, higher, and fully adjustable
Carbon Fiber Wing incorporating interchangeable Gurney Flaps and operating in
clearer air. Each Wing Pillar incorporates a vertical Brakelight with is more easily
seen from both the rear and from the sides and does not affect Wing Air Flow.
I supplied Crawford with the matching color paint for my pillars.
http://crawfordcomposites.com
My Wing arrived as a kit with dual supporting 5.5 inch pillars, 60 inch Carbon Fiber
Wing, Dual Endplates, a GT3 compatible Brake light harness on 12/5/14 A Wing
Adjustment Tool was also included, painted to match my car’s color - a nice touch.
The dual pillar extensions mount using the existing 4 Wing Bolts and the harness
simply plugs into the existing brake light cable harness with no further wiring necessary.
The added mounting height of the wing gives me a clear view out the back window.IMHO, Even if I had no interest in tracking, that would easily justify my investment in the new wing.
The OEM wing can be quickly and easily remounted upon sale.
An effective Wing is very important in reducing a Race Car’s Lap Times.
FMI Please read “Race Car Aerodynamics: Designing for Speed” by
Dr. Joseph Katz. who explains “Why Downforce Is More Important than Streamlining or Drag Reduction” Amazon keywords: katz+aerodynamics
Yesterday I took My GT3 to Sebring to test its new Wing with Chin Motorsports.
With 7,500 Miles on my original set of MPSC2’s and dozens Heat Cycles, my Tires
are long past their Prime. I have retained the stock factory wheel alignment.
1. With the new Wing my lap times had improved a full 2 seconds over my
last Sebring Event several weeks previous.
2. As an added bonus, an ex-student of mine who had progressed through the years to Red Group status, was also attending with his new 2015 GT3 and we had a great time driving nose to tail, changing the lead through several complete laps. Without the new Wing, I could not have stayed anywhere close to his very well driven GT3 on new tires.
3. I was concerned if the new wing with higher downforce would affect the turn-in ability of the GT3. I could not feel any difference in its turn-in or any tendency to understeer.
4. Another “peculiarity” of the 991 GT3, was the tendency to “wag its tail” under high speed (140-150 MPH) maximum braking. It would only come under latebraking into Turn 17 and diminish under 120 MPH, but was discomforting enough to me to avoid maximum braking into that turn. The additional downforce of the new Wing appears to have sufficiently “planted” the rear end to eliminate that less than charming behavior.
5. The new Wing has increased my entry speed into corners by 1-3 MPH and provides a more stable rear end and that bit of extra confidence against snap oversteer.
I conclude If the new Wing works at Sebring, with its 17 High and Low Speed Corners, Long High Speed Front and Back Straights, and rough, changing racing surfaces, it should work well at any track.
Hopefully, I’ll be posting photos and Track Videos shortly.
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12-15-2014, 10:30 PM
#6
Rennlist Member
This is a great track alternative to a cup airbox/struts/wing drama and price, as long as the price is right.
So, give us an idea less than $5K or more than $5K?
So, give us an idea less than $5K or more than $5K?
12-15-2014, 11:28 PM
#7
Nordschleife Master
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12-16-2014, 12:10 AM
#9
Rennlist Member
Meh.
12-16-2014, 12:14 AM
#10
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Porschestitute (11-11-2020)
12-16-2014, 01:03 AM
#11
Instructor
12-16-2014, 01:37 AM
#13
Rennlist Member
Oooh it's sooo uuugleee! Ooooh it sticks up sooo hiiiigh!
Ooooh what, that ugly thing just passed me on the track!
C'mon, it's a functional wing that will shave seconds off a lap time for (hopefully) less than a cup wing.
Price out a real cup wing air box and deck lid- over 10K for real deal.
Might look more aesthetically pleasing, but functions the same and who puts a cup wing on a street car for cars and coffee? Not for looks- for lap times with big bang for the buck and you can slip on your stock wing back on easily.
Ooooh what, that ugly thing just passed me on the track!
C'mon, it's a functional wing that will shave seconds off a lap time for (hopefully) less than a cup wing.
Price out a real cup wing air box and deck lid- over 10K for real deal.
Might look more aesthetically pleasing, but functions the same and who puts a cup wing on a street car for cars and coffee? Not for looks- for lap times with big bang for the buck and you can slip on your stock wing back on easily.
