Just curious. You came from sports cars to karts. How was the transition? Whats the good and bad? Tia
@KartingIsLife can you split out a Cars vs. Karts thread? Could be some good discussion if such a thread doesnât already exist
@Lane_Hollar I was an engineer doing engine modeling and controls, so the only overlap is data analysis. That aspect is pretty similar though. The names of the squiggly lines are different and the tools are different, but the process and goals are very similar. I much prefer other tools over RS3, but the learning curve was pretty easy.
I did a lot of CFD for grad school and did a lot of side education on aero, but no paid gigs until I went to aerospace. I do a lot with CFD these days but more on the structural response side. The really detailed flow stuff gets kicked over to the specialists.
Driving-wise, my track car is an Elise which has kart-like CG (64% rear) so that really has more overlap than youâd expect. Both have unassisted steering but obviously the car is open diff and suspended, so the caster role is very different. Still, you need to consciously get the nose to bite with both of them or else it is easy to excite understeer.
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Wow thatâs intense. Curious as to just how heavy that is. Thatâs a lot of plastic.
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All that air would hit my tall ass right in the visor.
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Oh hai!
From the top the new faring really does look like a platypus.
I am not sure if we have discussed it, but they are the only venemous mammal. Perhaps an excellent mascot for Rebel Scum.
And on that note, Rebel Scum would look extra badass with these skin suits and be on the cutting edge. I invite them to sponsor my team.
I wonder if the karting world is ready for the reemergence of the codpiece. A Rebel Scum ponder.
600 grams - it might be an issue for someone whoâs looking to cut some weight
Nope, air goes around the body
Not as bad as I thought. Do you know what the old one weighed?
I used to fill my steering shaft and steering wheel with lead for more weight transfer when I was even more mini but running senior. Heard de Vries did the same. For some a little more weight up there isnât the end of the world and might have a small secondary benefit for short drivers.
Pardon me for not taking your word for it.
Just pouring lead shot down the steering shaft?
The steering wheel though? Did you have to drill a hole in the rim?
Yes, yes, and yes. Drilled a hole in the wheel and sealed with a grub screw and some tape. Very scientific! Probably not legal⌠
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I donât think thatâs allowed, along with filling the cassis rails with anything. Probably because most would do it incorrectly and the lead shot would fall out and weâd have a Mario Kart situation on the track!
Agreed. Love it when someone says how awesome something is but wonât share any data. âJust trust me!â
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There is gonna be an article on TKart in the next weeks with the whole thing explained
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There are some great stories about some old school NASCAR guys doing that and purposely letting out the lead shot after they got through pre-race tech. Poor sole who was behind them had to drive over the lead shot and try not to die.
It was on a Dale Jr podcast. I gotta go find it now.
Found it! Whole bunch of good stories about trying to cheat the system. Unsupported browser
Link might be broken search âDale Jr It Ainât Cheatingâ
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That brings up a fun topic I have been wanting to ask, but never had the guts to do.
I love that part of the Dale Jr podcast where they talk about âcreativityâ in racing. Does anyone on here know of any open âcreativeâ things being done. Iâm not talking about rumors in the paddock, but actual things you have done or you have seen done?
Mods, maybe we can get a spinoff topic here?
Iâll even volunteer to go first to break the ice:
Back in my younger/dumber days I was right at the edge of the weight class. I went to home depot and got some 3/4 conduit. I very carefully bent them and welded them up into nerf bars. Saved me about 7 lbs over CIK nerf bars. The only problem (besides the obvious safety concerns) was when someone tried to help you lift the kart onto the stand you always had to tell them not to lift by the nerf bars (because they would have folded in half under the weight of the kart).
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Driversâ with lead in the leg areas to make minimum weight to race in either Junior or Senior (by CIK regs, you need to weight a minimum of 35 kg in race gear to race in Junior)
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Matching of different brandâs nassau pannel upper support (that connects to the steering column hub) so that the nassau itself would extend beyond what was normally allowed by the OEM upper support, so as to cover the front spoiler and hence absorb a hit and reduce the chance of the spoiler droping down.
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Very interesting use of plastic injection and distribution when creating ârace specificâ front spoilers, which passed homologation tests but deformed exactly where you wanted them to.
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All sort of modifications to the front spoiler mounting system, to make it harder for it to detach and encour a penalty.
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The entire Morsicani Engines variable compression cylinder head in the KF era, which necesitates a thread of its own.
Without of course citing factory teams producing parts to the absolute maximum tollerance of homologation regulations, for whatever purpose (for instance, brake discs being at the lower most limit in terms of weight and size on a long track, to reduce inertia as much as possible)
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Caleb, thanks for the response! Interesting info.