Hi Folks, couple things lately focused my attention on something that
should be obvious to speed trials people, and probably is to many. But
wasn't to me coming into this sport as a hands-on novice.
Yesterday my brother Tom told me, with great enthusiasm, of his recent
participation in "The Richard Petty Experience". As most know, R.P. has
a business devoted to giving NASCAR fans a few laps in a
slightly-detuned racecar at several of the famous tracks. For something
like $350, by appointment, you get eight laps by yourself in a car,
paced by a R.P. driver in a car ahead, and you can touch maybe 150,
lapping a speedway a little slower.
Now, Tom had a hell of a lot of fun, and the R.P. deal is really a good
thing. My point here is that he reports the overwhelming impression of
the car is HOW SAFE IT FELT at speed. Like it was glued to the track.
It made it very easy for the driver, and gave him confidence. A rank
novice could climb into the car and run it around a speedway, and enjoy
it.
Many things combine to produce that effect, and Grib could probably tell
us about all of them. The point is, that's the way all race cars should
feel, so that the driver can concentrate on operating the car as
efficiently as possible, to get the best performance out of it.
The second recent insight I had on this subject is that a few days ago
in CA, I had the privilege to watch a videotape that Monte Osborn made
with a camera mounted on the rollcage of the Ferguson-Osborn-Spacek
Ardun Gas Modified Roadster that just set the 203 mph record at
Bonneville and got Monte into the 2 Club. The car was built at Don
Ferguson's shop a few days before the meet, and as the tape shows, it
ran down the Salt Flats as straight as an arrow. It never wanted to
blow, drift or wander left or right, but Monte reported it was dead easy
to drive, felt perfectly safe and stable. All he had to do was go
through the gears and keep his foot planted flat on the gas. Of course,
that was the easy part of the project. The whole team worked like dogs
getting the car ready, four days and nights without sleep, and Monte had
to build an Ardun that could produce the performance and durability to
survive the punishment of that speed on the Long Course. A long,
demanding full-power dyno pull.
Now this is a gorgeous car, reflecting all the knowledge and experience
in that team. It has a long wheelbase, and obviously very effective air
management.
It seems to me that novices coming into the sport would be well advised
to ponder these things when selecting classes to compete in. It might
be better to work WITH Mother Nature in the design of your speed
machine, rather than FIGHT her all the way. Unless you are the stubborn
type like myself, who will be enjoying the challenge of running a
traditional roadster. Even with these, many run longer wheelbases than
the original, to increase stability, and that's a good idea. With this
family of cars, it's always like Dave the Hayseed told me at the outset,
"Don't turn the round thing in front of you when you go down the
course."
Ya pays yer money and takes yer choice.
Ardun (stock '32 wheelbase) Bill
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/// what is needed. It isn't that difficult, folks.
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