From: Rod Bean <rodbean@ix.netcom.com>
>I do see Phil's point though about the totally different philosophies
>between fwd and rwd required to get the cars around the turn on slippery
>surfaces. The reason I think the definition of a drift is stretched a
>bit for what the Saab is doing is that the rear is where it is only
>temporarily, because of the use of momentum on entry. If the turn would
>be long enough, this effect would dissipate, leaving no drift and pure
>understeer.
Nope. The attitude is held throughout. The rear will not start tracking
again until the car is on the straight.
Ever been ice racing? The clawing effect of the studs in ice is more
powerful than the resistance to sideways motion of an unpowered wheel. The
SAAB can keep that attitude all the way though the corner. It is for this
reason that running this high angle on the driven wheels is the fast way
around.
IF you were correct that the rear of the SAAB would eventually stop drifting
and start tracking, THEN the fast way around an ice-racing course on studs
would be to attempt to be tracking. This is demonstrably not true. There
is a simple word to describe any driver who attempts to keep the car
tracking: Last.
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