Posted on 06/01/2005 8:14:34 AM PDT by gopwinsin04
Robbie Gordon of NASCAR started the discussion, saying that he wouldn't drive in the Indy Car Racing League series until they do something about Danica Patrick's weight 'advantage.'
'The lighter the car, the faster it goes,' Gordon said. 'Do the math. Put her in the car at her weight, then put me or Tony Stewart in the car at 200 pounds and our cars are at least 100 pounds heavier.'
'I wont race against her until the IRL does something to take that advantage away.'
I glanced at the weight of the weight of the drivers in the Indy Car Series. They are pretty much smallish guys --between 140 and 155 lbs.
He seems to be willing to race against guys who are about 60 pounds less and had no problem with it before.
(Excerpt) Read more at nationalreview.com ...
I can see 80 pounds making a difference, you're starting to get into the serious fractions of a hundred then, but 50 or less, doubt it. And even at 80 pounds the difference is going to be slight enough to be easily overshadowed by driver skill.
So.. it is opening a can of worms by having people making changes there- and it could be dangerous. Even if they don't have a 50 lb block strapped to the top of the car (LOL is right) making weight changes on those Indy cars is horribly expensive and dangerous.
They are not designed to hold extra weights. It is like the grain of sand fable. You know the old "if you change a pebble of sand on one end of the world... blah blah the other end changes".
How many different bodies, with different weights, will they have to have just for the 500 and the various drivers?
I am not sure how Tony George would sell this new rule and not look like a sexist. SO I don't think it will happen.
I don't think this [adjusting for weight] is something they could do in the middle of the season; it would have to be designed into the cars from the get-go. But you're probably right that it would add a slight element of instability to the cars because the weight would be an "add on" not completely integrated for aerodynamic or road-handling purposes. But I don't think it would have to be calibrated to exactly equalize weights, just keep them within a range of - say - 40 to 50 pounds.
I'm not a physicist or car designer (obviously), but I wonder if the driver's weight is a minimal factor because the cars have so much horsepower. Once the car is at speed, the driver's weight becomes part of the total forward mass, and might be negligible on an oval track where the speed doesn't vary much. But on a road circuit, if there are corners where you slow way down, the driver's weight might be more of a factor because it acts as a drag every time you accelerate. But to tell the truth, I don't know what I'm talking about. lol
Ya.....they are wrecking like Nascar.....who are wrecking like the Arca [Crash and Burn gang] : )
My F1 team is struggling.....I know I am : )
Nick Heidfeld and Mark Webber driving the vaunted Willams/BMW ...maybe team owners have chided them to not be as risk taking as former driver Juan Pablo Montoya.
either way....they both seem capable drivers...but too laid back.
Williams/BMW car seems too rigid in its suspension.
over engineered.....not supple enough for the going over curb driving of F1.
seems F1 is all in the qualifying....and that damned first corner : )
Speaking of church.....it was a spiritual moment seeing BMW beat the Black/Satan looking Mercedes on Germany's famed course.
Kaikkonen....er...Raikkonen the head case will probably be getting his butt dressed by German leather boots after the past race.
Raikonnen meets Darth Vader.....black table with lots of money on it,
heavy breathing : )
LOL....Frances vote to not join Euro constitution.
Could that have anything to do with recent Renault wins ? : )
shift:
I should make an effort to join the nascar FR threads....
My comp is in the other room.....don't want to miss Darrel Waltrip coments.
especially the quiet after Dale JR's last support manuever to Michael.
Michael has looked rather **edgy on speed week programs this year : )
The Village People have added "The NASCAR Driver" to the group?
LOL! It wounds like you know what you are talking about! :] I bet that you could prove it one way or the other- but the real logic would tell us that if all else is equal and if weight were such an advantage, then in each race the winner should weigh less than the rest of the field in any given race. That should be easy enough to tabulate for the person who wants to take the time to do it.
That's really what it comes down to, when you're facing the wind resistance you face at 200 miles an hour a couple pounds here or there isn't going t omake much difference. When you abuse the laws of physics that badly what's a few less pounds of abuse.
that should be "sounds" like you know what you are talking about...
would so too!
Behold, thou art fair, my love; behold, thou art fair; thou hast doves' eyes within thy locks: thy hair is as a flock of goats, that appear from mount Gilead.
Thy teeth are like a flock of sheep that are even shorn, which came up from the washing; whereof every one bear twins, and none is barren among them.
Thy lips are like a thread of scarlet, and thy speech is comely: thy temples are like a piece of a pomegranate within thy locks.
Thy neck is like the tower of David builded for an armoury, whereon there hang a thousand bucklers, all shields of mighty men.
Thy two breasts are like two young roes that are twins, which feed among the lilies.
Until the day break, and the shadows flee away, I will get me to the mountain of myrrh, and to the hill of frankincense.
Thou art all fair, my love; there is no spot in thee.
Beg to differ...remember Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden?! They were butt naked and God did not have a problem looking at them like that.
As a matter of fact God got mad, when, Adam and Eve after eating the apple, saw their nakedness and tried to cover it up, much to God's displeasure.
I've got to call you on that one, buddy. Try 2 1/5 tons of downforce. Last I checked a fully laden 747 weighed a few grams more than that. Now if you're talking about how much aerodynamic downforce a 747 has parked, it is close to zero unless the wind is blowing and the flaps are in negative position! But that's not what you were talking about.
Also, your analysis is flawed in another respect. Aero downforce doesn't create mass or inertia. It reduces top speed, but not acceleration.
Ryan Newman Credit: Autostock
"The car creating 5,000 pounds of downforce racing side-by-side is going to have more effect with one car next to the other.
Fine whatever. It's still a butt load more than the car weighs and 50 pounds one way or the other isn't going to make even the slightest bit of difference, and freaking forget a few grams, NASCAR cars gain or lose a few grams swapping paint down the back stretch.
Actually aero downforce doesn't reduce top speed at least not much, it keeps the car on the ground increasing safe top speed. But more importantly for this discussion it shows just how much force a race car is under and why Gordon is full of crap when he says a female driver has an unfair advantage due to lower weight.
Why are you so obsessed that you have to stalk yellowdoghunter? It's a creepy thing to do.
No, and they never will get it. They claim that tearing down our military piece by piece is their patriotic duty.
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