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Recession Proof Horsepower

Recession Proof Horsepower
By Don Terrill (c) - www.RacingSecrets.com

Does the news media have you all wigged out about the economy? Are you looking to cut costs, but still need your racing fix? Well, you can't race for free, but you sure can be smart about how and where you spend your money.

Build Affordable Horsepower:

• Only Build What You Need - The vast majority of racers will build their engine with more horsepower than required. Instead, think about how much power you need and then find the most affordable (and reliable) way to get there.
• Engine Size - If there are no restrictions on engine size, build one large enough so you don't have to put it on meltdown to make power. 400" with a flat tappet cam may be better than 350" with a roller.
• Power-Adders - Throwing reliability out the window, power-adders (nitrous, blowers, etc) can add a lot of bang for the buck. It's hard to beat the HP per Dollar of Nitrous Oxide -- in fact it's impossible.
• Airflow - Have a bunch of rules? Forced to make your horsepower the old fashioned way? Don't waste a penny on titanium rods or other nonsense. Put your money where it counts, in airflow improvements.

Build Reliable Horsepower:

The last thing you need is a blown engine when money is tight. Here are a few tips to help out with engine longevity.

• RPM - There's no bigger killer of engines than too much RPM. Don't spin the engine any harder than required to be competitive. You won't have to give up any performance if you build/tune the engine to work down low.
  
• Compression - The main problem here is the increased risk of detonation as you raise compression ratio. The lower the compression the better, but learning how to read spark plugs will help keep you out of trouble no matter what the compression.
  
• Valvetrain - If you can only afford to build the engine once, then this is no time for any aggressive valve motion. Leave the camshafts with quick ramps and a ton of lift to the rich folks. Get more air into the engine through airflow improvements, not by wilder cam lobe profiles.
  

As for financial success in this economy, I don't see anything more important than protecting your ability to earn, and one of the best ways to do that is by furthering your education -- Make yourself more valuable to the marketplace.

The same goes for your racing success, there's no better bang for the buck than educating yourself. Dummies will never find themselves in the winner's circle very often.

Want to send off a nasty email about how wrong I am? Well, first read this and then write your own article.

Racing Project Management

Racing Project Management
By Don Terrill (c) - www.RacingSecrets.com

If you're serious about racing you need to keep all of your data in one place - a project management folder if you will. Every single engine I've done has had one.

Here are some of the things I've kept in my engine folders:

• Build Sheet - All the engine specs like bearing clearance, etc.
• Part Numbers - All of them
  
• Product manuals
• Camshaft info - Cam card and Camdoctor raw data
• Piston spec sheet
• Cylinder Wall Sonic Test Results
• Flowbench Data - Cylinder Heads, Intake Manifold and Carburetor
• Cam Company Profile Listings
• Track Test Results
• Engine Simulation Software Printouts
• Spin Tron Graphs
• Fuel Testing Results - For fuel mixes and additives
  
• Receipts and Purchase Orders
  
• Photos, Drawings, Charts, etc
  
• Rule Book
• Articles - Print magazines, websites, etc
  
• Notes and Ideas for Improvement - This is the most Important
  
• Contact Info - Inside the front flap of your folder
  
• Create e folders - one in your email program and one on your desktop
  

For hardcore project management, try some of these software titles:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_project_management_software

Want to send off a nasty email about how wrong I am? Well, first read this and then write your own article.

"Best of the Best" - Raceology.com Gets 5-Stars!

"Best of the Best" - Raceology.com Gets 5-Stars!
posted by Don Terrill

Alltop.com has been one of my favorite sites for awhile now. I noticed the other day that they had added a section on auto racing. I clicked on the link expecting to see all the usual players like espn and nascar. They were both there, but then I noticed sites that I'd never heard of - interesting sites. Then, as I scrolled to the bottom of the page, I was in shock, they had listed Raceology.

I wasn't just excited because I love the alltop site, but because it was co-founded by Guy Kawasaki, one of the original Apple employees.

So what? If it wasn't for Steve Jobs and people like Guy Kawasaki, I'd be writing this post on a windows pc - I don't even want to think about it.

Thanks Alltop!

Gooseology and Lessons for Auto Racing

Gooseology and Lessons for Auto Racing
By Don Terrill (c) - www.RacingSecrets.com

Living in Michigan I get to see plenty of Canadian Geese. As most know, they fly in a V formation and make a lot of noise during flight.

Just dumb animals right? Well, maybe we can learn something from them.

Observations:

• Aerodynamics - Like water running downstream, they naturally find the path (in this case formation) of least resistance.
• Efficiency - There is no wasted motion - every movement is for the sole purpose of propelling the body forward.
• Communication - No one knows for sure, but many believe the noise they make during flight is meant to encourage each other to keep going.
  
• Teamwork - In a V formation more drag is placed on the leader, thus they will rotate out of that position to let other more rested geese take their turn at the front.
  

Lessons:

• Take the path of least resistance - Instead of always thinking about how we can add more power or speed, how about focusing on the forces that keep it from happening naturally? How do we minimize the negative effects of these forces?
  
• Get the most out of what you've got - The goal for most types of racing is to get from point A to point B as quickly as possible. Every component and action should be looked at to see if it helps with this ultimate goal. If not, change it or get rid of it.
  
• Build a REAL team - One of the biggest shockers when I first went to work for a Nascar team was the total lack of a team feeling - everyone was just in it for themselves. I have no doubt that building a true team culture will pay off with wins.

Now on to Sheepology.................... uhh, maybe not.

Want to send off a nasty email about how wrong I am? Well, first read this and then write your own article.

Horsepower Maximus - "At My Signal, Unleash Hell"

Horsepower Maximus - "At My Signal, Unleash Hell"
By Don Terrill (c) - www.RacingSecrets.com

Russell Crowe's character in the opening scene of the movie Gladiator wins the battle by heavily stacking the deck in his favor via an overwhelming force. We should do the same.

I've written in the past about the failings of incrementalism - a method of improving by making small changes on a regular basis. It may be the easiest and most affordable path, but it won't help you distance yourself from the rest of the field - because, they're moving at the same slow pace.

From this day forward, I challenge you to think big and always push for the decisive victory.

(1) Fender Swelling Cubic Inch
If you're not traction limited and there are no rules limiting or punishing more cubic inches, go for it - build the largest engine ever used for your type of racing. Heck, put a second engine in the trunk if you want.

(2) Massive Organic Airflow
Your heads flow over 500 cfm? Yawn...no one cares. Why not shoot for a number so high, it's never even been considered before?

(3) Ear Splitting RPM
HP = RPM x Torque / 5252. So, the higher RPM, the more the HP. The catch? You need to be able to feed the engine enough air to sustain the Torque numbers at higher RPMs. Formula 1's 19,000 RPM should be viewed as idling.

(4) Gasket Bursting Compression
Compression Ratio = (D + PV + DC + G + CC) / (PV + DC + G + CC). D = Cubic Inches per cylinder and is above the division line in the formula, so any increase in engine size will lead to higher compression. To reach the limit of your combination, make a mold of your combustion chamber and send it to your piston company to have domes made that perfectly match your heads.

(5) Spring Killing Valve Lift
Some of you will remember when .700 inches of lift was a lot. Today the number is higher, but nothing groundbreaking has happened in the last five decades. How about coming up with a head that flows at 2.0 inches of valve lift and then designing a cam to take advantage of it?

(6) Ginormous Blowers and Turbos
Creating massive organic airflow is not enough, we need to "cheat" and force as much air/fuel mixture into the combustion chamber as possible. We could throw a 6-71 blower or a single turbo charger on the engine, but where's the big thinking?

(7) Fire Hose Fed Nitrous Oxide
A 250 HP nitrous kit? You've got to be kidding me. We want more, much more.

To decide if you're thinking big enough, ask...

• Has it never been done before?
• Does it seem impossible?
• Will people call me crazy?

Yes, yes, yes - then you should consider doing it.

Ok, so I know some of the above is crazy and won't work, but I'm just trying to get you, my racing brothers and sisters, to think big and remember...

What we do in life echoes in eternity.

Want to send off a nasty email about this article? Well, first read this and then write your own article.