I wrote a column several years ago discussing why we do what we do here at Circle Track. I think it is important to re-address that topic and I was recently motivated to do that by a “reader” who wrote to me explaining what he liked in a racing magazine and what he did not.
He is, or was, a long-time racer and his likes now are coverage and nostalgia type of articles that can frankly be found in numerous other good and solid publications. But, it’s not what we do here at CT. And I don’t begin for a minute to apologize for our lack of feature articles about racers present and past.
What we do, and do very well, is provide this industry and its participants, with cutting edge technology and content that runs anywhere from race car design and setups, to engine building and tuning, to driver and race track safety and beyond. If it’s technical and related to racing, we do it.
We made the decision to go this way back in the early 2000’s because that is what the racing community both needed and wanted. At that time, and even today, there are plenty of places to get coverage, but few places to get real present day technical information that the reader can use to win races.
Our advertisers appreciate our approach too. They are in the business of designing, manufacturing, and/or selling parts and information that helps the race teams go faster and win more races, period. The goals of CT and our advertising partners are the same.
I used to read CT back in the late 1980’s and through the 1990’s and attended the early CT Trade Show and Expo in Daytona Beach where I’d drool over the many race parts and cars that were displayed there. I’m not sure if we were the first trade show, probably not, but we did advance the concept by seizing the opportunity to reach racers who came to this town during February for the annual races during Speed Weeks.
Then the CT show faded and PRI, Performance Racing Industry trade show, started into business. Early on it was located in Columbus, OH and I attended those shows too. Now we are about to attend the 2017 version of PRI, a continuation of what the CT trade show was years ago.
The home of PRI is now in Indianapolis, IN, a location that is much more central to the racing community than was the CT trade show in Daytona, or the PRI show held some years ago in Orlando, FL. It brings together like minds that are constantly searching for that next new thing that will bring excitement and performance to their racing program. It’s like a bunch of kids in a candy store watching all of the attendees move about the floor. And CT will be there with full participation.
We will continue to influence the industry in a positive way and you, the racer helps us to do that. We don’t build the race cars and parts, or even come up with many of the ideas we present, we just recognized a good thing when we see it.
Many racers have experimented with using springs as bumps long before our articles and subsequent testing, or the move to smaller sway bars instead of the big ones in the early BBSS setups. We just recognized a good thing. What we do is keep our finger on the pulse of the industry, look for new and better technology, and then offer it up to the masses. You guys get it most of the time, and that makes us happy.
What is the next new thing? Come to PRI and find out. It will be there, trust me. This show has grown so large, it threatens to outgrow the convention center again, like it did about ten years ago when it had to be moved to Orlando. But that is a good thing and speaks well of the growth of the sport and industry.
At any rate, I have been a part of CT for over fifteen years now and it is the job of the contributors and Editor Matt to make sure the tradition continues. And when you get your new copy of CT, or when you go to Facebook or the CT website, you will see cutting edge technology and content that will drive the industry forward whether it’s our ideas or yours.
After all, it’s not important who comes up with a great idea, it is important that we share those ideas in order to move our sport forward. Thanks for taking an interest in CT and allowing us to participate in your racing program. We all get smarter as a result.
If you have comments or questions about this or anything racing related, send them to my email address: chassisrd@aol.com or mail can be sent to Circle Track, Senior Tech Editor, 1733 Alton Parkway, Suite 100, Irvine, CA.
Toledo ARCA Incident
(Editor’s Note: This reader did not want this published, but the information is too good, and I could not do it justice in any other way than to just present it, so we will hold back the name and any reference to whom shared this with us.)
Bob,
Even though I am about now removed from my involvement with ARCA, when I was there, training was never an issue with the safety crew. Their Safety Initiative was ahead of a lot of racing series that would surprise you.
ARCA required a neck collar for the driver long before any other stock car racing organization. This was in the days before the HANS or Hutchens Device. It turns out it wasn’t the best option, but they were looking for answers before anyone else. They were the first to require gloves, which was risking the organization itself in the way lawyers can twist things around.
ARCA was one of the first to have a full-time traveling safety co-coordinator, which let the drivers know who was there and who was in charge of the safety crew, no matter who they were, or at what track they were at. All safety officials who were under the employ of ARCA attended safety classes at Toledo Speedway then later at UNOH.
I’m not sure why ARCA has not made a statement following an investigation, unless I missed it, but my belief would be that someone turned cars loose on the track before checking around the track, by radio, that ALL safety personnel were in position and ready beforehand.
One miss-understood circumstance was where the truck was parked. Smoke wasn’t an issue then, but as more and more smoke developed, the wind was blowing in a direction that happened to blow the smoke toward the truck, which WAS parked properly, in a way to protect the accident scene, and with the front end pointed in the direction they wanted any approaching car to go.
One thing I have noticed at Toledo Speedway when the ARCA Racing Series is there, there is an overlap of perceived “bosses” and crews. You have the ARCA Series officials, who do things one way, and the Toledo people who have their procedures, and chain of command. Remembering both groups are ARCA employees, the Indians now have too many Chiefs. I believe that’s where the problem REALLY lays. My guess is somebody was taking orders from a “boss” who was not informed that the other’s safety crew wasn’t in position.
I’m sorry to run on but I am personally sick to my stomach every time someone keeps citing lack of training in this case. Training is far from the issue unless hiring idiots became the standard after I left. Then we had the right people doing those jobs, plus the ability to do those jobs, with everyone else’s full confidence. Now making it come across as no one had any skills is a disservice to ARCA, their teammates, and a cheap shot at the dedication of those involved with the safety of the series.
Anyway, I have a saying, “It’s not what it is, it’s what it looks like”. In this case, those involved “looked” liked amateurs. But, most likely it was what you “didn’t” see or hear that was more a contributing factor.
There is always another side to the story. I am sure whatever went wrong on that day will be corrected and the lives and safety of the participants will be improved. I thank this reader for providing valuable information regarding the series and history of safety of that series.
Track Safety Comments
Bob,
I wonder what goes through some promoter’s minds. I came up with a plan to line the corners at Lee Speedway in NH with the foam blocks like the ones at Oswego Speedway and Lancaster Speedway. Simply use them as advertising billboards and have the advertisers pay for the blocks.
Lee would have none of it because it wasn’t their idea. They gave some excuse about cleanup. So, let’s clean up dead drivers instead. They even ran an Ironman class backwards. Some drivers pulled off, seeing the danger in doing so, like hitting a wall ending head on. They even brag that if you hit their concrete wall that you’re gonna get hurt. I don’t think that promoters put the driver’s safety high on their list.
Bill Stergios, Candia, NH
Thanks for your comments, Bill. I don’t know the situation with Lee Speedway at all. But it is up to the drivers to decide what is safe and what is not. Your comment about the drivers pulling off because of safety issues is what needs to happen at any race track if the conditions are not as good as they need to be.
Foam, in defense of Lee Speedway, is very hard to clean up and the very small foam pebbles spread across the track would only make the situation worse for those who have to race after someone has hit the foam and spread those tiny pieces across the track.
But, there are other solutions that could make a track safer and we hope all race tracks take a look at their facilities and try to imaging what could go wrong, then fix it. That’s all it takes, just think. In many situations, we can look in hindsight and see where the problem was. Let’s look ahead for a change.
BBSS Setups?
Mr. Bolles,
Thank you for the great articles. I follow you monthly and apply as much as I can. I have a couple of questions. You mentioned in the November issues that the BBSS set ups are a thing of the past and most have moved to bumps with a smaller bar. I race at a 1/2 asphalt track in the mid-west and run a limited late model rules package (Big Eight Series) that does not allow bumps or binds.
We are not allowed to have anything that limits the suspension travel. What would you recommend? We are running the BBSS set up traveling the front suspension about 5″.
I use a Performance Trends software program to determine my moment center. Statically, it sits at 4.7” off the ground and 3.6” to the left.
Knowing that a majority of the front end travel comes in corner entry braking and factoring in the tie down shocks that hold it down, I use 3.5 inches of dive and 2.5 degrees of roll to analyze dynamic moment center. This moves it to 1.0 inch off the ground and 10.3 inches to the left. Am I correct in my dive and roll numbers?
Again, in the November issue, you reference 1 inch of dive and 2.5 to 3 inches of roll. With my big bar (675#) it doesn’t seem like the car rolls that much. I have attempted to remove as much camber gain as I can but with the dive and roll used above I still gain about 5 degrees in the right front.
My temperature numbers are consistent at about 20-25 degrees hotter on the inside and the RF and RR average are within 10 degrees of each other depending on how the car is handling, tight or loose. On my program, any changes I make to reduce gain, takes the moment center out of bounds. Should I continue to work to reduce this? If so can you give me some ideas? RF upper sits at about 12 degrees static, left upper is 19.5 deg. and the lowers are flat.
Do you have any experience with a Track Star ll rear end? I have installed one and am struggling with it. Car is tight. Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks for your time, Brian G.
Brian,
Your bar must be a medium or heavy 1 3/8″ bar? That is not what is considered a big bar, just on the large normal side. Big bars are 1.5″ to 2.0″ diameter. It is too stiff as far as what we are seeing used today.
The 2.5 deg. of roll is probably too much, but if you can go out and not brake hard for a few laps and then look at your shock travel, you’ll get a good idea of the roll angle.
Yes, you will have a lot of camber gain on the RF with the amount you are traveling. As to the moment center, the lowers should have angle and be staggered, usually we see 2.5 deg. on the left lower and 1.5 deg. on the right lower. These can vary, but that stagger works well most of the time to control the lateral movement of the MC.
With the Track Star and similar rear differentials, you cannot run much stagger, like 1/2″ or so or they will not work from what I understand. You need to talk to the manufacturer about that.
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