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124 Posts
I heard an interesting discussion about the effect of
race gas in the top US Open class rally car. I sort of
knew all this but never put it together before. Back at
CT in the spring when the new Sunoco 100 was mandates most
of the top teams had lots of trouble. Overheating, head
gaskets, destroyed motors, etc. Every other car was sick
at any one time. Over the first half of the season many
of the top teams have retuned their motors to handle the new
gas. Adding more gas is simply not effective, you have to
pull some timing and boost to get them to run right, and the
result is substantially less horsepower than last year.
Perhaps as much as 50 HP less in the worst case, I have heard.
This has a couple of interesting implications. One is that
the current open class manufacturer cars are limited by the
fuel and NOT the restrictor size. There are proposals drifting
around to reduce the restrictor size to 34 mm from the current
40 mm. I have supported the smaller restrictors previously.
But I have changed my mind on this. Prodrive would like to
push us towards a super-group N as the top class and ditch the
current Open class standard. Homologated parts are expensive
and have very limited distribution which is highly controlled and
puts money into Prodrive / STI / Ralliart's pockets. The smaller
restrictor is the first step in this direction. No thank you.
The question has been raised, "Are cars now too fast?" Well, most
of them have less power than last year, but are going faster.
So I would say it is the pace notes making the difference.
This impacts the turbo restrictor debate. If notes are safer
AND faster, then and the 40 mm was safe last year, then it
sure as hell is this year with 100 octane.
Consider the pot thoroughly stirred.
Paul T-
race gas in the top US Open class rally car. I sort of
knew all this but never put it together before. Back at
CT in the spring when the new Sunoco 100 was mandates most
of the top teams had lots of trouble. Overheating, head
gaskets, destroyed motors, etc. Every other car was sick
at any one time. Over the first half of the season many
of the top teams have retuned their motors to handle the new
gas. Adding more gas is simply not effective, you have to
pull some timing and boost to get them to run right, and the
result is substantially less horsepower than last year.
Perhaps as much as 50 HP less in the worst case, I have heard.
This has a couple of interesting implications. One is that
the current open class manufacturer cars are limited by the
fuel and NOT the restrictor size. There are proposals drifting
around to reduce the restrictor size to 34 mm from the current
40 mm. I have supported the smaller restrictors previously.
But I have changed my mind on this. Prodrive would like to
push us towards a super-group N as the top class and ditch the
current Open class standard. Homologated parts are expensive
and have very limited distribution which is highly controlled and
puts money into Prodrive / STI / Ralliart's pockets. The smaller
restrictor is the first step in this direction. No thank you.
The question has been raised, "Are cars now too fast?" Well, most
of them have less power than last year, but are going faster.
So I would say it is the pace notes making the difference.
This impacts the turbo restrictor debate. If notes are safer
AND faster, then and the 40 mm was safe last year, then it
sure as hell is this year with 100 octane.
Consider the pot thoroughly stirred.
Paul T-
