| We can never get enough traction related
| |
| | over a long period of time depends on how
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| to forward bite in our race cars. The
| |
| | the tire holds up to heat and wear. A
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| traction control in this case is making
| |
| | tire that is a little harder may
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| the tires stick while we are under power
| |
| | sometimes hold up better and be faster
|
| off the turns and down the straightaway.
| |
| | towards the end of the race when the
|
| There has been a lot of talk over the
| |
| | tires have built up a lot of heat and are
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| past few years about illegal traction
| |
| | well worn after a number of laps.
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| control being used in circle track
| |
| | 4. Angle of Attack--The amount of
|
| racing. We know it is being used and may
| |
| | traction available from a tire can
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| have won some races, but there may be
| |
| | actually be enhanced simply by increasing
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| better ways to legally go about
| |
| | its angle of attack relative to the
|
| developing more traction under power.
| |
| | direction of the car, but only up to a
|
| Many legal teams have been able to run
| |
| | point. From straight ahead, we can turn
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| faster than the ones using illegal means
| |
| | the wheel and, with each degree of angle
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| to help keep their tires from spinning.
| |
| | of deviation from the direction of
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| Traction-enhancing technology has grown.
| |
| | travel, the traction in the tire
|
| We have collectively learned about what
| |
| | increases. There is a point we reach
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| the tires want and somewhat how to give
| |
| | where the gain is reduced and we approach
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| those tires the opportunity to maintain
| |
| | the limit of attack angle that the tire
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| grip with the racing surface as much as
| |
| | can handle. Once that point is reached,
|
| the laws of physics will allow. Let's
| |
| | going beyond causes a sudden loss of grip
|
| face it. There are limits to everything
| |
| | and traction falls off drastically. This
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| in this physical world, so we go in
| |
| | principle is true of all four tires
|
| search of finding the ultimate limit. We
| |
| | whether front or rear. We will provide
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| try to learn to recognize when we get to
| |
| | more on this subject later.
|
| that limit so we can stop looking lest we
| |
| | 5. Equal Loading--An opposing pair of
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| go backwards.
| |
| | tires (tires on the same axle at the same
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| The principle of stopping when you're
| |
| | end of the car) will develop maximum
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| ahead is true in developing a good
| |
| | traction when they are equally loaded.
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| handling package. It remains true when
| |
| | That is a generally true statement, but
|
| developing the best traction package. The
| |
| | upon more careful examination of how we
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| word "package" is an important one,
| |
| | do things in circle track racing, there
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| because we might be using several
| |
| | is a unique situation where that is not
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| different approaches at the same time to
| |
| | exactly true.
|
| enhance traction. They rarely interfere
| |
| | The situation is when we have a tire on
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| with each other and each one adds a
| |
| | one side of the car (usually the left
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| little to the package. Collectively, they
| |
| | side) that is built with a softer
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| can add up to a marked improvement in
| |
| | compound than the opposing tire whereby
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| available traction while under power.
| |
| | it may be able to develop more grip under
|
| In this series, we will take a look at
| |
| | the same loading as the opposing tire.
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| the various areas of influence that
| |
| | So, increasing the vertical load on the
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| affect available traction and how we can
| |
| | inside tire with the goal of attaining
|
| maximize how our car reacts to those
| |
| | equal loading for both tires, by whatever
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| influences. Some are almost the same for
| |
| | means, may not actually generate more
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| dirt or asphalt, and some of what we
| |
| | traction because of the difference in
|
| discuss is very different and will be
| |
| | grip per pound of vertical loading
|
| talked about separately.
| |
| | created by differences in compounds.
|
| Tires
| |
| | Race Track Configuration
|
| Tires are the ultimate connection between
| |
| | The shape of the track for both dirt and
|
| the car and the racing surface. That
| |
| | asphalt can influence the available
|
| basic principle is not a new one, but a
| |
| | traction in several different ways. As we
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| concept that has always been at the
| |
| | apply power, we need to know a little
|
| forefront when trying to understand ways
| |
| | about how the track is banked, how the
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| to increase handling performance in a
| |
| | banking angle is changing coming off the
|
| race car. It is again at the very top of
| |
| | corners, and how the radius of the turn
|
| the list when we discuss traction under
| |
| | might be changing. A highly-banked
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| power.
| |
| | racetrack is very forgiving when it comes
|
| There are five elements that influence
| |
| | to needing bite off the corners. There is
|
| the amount of traction that a set of dirt
| |
| | so much downforce due to the banking and
|
| or asphalt tires, the rears in this case,
| |
| | associated lateral forces, that many
|
| will develop:
| |
| | times the tires are loaded to the extent
|
| 1. Vertical Loading--Increasing the
| |
| | that the available amount of horsepower
|
| amount of vertical loading (weight) on a
| |
| | cannot break the tires loose under normal
|
| tire increases the available traction,
| |
| | conditions with a balanced setup. The
|
| but in a nonlinear way. As we increase
| |
| | tracks we often worry about getting off
|
| loading on a tire, it will gain traction,
| |
| | the corners are the ones that are flatter
|
| but not in exact multiples. If a tire has
| |
| | and with less surface grip.
|
| "X" amount of traction with 400 pounds on
| |
| | Pitch Angle
|
| it, the traction will be less than double
| |
| | The severity of change in banking angle
|
| as we apply 800 pounds of loading to it.
| |
| | of the racing surface in the portion of
|
| The amount of traction will be less than
| |
| | the track where we are initially
|
| 2 times X.
| |
| | accelerating can cause changes to the
|
| 2. Contact Patch--The size and
| |
| | pitch angle of the chassis that works to
|
| cross-sectional loading of the contact
| |
| | unload one or more tires, reducing
|
| patch helps determine how much traction
| |
| | traction. A track that goes from high
|
| we will have for a particular tire. An
| |
| | banking to low banking fairly quickly can
|
| added area related to the contact patch
| |
| | cause the left rear tire to unload
|
| and traction involves grooving and siping
| |
| | quickly, making the car loose.
|
| dirt tires and will be discussed later
| |
| | There are two ways this can happen. One
|
| on.
| |
| | is when the outside edge of the track
|
| Reducing the air pressure will usually
| |
| | drops in elevation and the right front
|
| increase the size of the tire contact
| |
| | tire follows the drop-off. This lifts
|
| patch. That would seem to enhance
| |
| | weight off the left rear tire, causing
|
| traction, but excessively low or high
| |
| | loss of traction in that tire.
|
| pressures may reduce the loading on
| |
| | The other problem occurs when the inside
|
| portions of the tire so that the total
| |
| | edge of the track rises up to match the
|
| loading of the tire is reduced and we end
| |
| | elevation of the outside edge of the
|
| up with less available traction for that
| |
| | track. As the left front tire rises up,
|
| tire. There is an optimum operating air
| |
| | the left front and right rear pair of
|
| pressure for each tire that will offer
| |
| | tires become more loaded, momentarily
|
| maximum contact patch area and equal
| |
| | causing loss of loading in the opposing
|
| loading across the width of the patch.
| |
| | pair of tires. The loss of crossweight
|
| Camber also affects the size and
| |
| | percent (right front to left rear) makes
|
| cross-sectional loading of the contact
| |
| | the car lose traction in the rear.
|
| patch. The correct camber angle
| |
| | A track that has a decreasing radius in
|
| compensates for the deflection of the
| |
| | the latter portion of one of the turns
|
| tire sidewalls as the lateral force is
| |
| | can cause a car to develop a loose
|
| applied when we turn the car. More or
| |
| | condition at that point. Usually, older
|
| less camber than ideal means one side of
| |
| | tracks that were originally dirt and then
|
| the tire will support more weight than
| |
| | paved retain a straight front stretch and
|
| the other, which also reduces traction.
| |
| | a rounded out back "straightaway". This
|
| 3. Chemical Makeup--The chemical makeup
| |
| | "D" shape causes Turns 1 and 4 to be a
|
| of the compound of the rubber will help
| |
| | smaller radius than Turns 2 and 3 for
|
| to determine how much traction is
| |
| | that reason. So, it is difficult to
|
| available from a tire. A softer tire will
| |
| | accelerate from Turn 4 because of the
|
| provide more traction, but the maximum
| |
| | decreasing radius.
|
| amount of traction that can be utilized
| |
| |
|
