How much of a factor is personal body weight in car racing?
05-04-2009, 06:02 PM
#16
It all depends what you're driving and if the minium weight includes the weight of the driver:
In my 944 spec my body weight is ~8.5% of the overall weight, but the car is light enough that I am right at the minimum weight requirement despite my size. In this case it shouldn't make a huge difference although if I weighed 100 pounds less I could put that ballast in an optimal location to help the CG and cornerbalance.
In my kart my weight is ~52% of the overall weight and I'm 15-20 pounds over the minimum weight requirement. In this case it is a massive disadvantage, and there isn't really anything I can do about it.
In my 944 spec my body weight is ~8.5% of the overall weight, but the car is light enough that I am right at the minimum weight requirement despite my size. In this case it shouldn't make a huge difference although if I weighed 100 pounds less I could put that ballast in an optimal location to help the CG and cornerbalance.
In my kart my weight is ~52% of the overall weight and I'm 15-20 pounds over the minimum weight requirement. In this case it is a massive disadvantage, and there isn't really anything I can do about it.
05-04-2009, 06:02 PM
#17
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05-04-2009, 06:03 PM
#18
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Dave, yeah. I saw it too. This summer I'll be in a new class Ariel Atom 3 - 1300 lb car, 300 HP Honda power. Min weight will be 1500 lbs all up. Anyone who weighs 250 will have a problem. Even if we move the minimums to 1600 lbs, I'll be looking for some depleted uranium ballast
05-04-2009, 06:06 PM
#19
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It was a very challenging race for me. I had never run TWS and the weather was in constant change. The most difficult with around turn 4 or 5 (I think) where water seeped out at strange times. No two laps ever seemed the same and this is really difficult as you are trying to learn a new track. Every freakin time it dried and I started to get close to competitive laps, the rain started and killed my rhythm. None the less, it is a fun track and a great event.
05-04-2009, 06:06 PM
#20
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Mark since the guys in the Stohrs and Wests blow by me when I am driving is stock GT3, I think they should carry 1000 lbs ballast up on the roll bar. Damn those things are fast! Stohr with CF body does 1:35 on our track. Flying Lizard RSR does 1:37 with Von Overbeek driving. My GT3 on hoosiers 1:49. Champ car 1:21. My guess is the Atoms will be low 1:40's
05-04-2009, 06:08 PM
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Mark how the heck do you refuel those things. The ones at my home track are SCCA spec and need fuel about ever 40 mins. The fuel fill is in a stupid location, directly over the engine and headers!
05-04-2009, 06:09 PM
#22
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I always ran about 10-15 pounds over in my FC. I figured there was a LOT more in the driver than in the extra weight and I would have really hated to be bumped for being one pound under.
Some DSR guys would say they didn't paint the car to save weight. I think it had more to do with the raw carbon being a good look.
Having just switched to SRF I wonder if I'll have to go on a diet or if I can keep grilling brats and burgers all summer long. I guess i'll find out this weekend.
Some DSR guys would say they didn't paint the car to save weight. I think it had more to do with the raw carbon being a good look.
Having just switched to SRF I wonder if I'll have to go on a diet or if I can keep grilling brats and burgers all summer long. I guess i'll find out this weekend.
05-04-2009, 06:13 PM
#23
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Cool. I did the 6 hour at TWS a few years ago in SRF and it was a blast. Ask Robert H about the toilet paper incident - LOL.
It was a very challenging race for me. I had never run TWS and the weather was in constant change. The most difficult with around turn 4 or 5 (I think) where water seeped out at strange times. No two laps ever seemed the same and this is really difficult as you are trying to learn a new track. Every freakin time it dried and I started to get close to competitive laps, the rain started and killed my rhythm. None the less, it is a fun track and a great event.
It was a very challenging race for me. I had never run TWS and the weather was in constant change. The most difficult with around turn 4 or 5 (I think) where water seeped out at strange times. No two laps ever seemed the same and this is really difficult as you are trying to learn a new track. Every freakin time it dried and I started to get close to competitive laps, the rain started and killed my rhythm. None the less, it is a fun track and a great event.
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05-04-2009, 06:16 PM
#24
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Yup. They are built to run sprint races. You have to remove the tail to fill them, and as you observed, the fill is in a very nasty place. Not a big deal when you have hours between sessions but pretty scary when you are trying to fuel between quick sessions.
05-04-2009, 06:27 PM
#25
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Fill carefully and carry a big fire extinguisher!
05-04-2009, 06:46 PM
#26
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Wada-mean? "not true"? If you have a 100lbs advantage as a girl in SpeedGT/touring, i dont care where you put the weight, its going to be a disadvantage. Just in acceleration alone, it might be worth near 10hp.
Now, what you are getting at might be true, if the weight was evenly distributed on the human body. Most big dudes have most of their weight in the lower section of their bodies. If so, it might not be such a disadvantage, especially if we are talking about a counterclockwise track.
So yes, I would rather have weight in a ballast box than in my gut!
mk
Now, what you are getting at might be true, if the weight was evenly distributed on the human body. Most big dudes have most of their weight in the lower section of their bodies. If so, it might not be such a disadvantage, especially if we are talking about a counterclockwise track.
So yes, I would rather have weight in a ballast box than in my gut!
mk
05-04-2009, 06:52 PM
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05-04-2009, 06:56 PM
#28
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Karting. How many seconds is your 20 pounds worth on a certain course? I constantly go karting to keep my mind acute to driving something on a track - but it is occasionally frustrating to be up to a second or 1.5 off the best lap time when you know you are doing everything nearly perfectly. I consider the challenge fun, usually, but when you know you are obviously a better driver than the rest of the field and you can't make up the difference fully, it can be aggravating.
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05-04-2009, 06:58 PM
#29
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Mark, if you read Dave's post, you are saying the same thing as he is. There is NO argument. By the way unless we're talking about a pear shaped fattie, men have their mass higher on the torso than in the gut - which makes things even worse.
05-04-2009, 07:02 PM
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