Diesel fuel is extremely popular for automotive use, particularly in Europe where, for some manufacturers, diesel vehicles account for more than 50% of sales. Part of the reason is that, in some countries, diesel fuel is much cheaper than petrol (gasoline). In the Netherlands, for instance, petrol is 30% more expensive than diesel. But even in countries where diesel comes at a premium compared to petrol, such as the UK, diesel vehicle sales continue to account for an increasing percentage...
Continuing the discussion of wire thread inserts in previous articles, this month I'll consider 'solid' types of insert. There are at least two varieties of 'solid' inserts in common use, and these are used mainly for repairs and, less often, in situations where female thread strength is felt to be a problem and that without such an insert, the chances of thread stripping are high. The 'problem' with solid inserts is that they can (and generally do) bias the...
The use of fuels other than gasoline is nothing new in motorsports, yet somehow when teams first make their selection known it always takes us by surprise. So when the Team Aon Ford Focuses of BTCC drivers Tom Chilton and Tom Onslow-Cole finally admitted that they were forsaking the traditional BTCC-spec gasoline and fuelling up on LPG (Liquefied Petroleum Gas) it took some time for the news to sink in. But LPG is nothing new in tin-top racing. Twelve years ago, Vauxhall introduced a...
We live in a world of choice, or so our politicians would have us believe. But when it comes to engine oil systems for racing, is there anything other than a dry sump that can do the job? I would argue not, but despite that there are still authorising bodies or rule setters out there who insist on banning the systems, even though the alternatives are far inferior and these days probably no cheaper. In the 1960s, a dry sump was totally unheard of outside the top echelons of the sport. At...
When Honda Performance Development (HPD) began plans to enter the Indy Racing League in 2003 with the Honda Indy V8, it built an engine that would have a service life of 600 miles, made to last from Carburetion Day at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway through the Indianapolis 500. Much has changed since then, as HPD became sole engine supplier in the 2006 IndyCar Series season. Now the engines have a service life of 1400 race miles or 1600 absolute miles, as Roger Griffiths, manager of the...