Category: Tech

Ford’s Return

Ford is back!  I am excited because the car Henry built is making another concerted effort to win the big one, LeMans! One of my favorite books is “Go Like Hell” by A.J. Baime.  It is the story of Ford, Ferrari and LeMans.  To be able to watch Fords attempt glory is too cool to ignore.

I have to back up a moment here.  I have a Lincoln MKT.  Old man car, I know. (REALLY, I know…)  My friends make fun of me.  BUT, tt has what I believe  is Fords VERY BEST motor!  The 3.5 lire twin turbo is a jewel of an engine and needs to be in a sports car.  Fords Q-car.  I can drive past the local gendarmerie without them bothering to consider whats happening.  (That said, I NEED to be careful now…) The best motor NOT in a Mustang.  The F150 IS NOT A SPORTS CAR!!!  REALLY!  That said…

I saw it in a Michael Shank Racing Riley chassis 2 years ago at the Rolex and had hoped, one day, it would race.  It did last year.  After Michael Shank’s awesome closed course speed record, Chip Ganassi saw the potential and joined MSR as the Ford team.  Chip Ganassi is such a huge operation, with IndyCar, NASCAR and Tudor, Ford seemed to drop MSR for a better opportunity. (MSR did win for Ford with A.J. Allmindinger, though.)  It may be the best opportunity for them to win!  (MSR’s switch to Honda power  in the P2 Ligier is too cool, but a story for another time.)

It is official, Ford is a title sponsor for Ganassi’s #1 car with Scott Pruett and Joey Hand.  I grew up watching Scott Pruett driving Jack Roush’s killer SCCA and GTO Mustangs in the 80’s and 90’s!  A sort of homecoming…  It all seems to be coming together for a mid-life revival!

Next month, Ford appears to be ready to announce its plan to attack LeMans with a new car to be unveiled at the Detroit Auto Show.  Chip Ganassi Racing seems to be in the drivers seat as Fords designated team.  I have no idea if it is going to be an LMP2 design, using a version of their EcoBoost engine, or a GT3 based on a very secret GT40-esque design.  I am leaning towards something that can go for the overall win.

The trickle down effect is simple.  Ford is going to have a huge presence at the Rolex24 at Daytona.  And with that, I am excited!!!

 

The Glorious V6 Turbo

Does anybody find it interesting that the V6 twin turbo has become the racing engine of choice?

IndyCar went to the 2.2L turbo V6 in 2012 and has now specifically mandated a twin turbo set up for both Chevy and Honda. They’ll have a 500-700bhp and in a car weighing less than 1,600lbs, it’s that damned fast!

F1 is transitioning to a 1.6L turbo V6 for the 2014 season and complimented by KERS, it will have around 750bhp.  This will be interesting as turbocharging has been outlawed for some 20 years now.  Honda is getting involved in 2015, having one of the dominant engines during F1’s turbo era.  I wonder if it has anything to do with their IndyCar motor….

For the TUSC, Ford’s EcoBoost twin turbo V6 set 2 FIA certifies closed course records at Daytona International Speedway with Michael Shank Racing.  I saw the car at last years Rolex24 quietly sitting by the MSR transporter and was thrilled to see the same engine as my car in a race car.  After the record attempt, Chip Ganassi Racing dropped their series dominating  BMW V8’s for this engine, so it must be something special.

It’s obvious in the current state of racing, we’re trying to cover a number of areas; power, fuel efficiency, packaging, etc.  The turbo V6 covers them all for a number of racing styles; F1’s sprint format, IndyCar’s longer distances and TUSC’s long endurance events.

I just don’t see it in NASCAR anytime soon…….

State of the Art

2014 Audi R18 E-Tron testing in Sebring, FL.The new Audi R18 E-Tron being tested this week at Sebring International Raceway is arguably the most advanced race car ever built.  I would hazard to say it is more advanced than then Sebastian Vettel’s World Championship winning RB9.  Yes, I said it! More advanced then the most successful F1 car ever built.  (I am starting to like where LMP1 is going, but more on that later.)

What I find interesting is that the technology on the Audi is very applicable to the cars we drive now.  It’s a hybrid system designed to win races, but I have never been a fan of hybrids, always a proponent for good-old-fashioned internal combustion engines.  More cubic inches, bigger turbo’s, faster rev’s; any trick to get more power (Tim “The Tool Man” Taylor, enter stage right). Then the Prius comes along and  “hyper mile-ing” becomes an obsession.

The goal is to win but with a set amount of fuel.  The rules for 2014 put a higher importance on fuel economy than it has in the past and Audi has responded with what is essentially a whole new car.  Like the previous R18 E-Tron, it still has the V6 turbo diesel powering the rear wheels and a Williams Hybrid Power Kinetic Energy Recovery System (KERS), just like the one used in F1, at the front.  This gives the car 4 wheel drive at points during the race.  New to the car is an electric turbocharger utilizing a heat-to-energy recovery unit (I am guessing on the exhaust) for power.  This helps reduce turbo lag and allows the motor to run more freely.

This is a truly impressive vehicle.  With competition from Toyota and now Porsche, the race is on!