Some pro photos of my car on track

[Vulcan Grey]

http://picasaweb.google.com/lotusse/HPRProPhotos#

[esp88]

Nice pticures Travis

[jimmybondi]

R.C. - Really Cool!

Next time: Lift the inner rear wheel in the third picture!

Edited October 29, 2010 by jimmybondi

[Bibs]

Very cool. Fun trackday by the looks of it too

[Quicker]

[Jukka]

Very nice pictures

[Vulcan Grey]

Thanks! It was a fun day. I need to finish my Brembo brakes though.

Track info

http://www.highplainsraceway.com/track.html

You can also download this track in the PC racing game rFactor.

Most photos were taken in the Prairie Corkscrew (descending just like Laguna Seca), and Turn 12

[rogerch]

Nice pictures. Travis is it a standard suspension setup? It illustrates well what I've been talking about loading up the outside front wheel. I'm trying to stiffen the front anti roll to keep more weight on the diagonally opposite rear wheel, any experience?

[Bibs]

Physics Roger, hard work to beat.

When I marshal at Lydden we get to see every single car lift an inside rear wheel when they go around the top of Hairy Hill. Some can hold it up for 80-100 yds under heavy braking and cornering until the exit.

Edited October 31, 2010 by alan
Cos Bibs cant spell !!!!

[Iconic Ride]

FUEL

HPR has a credit card operated fueling station. The following fuels are available:

• Sunoco 260 GT 100 octane unleaded street legal 3.3% oxygen $7.78/gallon
• Sunoco 260 GTX 98 octane unleaded not street legal 0.0% oxygen $7.78/gallon
• Sunoco Standard 110 octane leaded not street legal 0.0% oxygen $7.75/gallon

So 'fess up, Travis. Did you spring for the high dollar blend? If so, was it a noticable difference? And if you tank up with the "not street legal" choice(s), do they make you drain the remainder before you can leave the course?

You're having way too much fun, and God will punish you.

[rogerch]

Physics Roger, hard work to beat.

Chapman spent his life keeping keeping rubber on the road, and as flat as possible at that. I'm with him. Funnyly enough I have had recent exchanges with a very helpful and knowledgeable gentleman at the factory who knows exactly what I mean, and has steered me hopefully on the right direction. Unfortunately I'm now laid up for about 6 weeks, so I won't be getting the new bits on the car, but I'll report back when I do.

My view is that if Chapman had meant it to corner on 3 wheels it would only have 3 wheels.

[Iconic Ride]

And we all know what happened to Colin's young engineer and his exuberant thrashing of Mr. C.'s three wheeler. No wonder he developed a preference for four points of contact.

Have a swift convalescence, Roger, and I'm looking forward to the factory's answer to centrifugal force physics.

[DanR]

Chapman spent his life keeping keeping rubber on the road, and as flat as possible at that. I'm with him...

...My view is that if Chapman had meant it to corner on 3 wheels it would only have 3 wheels.

Oh Chapman did make threee wheeel cars as well.

He did change the roll axis and added a fourth wheel before the end of this model.

[rogerch]

Actually, to be precise, Ford designed and made that one. Then delivered it to Chapman to eliminate as many of the errors as he could, including the vastly different roll centre front and rear (a legacy of the solid rear axle, and McPherson strut). If my schoolboy Brands Hatch, Crystal Palace memories are correct it was more of a bicycle!

However, and more importantly you'll notice it's not a drive wheel it's lifting. (good picture though) Bottom Bend, Brands Hatch, the run down from Druids. I spent some time in my youth sitting up on the hill there.

[DanR]

The solid axle and Mcstruts were ok. It was his A frame that buggered the rc axis. Jacking effect from too much weight transfer at the front. When he reverted to the original Ford design it all worked better.

[Jonathan]

Cool pics Travis

Tis cocking the rears a bit isnt it ? I initially though of the Cortina but as you say it's a drive wheel not being lifted.

Is that cus the rear doesnt have any ARB ?

The way I always realised it though was becuase of the tyre - travis' car has wider tyres than std which will translate into more force into the chassis.

I've seen std Esprits on the skid pad not doing that - it felt like mine was though.

[Vulcan Grey]

The previous picture shows the front wheel almost leaving the ground...

That corner is the corkscrew (a descending, left -right, followed by an ascending left onto the front straight.

Here's a photo montage that my friend made of an Exige going through the corkscrew.

Here's on that I did with a GT-40, Noble, and Porsche

I think this video shows the track pretty well.

My suspension is SPAX adjustables (stiffest setting in the rear and 2 clicks softer in the front), V8 wheels and tires, SE 17mm front anti-roll bar, V8 alignment settings with front toe-out (.1deg).

The car really doesn't feel like it is rolling that much, and the weight transfer doesn't scrub that outside front tire or cause understeer in my car. The entry to that corner is nearly blind, all you see is the braking zone, and then that cone marking the inside apex (the braking and apex cones are across the pavement from each other, so the turn in is very abrupt. You have to turn and just hope the pavement will be there...

I must say though, the chassis on the Esprit is a wet noodle compared to the Elise, and most modern unibody cars... I have driven my 89SE back to back with the '91 X180-R with a full roll cage, and the chassis is so much better with the cage.

Edited October 31, 2010 by Vulcan Grey

[sky_cz]

nice