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| All news content copyright Michael J. Fuller, unless
otherwise noted |
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3.21.12
>>The FaceBook galleries have ben fleshed out. The technical gallery now has 210 images and the DeltaWing gallery 39.
Some cathing up...
>>We've heard that a second team noted tire debris being thrown forward out of the rear big honking hole.
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 >>One
thing we were struck by, and this isn't a new trend by any stretch for
Lola looking back at pictures from previous years, is how short the
rear overhang is on the B12/60. We calculated for a 646 mm rear
overhang dimension and Lola's Sam Smith confirms, "The maximum overall
length is 4650, and we design to 4640 to give us a bit of
manufacturing/assembly tolerance, comprised by 1000 mm front overhang, 2990 mm wheelbase, and hence 650 mm rear overhang." |
 >>File
under, "they've thought of everything" (or alternatively, they have
more money than they know what to do with), Audi was seen using
portable air gun and air jack-lance backpacks for raising and lowering
the car and removing the tires during scrutineering. |
 >>Rebellion
ran their B11/60 in both front end configurations over the weekend (Le
Mans nose here). Referencing Sam Smith again, "...everything
except MAX down force would run the nose closing panels.
Obviously there's a whole matrix of bits including under body
fences, louvers and dive planes which we have available to tune/balance
the down force on the car. What we found at Sebring was that in
terms of ultimate performance there was nothing to choose between MAX
DF and a config. running slightly less drag, but it was thought that
slightly less drag might make it easier to deal with traffic in a race
situation." |
 >>Lola's
cost-capped B12/80 LMP2 uses cast aluminum uprights that are universal.
That is, the front upright is either a left or a right and the
rears are either a left or a right. Naturally a cast upright is
less expensive while perhaps not "optimized" for weight and strength.
Given the Balance of Performance within LMP2 not being optimized
is less of an issue. |
 >>Zytek's
Z11SN LMP2 had a couple of developments on the car, notably this
outboard panel. Note it compromises of two panels, a leading (1)
and trailing panel. |
 >>The
leading panel can be removed allowing air to pass between the trailing
panel and the fender. Note the aero-section standoffs (1). |
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3.16.12
>>We've posted two galleries onto FaceBook. A technical gallery, and one dedicated to the DeltaWing. |
 >>Talk about unintended consequences, we've spoken with a team that has noted tire debris thrown from the rear big honking fender holes forward
into the mirrors and towards the cockpit and driver. The evidence
being rubber marks all over the sidepod, mirror, and cockpit area where
there typically never was in the past. The other question bandied
about...what happens to visibility when it rains? |
 >>On
our afternoon paddock walk we noticed these vortex generators on the
bottom of the front diffuser on ADR-Delta Oreca 03 Nissan LMP2.
We've seen this detail on the Audis for years, so it's interesting seeing it pop up on another effort. The VGs on the Oreca are generated via rapid prototype. |
 >>Michelotto
showed up at Sebring with a new rear wing for the Ferrari 458 that
apparently was homologated only just before the race (and thus no one
had a look at it at the Sebring test in January) and it is causing a
bit of a stir. The reason for the grumbling is the trailing edge
shape just ahead of the gurney. Recall back to last year at Le Mans
and the new rear wing flaps raced in LMP1. They were designed
with slots (or bumps in the case of OAK Racing) that, because of the
wording regarding the gurney and the wing, allowed the mandatory gurney
to be backed out reducing drag. The regulation states that the
gurney has to be perpendicular to the line that connections the
trailing edge of the wing to the "top" of the wing. And by
locally dropping the height of the trailing edge, through the use of
the slot, the line that connections the trailing edge to the top of the
wing is angled back, and therefore the perpendicity of the gurney
angles back as well. Viola, instant drag reduction. |
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3.15.12
 >>The rear fender holes on both Oak's LMP1 and LMP2 (right) have raised elements ahead of the hole. |
 Conversly, the bodywork ahead of the front fender holes is lowered. |
 >>The
Nissan powered DeltaWing ran today on two occasions. We spoke
briefly with Nissan's Darren Cox and tried to hammer down the origins
of the engine. Yes, RML is behind the powerplant. Given
Nissan's existing relationship with RML naturally it made sense to tap
into their previous 4-cylinder turbo experience (MG, Chevy WTCC, etc).
Cox indicates that the brief handed to RML was for a light weight
turbo 4-cylinder with low fuel consumption. And not to be
pedantic, but the discussions were in the future tense (the engine
will...) and he did admit that the current engine is indeed "interim,"
as mentioned on these pages last week. We suspect the truth is
something like this: the interim engine is most likely
the Chevy WTCC engine given the time tables, and that RML is currently
designing the definitive Nissan specified engine. Mr. Cox did say
that the Nissan brief should produce an engine substantially lighter
than the interim engine.
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 >>On
the HPD ARX-03a the big honking fin attaches to a horizontal cross
brace between the swan neck wing pillars to help further support the
fin. This solution is also used on the Oreca cars; another car
that has twin rear wing mounts. In contrast, the Audi's
singular swan neck mount seamlessly integrates into the big honking
fin, providing needed support and additional rigidity. |
 >>We did have some curiosity if the Sebring R18s would be in pseudo
2012 specification. This shot of the carbon rear end structure
seems to confirm that no, at least in the case of the major 2012
updates (of which we'd call the all-CF gearbox on the R18 e-tron and
ultra a major update), it would appear the answer so far is no. Naturally this isn't to say there isn't something
of the new car on the Sebring cars this weekend, but so far it isn't
evident to our macro magnifying glass (believe it or not, we're not
rivet counters!).
>>8:00am: The Royal "we" has arrived...we'll see what's going on, watch this space.
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