Somehow the name ‘Touring Car’ doesn’t seem to fit well with the on-track action. These machines are hardly the beautiful coupes of yesteryear, with a luggage rack and which were actually designed for touring. Touring car racing is now hugely popular, from the fire-breathing DTM cars to the slightly more docile but no less exciting WTCC and BTCC entries that continue to attract top drivers and manufacturer backing. These are, after all, road-going cars – you are meant...
The rise of the electric hybrid system has been rapid of late, though whether it is a lasting technology or simply a precursor to a widespread take-up of fully electric passenger cars is not yet clear. Electric motorsport has already established a firm footing though. For example, TT Zero gets faster each year, and although it remains a single lap it is close to half a conventional motorcycle Grand Prix distance. Endurance racing has had hybrids for 15 years, and 2013 is the fourth season...
Readers of my recent RET-Monitor on electrics will know of the trials and tribulations of the fuel system on a certain track car. Having solved that particular issue, and with the season coming to a close, the owner thought it advisable to review the whole fuel system and perhaps, following that, update the vehicle to run on fuel injection in place of rather ancient current carburettor technology. In renewing the fuel system these are some of the issues to be faced. Fortunately, and for...
Innovation is the lifeblood of motorsport – or used to be. These days though, with the introduction of all manner of spec formulae with single supplier engines, the emphasis would seem to be more on the sport element than that of the motor, and anything even slightly outside the ‘spirit’ of the regulations (whatever that is) is deemed unacceptable. But it wasn’t always that way. Even as recently as 10 years ago, major factory teams would take a somewhat liberal...
In a previous RET-Monitor we looked at the basics that go into producing modern racing oils, particularly the base oil stocks from which they are formulated. Although the base oils, particularly the highly refined PAO and ester-based oils, used in most motorsport applications have excellent inherent lubrication characteristics, oil manufacturers will invariably add other chemicals to tailor the oil for specific purposes and improve lubrication performance. These additives allow the...