Other Motorsports (merged)

[Kol Bailey]

Yeah. Me too.

 

[Eric Parker]

I always liked the Milwaukee Mile, I'm glad its back on the schedule. Hopefully I can catch qualifying or some practice at Indy as I have time off around then but I don't know if I will be in town at that time or not right now. On a side note, I wish the Indycars would run at Interlagos instead of a street circuit at Sao Paulo, it would be a nice comparison to where the series stands next to F1.

 

[Juen-Jen Wang]

I always liked the Milwaukee Mile, I'm glad its back on the schedule. Hopefully I can catch qualifying or some practice at Indy as I have time off around then but I don't know if I will be in town at that time or not right now. On a side note, I wish the Indycars would run at Interlagos instead of a street circuit at Sao Paulo, it would be a nice comparison to where the series stands next to F1.

I too would prefer if IndyCar ran at Interlagos. I dont think anyone would miss the Sao Paulo street course as I think IndyCar has enough temporary tracks.

Don't expect the DW12 to be fast. Drivers have been complaining that it's too slow for ages. We'll have to wait for 2013 to see some real innovation with the new indycars

 

[Rhys Gardiner]

Internal combustion is on its way out... within about 20-30 years, oil supplies will run out. Hydrogen/alternate fuel technologies are interesting, but electric cars are the future as far as I'm concerned. If more racing exposure is given to electric cars, manufacturers can develop more efficient and longer-lasting batteries and other electric components, benefiting everyone when it filters down to the road market.

Bring it on!

 

[William Levesque]

But... Where will the godly engine sounds be !?

And manual transmission, heel and toeing ? All gone ?

 

[Juen-Jen Wang]

But... Where will the godly engine sounds be !?

And manual transmission, heel and toeing ? All gone ?

Blame nature. But the internal combustion engine is starting to become old and out of date technology anyway and since when was racing content with tooting around in old technology?

Become a part of the future or just stop watching racing. It's really as simple as that. I, for one, will always embrace racing for what it is. Racing is always about technology + competition on track + speed. As long as racing continues to have those three elements... I will always love it and I will always watch it.

Will it suck that engine noises are gone? Maybe, but I'd rather have a lack of engine noises than to have racing become obsolete and out of date with modern car technology. Who knows? Maybe one day there will be a car engine that's massively loud too but in a different way lol.

Also William:

An electric motor has full torque from a start while an internal combustion engine (ICE) must get to around 3000 to 5000 RPM to reach its torque potential, therefore an ICE needs a transmission and an EV does not. However many low end conversion vehicles are made keeping the old (often manual) transmission intact. This allows a simpler connection for the electric motor with an adaptor plate and allows for a mechanical reverse gear. These vehicles also don't usually have regenerative braking. A transmission may seem like it is fun to operate, but when used with an electric motor typically a clutch is not required and it does increase resistance in the drive train. Operators report that most often they leave such a transmission in second gear. On the drag strip EV easily win over ICE vehicles with far superior horsepower ratings. This again is due to the superior torque curve of the electric motor. EV drivers also comment that because there is no shifting required that would slow them down there is an unusual experience of constant pull.

 

[Marian Zelenka]

I think they can always use alcohol as a fuel. I don't think ICE racing cars will die so easily. Batteries could be effective, but they will still be heavy until they find some other mean of power. Racing is also about noisy cars and all that excitement. Why do athletes still bother? It's such an old and dated sport. And football, ...?

Racing cars and road going cars are miles different. We don't drive 600+hp cars. So, I think no matter what technology, we will be still driving just tin cans. And racing will be racing... even though there certainly will be more categories.

BTW It's still Radical.

 

[Bram Hengeveld]

Alcohol will work fine, problem is that the environmental damage will be even bigger than with normal fuel. Not the emissions though, they will be far better than with standard fuel but the production.

There is already a shortage of farmland in the world to produce our food, don't even want to know how many wars will be fought when we are going to abuse agriculture for our fuel needs.

Same for Biodiesel etc.

Imo Hydrogen and solar energy are the longterm solutions. Electrical batteries are currently still powered by electricity from coal. But you dont hear anybody about that

 

[Juen-Jen Wang]

Do hydrogen cars make noise? I wonder

 

[ufunacaoenn]

The sound isn't that bad but it is hard to have a feeling for the speed that he is running in and out of the corners.

 

[Marian Zelenka]

Alcohol will work fine, problem is that the environmental damage will be even bigger than with normal fuel. Not the emissions though, they will be far better than with standard fuel but the production.

There is already a shortage of farmland in the world to produce our food, don't even want to know how many wars will be fought when we are going to abuse agriculture for our fuel needs.

Same for Biodiesel etc.

Imo Hydrogen and solar energy are the longterm solutions. Electrical batteries are currently still powered by electricity from coal. But you dont hear anybody about that

For racing cars, I think alcohol could be a good solution. Off course, road going cars will have to be powered by something cleaner. "Agriculturing" fuel is definitaly a bad idea. Finally, even our comrades from the European Comission found out that bio fuel is worse than normal fuel.

But hydrogen isn't as easy to produce too, is it? Unfortunately, electical bateries aren't clean too. We're doomed.

 

[Bram Hengeveld]

But hydrogen isn't as easy to produce too, is it?

They seem to do very well in Iceland nowadays. Maybe its still costly because its produced on a small scale but i am sure if we would all decide this is the fuel of the future it can be very cheap. So cheap that large fuel companies don't make any money. Hence it will probably never happen

 

[Leonardo Ferreira]

Barrichello called a press conference for thursday. I don´t think he called all the press just to tell he´ll not drive at this year.
YES!!!!! Rubens arriving at Indy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

If someone wish to use the google translator, there is the source:

http://blog.jovempan.uol.com.br/f1/um-anuncio-se-aproxima/

 

[Jan Larsen]

I race electric rc cars that drive 0-60mph in 1,7 secs and outmaneuvre anything. I tell you, the sheer performance of electric racecars of the future will outweigh the cons (noise, gears etc). Electric motors have all their torque (almost 3 times as much as an equal HP petrol engine) available in their entire rev range, from 0 to, say, 40000rpm. Once manufactures find better motors and more importantly better batteries, you'll have your mouths agasp.

 

[William Levesque]

I race electric rc cars that drive 0-60mph in 1,7 secs and outmaneuvre anything. I tell you, the sheer performance of electric racecars of the future will outweigh the cons (noise, gears etc).

No.

 

[johnn34]

Historic car looks very nice. Today it is not in demand and everyone wants to drive new designer cars . But there are rare chances to drive it. You are lucky that you got this opportunity.

 

[angelooliveira]

Nascar because the race are a little more unstable... indy is so precisely!!!

in fact what DO matter for me is the "oval" thing!!

 

[Craig Hume]

It will be alot easier than you can imagine. There is one vital point that sims can not reproduce, which is very important in racing, and that is getting the feeling of what the car is doing through your body. You will have the basic of what to do and what not to do.
I currently race a Formula M single seater (updated model from my profile pic) with a 400 Honda CBR motor.
The cars are nice and quick and super responsive. The back end does sometimes come out on braking, but nothing you cant manage at all. And most times the car will actiually behave. Whatever you might plan or think now will most likely dissapear as soon as you go on track. Your instincts will take over from there and you will react to whats happening at that moment. Go and have fun, enjoy every second of it.

 

[Craig Hume]

Try get to a go-kart track if you can for a warmup. Its one of the easiest and cheapest ways. Even a indoor one would work well.
Just to get accustomed

 

[johnnymat]

I'd have to say I prefer Indy Car over NASCAR.
I know it takes a lot of skill to drive a stock car at a competitive pace over a full race distance. In fact, I think a lot of road racing fans have an unfairly low opinion of the skills needed to race on oval tracks.
I like the variety of street, road course and ovals that Indy Car races on. I'd love to see financially successful Indy Car races at Milwaukee, Phoenix and New Hampshire.
I'm looking forward to the 2012 Indy Car season with more enthusiasm than I've had for a long time.