Corvette C5-R pace

[JAG]

Reading todays Autosport, it says the Vettes are rumoured to have lapped Sebring 3 seconds quicker than last years pole, with the new, smaller rear wing!

[RM40]

Must be the Michelins.

[JAG]

The article also says the cars have been substnacially revised as well. Particulalry to gain back lost downforce and improve weight distribution/packaging.

[Bob Riebe]

I was going to put a substnacal on my new car but if it has been revised, I will wait.
Bob

[SALEEN S7R]

I thought the rear wings were staying the same size as last year. 200cm, Thats what I read on the ACO regulations anyway at www.lemans.org Odd that the wing size is being decreased, I thought this was only for the old LMP 900 and LMP 675 machines which will be running 180cm rear wings. :confused:

[JAG]

Originally posted by SALEEN S7R
I thought the rear wings were staying the same size as last year. 200cm, Thats what I read on the ACO regulations anyway at www.lemans.org Odd that the wing size is being decreased, I thought this was only for the old LMP 900 and LMP 675 machines which will be running 180cm rear wings. :confused:

Looking at the pictures of the new wing, it looks to be 200cm, but IMO definately shorter than the 2003 wing.

Maybe the old regs stated that the rear wing could be as wide as the rear of the car, whereas now all cars have to have the same standardised 200cm wing.

The cars classed as Supercars under the ACO regs (Zonda, Saleen, Maserati etc.) will have a less effective wing and front splitter, than the regular GTS cars. This is the ACOs way to hold back the performance of the Supercars compared to the 575, 550, Viper, C5-R etc.

[RacingManiac]

Doesn't ALMS postpone the introduction of the new rule though...

[JAG]

For LMP1 only.

[Patrick B]

Here's the rule's on GTS wings-

e.1 - The wing (including end plates) shall be framed in a volume the maximum dimensions of which are
: 52 cm (longitudinally and horizontally) x 15 cm (height) x width as defined in the ACO homologation form. The width of the wing is equivalent to the width of the windscreen measured in its half height + 300 mm. However, it must not exceed 1900 mm, nor the width of the road car across the
rear wheel axle.

http://www.lemans.org/univers_sport/...ts_2004_gb.pdf

[RM40]

Also, remember that the temperatures, and possible track configuration is different. This could mean extra run-off, curbing, etc. to use. Plus, the restrictors are back to normal size. How are the times compared to 2001?

[RobweenerPI]

Have you ever seen a pic of the vette side by side with the 550. The rear end on those cars is a parachute compared to the 550 which is much much smaller. The wedge shaped vette has to knock a huge hole in the air. Anything to reduce the size of the wing would be a huge advantage in a straight line for that car. I think the ferrari's were something like 10mph quicker down the straights at Leman. I bet what alot was blamed on crappy motors was really bad basic aero they were saddled with because of the shape of the streetcar.

[RacingManiac]

Crappy motor....right...

Prodrive made the 550 to suit the faster European tracks, and particularly Le Mans, Ron Fellows was quoted last year when he came to as a guest to Ryerson's FSAE team saying the Ferrari is about 30kph faster down Mulsanne than they are running....In ALMS races though the difference isn't as significant, as the Vette is making more downforce with their wider bodywork. In fact Corvette went to the wider body work for that exact reason of additional downforce in the late 2000 season. Fellows also said with the old body the car can touch 200mph approaching the 1st chicane at Le Mans while they can't with the new one....

[JAG]

Originally posted by RM40
Also, remember that the temperatures, and possible track configuration is different. This could mean extra run-off, curbing, etc. to use. Plus, the restrictors are back to normal size. How are the times compared to 2001?

Are you sure the restrictors are back to 2002 levels?

[SALEEN S7R]

Jag I too read this last year when the 2003 restrictors were applied. The LMP 1 and LMP 2 class cars along with GTS and GT should be running with the 2002 sizes. The LMP 900 and LMP 675 cars will use the 2003 restrictors though. Oh and with regards to the rear wing sizes, I think u will find that all GTS class cars have 200cm rear wings. Its just more noticable on cars like the Corvette, as its quite a wide car, where as the 575's, Maserati's and Saleens are a bit narrower I think.

[JAG]

Saleen in an earlier post it says the rear wing is the same length as the middle part of the windscreen.

Previously it may have been the width of the rear part of the car.

Could this be a rule to discourage 'prototype like' GTS cars with narrow cockpits like the Bentley.

[David]

For the technically inclined, this Machine Design article about Aletheon Technologies LLC (since early 2002 a unit of Pratt & Miller Engineering - the company the builds and races the C5-R for GM) has some interesting insights into the capabilities of modern race teams.



Above - the flow around a 2002 C5-R. I wonder how different it will be for 2004?

C5-R History

[jhansen]

Interesting bits in this article. Terry Borcheller says ACEMCO will focus on reliability for Sebring, and work on outright pace after Sebring. He reckons the Saleen is not up to snuff in terms of speed when compared to the Corvettes.

http://www.crash.net/uk/en/news_view...id=9&nid=87316