Long story short, my local track has started a new division that is a bit more bare bones than a lemons weekend.
Basically, has to be FWD, 6 cylinder, no more than -1.5 of camber. 300+ treadwear tires
1/4 mile oval will very steep banking. 12 lap races.
Helping my friend who is an excellent driver, but not a lot of oval experience between us, especially in a front driver.
Long story short he picked up ford contour, and "finished" it enough to pass tech for the first event last night. He won the event last night, and the car was quick enough, that they'll likely add weight to him for the next time around(which is explained in the rules, that it could be done to keep things fair).
He said the thing didn't handle very well, but had plenty of power to make up for it. However as they add weight, it will be get harder.
So long story short, you have a contour to race on a short track oval, what would you do for setup? Keep in mind you are limited to oem adjustments/parts.
SVT struts and springs. Try www.Batinc.net
yamaha
UberDork
6/21/13 1:22 p.m.
can you run different tire sizes on each side? My advice is to sandbag a bit, before they either ban the car or add enough weight to make it never competitive.
yamaha wrote:
can you run different tire sizes on each side? My advice is to sandbag a bit, before they either ban the car or add enough weight to make it never competitive.
Tires must all be the same size, not directional tread.
I don't think "racer33" is still active on the board, but you might want to shoot him a PM.
slefain
UltraDork
6/21/13 1:53 p.m.
sachilles wrote:
yamaha wrote:
can you run different tire sizes on each side? My advice is to sandbag a bit, before they either ban the car or add enough weight to make it never competitive.
Tires must all be the same size, not directional tread.
Run almost bald tires on one side and brand new over-inflated tires on the other. Completely within their rules. And sometimes different brands can still be a different diameter, but be the same size.
Also: AWESOME! I wish the local track would do a FWD series. They do have a 4-cyl class, but it's RWD carbed. There's a guy in a 3rd gen celica killing everyone.
We are allowed lots more camber, but basically:
Spring rates need to be very stiff LF and RR, a bit softer RF, LR doesn't matter. Add as much rear roll stiffness as you can, figure out which way the front bar works and make an adjustable link on one side so you can balance the car a bit.
Toughest part is to get the car to keep rotating through the corner. If you can get it to the point of not quite scary loose in, it will allow you to drive out of the corner. I left foot brake, and plant the throttle from mid corner, and control understeer with subtle brake application.
Positive camber on the left side. Lotsa toeout.
Big rear antiroll bar (If legal) OTW: STIFF springs on rear.
Rog
If adjustable sway bar links are allowed then yeah, massive anti-roll bias. And don't forget to move as much weight as possible to the left.
yamaha
UberDork
6/21/13 4:20 p.m.
Since you're limited to "oem" springs, spring blocks, spring rubbers, etc could help get that side stiffer.
what about toe? can you point the rear tyres so that the car turns in more aggressively?
some caster lead may help.
let some air out of the inside tires
Toe is open, and mike this is Paul d who races with you in the winter.
Lots of castor helps. If you have struts you can sometimes do some grinding at the top of the strut tower to pull the struts back. Castor is a nice way to get around the usual no camber rule.
Preload the sway bar by dropping the outside mount lower or using a longer link. Usually a trip around the autowreckers will turn up something that looks stock.
If you have some rear adjustment turn both back wheels to the wall about a quarter inch. You can run a lot of toe in a fwd and a quarter inch there might help as well.
You can also do a lot with tire pressures to adjust the handling. Or run work hardened old tires on the back with lots of pressure and new ones on the front to help break the back end loose.
AngryCorvair wrote:
weld the diff
that would work with RWD.. would it work with FWD? Seems like it would make it into an understeering pig
mad_machine wrote:
AngryCorvair wrote:
weld the diff
that would work with RWD.. would it work with FWD? Seems like it would make it into an understeering pig
It actually does help if you have some horsepower.
bearmtnmartin wrote:
mad_machine wrote:
AngryCorvair wrote:
weld the diff
that would work with RWD.. would it work with FWD? Seems like it would make it into an understeering pig
It actually does help if you have some horsepower.
it even helps if you don't. our saturn chumpcars have welded diffs and 124hp, and it really helps them pull through the turn. the rule is "trust the diff and get on the gas!" they push when off-throttle, but they turn great on-throttle.
learn something new everyday around here
Take a ride down to Lee on a friday.. it sounds exactly like the iron man class... I have a friend there whos son runs one...
Can you drive it backwards so the drive wheels are on the correct side of the car? 
Claff
Reader
6/25/13 2:40 a.m.
Sounds like Thunder Road. Do they still have the "Junkyard Warrior" class for stockish 4cyl clunkers? I ran one of those as a guest of the track somewhere around 2003ish.
