181 replies to this topic

[GaryG]

I wouldn't race a car with fluttering wings! But back in the 1980's, as a wing car race progressed and the sidedams got beat up, they began laying down more and more. Before long, the front edge of the side dams were picking up traction glue from the track. Todays wing car bodies have much more rigid air dams to keep them vertical which funnels
the air more effectively over the body and spoiler.

[Tom Thumb Hobbies]

'GaryG', on 14 Nov 2010 - 7:38 PM, said:

I wouldn't race a car with fluttering wings! But back in the 1980's, as a wing car race progressed and the sidedams got beat up, they began laying down more and more. Before long, the front edge of the side dams were picking up traction glue from the track. Todays wing car bodies have much more rigid air dams to keep them vertical which funnels
the air more effectively over the body and spoiler.

.005 side dams for slower classes and .007 for the faster cars. At speed, when they would fold down and out from each side of the body, the cars became as much as 2" wider. It was a real art form knowing when and where to pass a car with each over-lapping the other car by as much as one inch. We would sometimes try and stiffen the leading edge with filament or book tape to reduce the problem but then you lost some front down force because, when folded down, they also acted like a spoiler. And flutter was very bad. It cost speed. I remember spending hours remounting side dams trying to eliminate it.

[Daytonaman]

'Ron Hershman', on 30 Sept 2010 - 7:23 PM, said:

Did someone say... Titan??? LOL. Ta-daaa...

Ron,

Where did you get the All-Tech photo? This looks like an official company promo. I have been trying to get All-Tech history and info. I think my 308ft Engleman style track that came from Sacramento may be an All-Tech.

Thanks,

John

[Ron Hershman]

'Daytonaman', on 14 Nov 2010 - 8:14 PM, said:

Ron,

Where did you get the All-Tech photo? This looks like an official company promo. I have been trying to get All-Tech history and info. I think my 308ft Engleman style track that came from Sacramento may be an All-Tech.

Thanks,

John

John that's the only pic I have and I have no idea where it came from.

[Tex]

'Ron Hershman', on 10 Nov 2010 - 9:57 PM, said:

OK so we have Jan and Joel sitting... Strachen standing behind Joel in the Pacesetter shirt... is Csaba in the middle and with glasses???

Who is standing next to Jan's right and who might the gentleman in the back be?

The kid in the glasses is Cliff Horn, a good Texas racer. The guy in the headband and K-101 t-shirt(local Houston rock station) is Larry Willman, another fast Texas racer. I've heard that it was Larry that climbed up the front of the race director's stand in San Antonio at the '68 HemisFair race when Houstonian Jim Brown's car(his slot car body, actually) was protested and deemed illegal.

[Phil Hackett]

'jimht', on 10 Nov 2010 - 9:35 PM, said:

For Ron:



OK, so I was wrong, go figure... and I thought we'd run 3-1/4" wide much earlier.
My flyer shows 3-1/8" tread at the '75 Nats.
Did we use 3-1/4" in Houston in 1978?
I'll start a thread later called "Fading Memories".
Strange hairy stuff like this in it:



And Mike, I'll take all the reverence I can get, but Chubba was young and easily impressed by lots of hair at the time.

Jim,

do you think the Kon Tiki Lodge ever recovered from that race? That was kind of the place to stay for that race. Maybe they're still fumigating it today!

(check out the room rate! $17/day!!!!)

[Daytonaman]

'Ron Hershman', on 30 Sept 2010 - 7:23 PM, said:

Did someone say... Titan??? LOL. Ta-daaa...

Ron,
Maybe my eyes are bad, but it appears that this track has tapered wood boxed legs instead of the tubular legs with a skirt. Check the 180 under the high bank and the 180 on the left finger.

John