You'll have to explain this one to me, Phil....
As a former racer running on ice without studs, I can tell
you that the hardest thing to do is to get a car to turn.
Low polar moment means easier to turn. Easier to spin
also, perhaps, but that is where the studded tires come in.
>From my experience, the cars with high polar moment
tended to go straight off of corners, unless they really dropped
speed on entry. Another advantage for FF: Light weight. Easier
to brake, easier to accelerate. The most successful ice racer
I ever saw was Hank Beachy's highly modified Mini. It weighed
next to nothing, could turn on a dime, even on glare ice. And even
though it had little power compared to some, Hank could start last
in a 10 lap race, and pass the entire field.... usually Twice!
I'd think an FF with studded tires on the ice would be a blast,
and quick, too!
Alan Sheidler
(not ready to run the shifter kart on a frozen lake)
In a message dated 5/20/03 5:03:17 AM Eastern Daylight Time,
owner-ax-digest@autox.team.net writes:
> Date: Sun, 18 May 2003 23:17:59 -0500
> From: "Phil Ethier" <pethier@isd.net>
> Subject: Re: ax-digest V1 #1163
>
> > (Would Love to see a C-mod car with studded tires on
> > the ice some winter.)
>
> Not good. The things that make a FF brilliant in autocross make it
> hopeless
> in ice racing. Especially low polar moment of inertia.
>
> Phil Ethier West Side Saint Paul Minnesota USA
> 1970 Lotus Europa 65/2597, 1992 Saturn SL2, 1986 Suburban, 1962 TR4 CT2846L
> pethier@isd.net http://www.mnautox.com/ http://www.lotusowners.com
/// unsubscribe/change address requests to majordomo@autox.team.net or try
/// http://www.team.net/mailman/listinfo
/// Partial archives at http://www.team.net/archive
|