No whining in racing!

No whining in racing!
By Tami Eggleston (c) - www.DrivingSecrets.com

In the movie "A League of their Own," Tom Hanks playing a coach says to his softball players, "There is no crying in baseball!" Well, the same thing applies to all sports in my opinion. I am not saying that sometimes really bad things happen in sports, there is bad weather, there are bad officials, there are annoying opponents, but you know what? Great athletes know how to learn from things, control what they can, make the best of bad situations, and they don't whine. Instead of focusing on whining, focus on winning!

Case in point, last weekend we went out to racing for the first drag race of the season. Now there were lots of things to whine about. First off, we had troubles with our generator, took it to a shop, and of course the person did not get it fixed in time for us to take to the track--so we have to get electricity for our battery charger from our friends and we have no generator in our motor home (not fun!). Then the weather was typical spring weather and it was cold and rainy--(also not fun). All the racers were complaining about the cost of fuel and race fuel (and yeah, that is definitely not fun). But you know what, if you can't control it, learn from it, and then deal with it...and at the end of the weekend, we not only didn't whine, but the tuffpaw.com dragster went to the winner's circle in super comp (and yeah, that was definitely fun!)

10 Early Season Performance Tips

10 Early Season Performance Tips
By Don Terrill (c) - www.RacingSecrets.com

It's your first time out this year and you're not happy with the results - Your car feels short on power. At this point most racers will go on a witch hunt to find the one item causing the entire shortfall. Rarely is this the case, more often it's 10 little things adding up to one big problem. Here are 10 I see over and over:

(1) Ignition Timing
Some engines are very touchy to ignition timing - I've seen 2 degrees too little cost 10hp or more and 2 degrees too much cost over 30 hp. An engine or chassis dyno is the best way to find the sweet spot. If that's not an option, learn how to read spark plugs.

(2) Air/Fuel Mixture
If you're still running out of the box jetting on your carburetor, odds are it's fat and costing you power. You can't blame the carb manufacturers for wanting to play it safe and avoid a mass of angry customers who race at sea level in 40 degree (f) weather. Learning how to read plugs is critical to getting it right, but most applications can benefit from going leaner.

(3) Gasoline Mix
I can't even remember the last time I ran gas straight out of the drum/pump. The trick is getting as much oxygen content in the gas as possible with just enough octane to stay out of detonation. Less than max compression engines have the most to gain from getting the fuel mix just right. If you're brave enough and the rules allow it, you can try some of the additives meant to boost oxygen. Depending on the amount oxygen added, you may need to re-jet.

(4) Forced Air
This is not the time to consider a blower or turbo charger, but what about a hood scoop or cowl? For a forward facing hood scoop make sure it's high enough to catch the positive pressure coming off the front of the car. A rear facing cowl hood makes it a lot tougher to find and capture that positive pressure - testing with a manometer will help. With either setup, make sure you've got a tight fitting air pan or your efforts will be for naught. Also, if the car slows down when you seal the air pan, your scoop/cowl is in the wrong spot.

(5) Cold Air
You can easily find 10 hp for every 10 degrees (f) lower you can make the air going into the engine. A hood scoop or cowl is best, but if you're forced to pull air from under the hood, there are still some things you can do: (1) Create a "Cold Air Kit" that pulls air from in front and to the side of the radiator. (2) Paint the top of your hood white to stop the sun from adding to the problem.

(6) Oil Volume
On a wet sump engine you lose approximately 10 hp for each additional quart of oil you run, so stop letting oil pan manufacturers dictate how much oil you run - nobody needs 12 quarts of oil. On a dry sump engine the oil level in the pan is controlled by the scavenge side of the pump, so to keep the level as low as possible consider more stages and bigger hoses.

(7) Oil Pressure
You can lose as much as 5 hp for each additional 10 psi of oil pressure you run. You lower it at your own risk, but I've seen engines making over 700 hp run fine on less than 40 psi. For dry sump engines it's an easy adjustment, for wet you'll have to decide if it's worth the effort.

(8) Oil Type & Weight
The debate was over a long time ago - synthetic oils do free up power - You can expect 5 to 10 horsepower when switching from mineral based oils. Weight should be matched to rod/main bearing clearance and the temperature the oil runs at - the more the clearance or the higher the temperature, the "thicker" the oil required.

(9) Shift Points
It cost nothing to make sure you're shifting at the right rpm. If you have dyno numbers, try a fuzz over peak power and test from there. Of course you can always use your internal dyno - our ability to feel g-force - It's crude, but better than nothing. Here's a clue: If you feel pushed back in the seat immediately after a shift, you were late - which is a lot worse than being early.

(10) Gear Ratio
Ignoring traction or longevity issues, the majority of cars don't have enough gear ratio. Drag racing and short track stock cars should top out well over peak power. Big track stock cars or any type of racing where you spend a lot of time at one rpm should hang closer to peak power.

Building Your Own Headers - Part 3

Building Your Own Headers - Part 3
By O'Darrell Poole (c)

In our first two articles (1) (2) we discussed the characteristics of a properly designed and tuned header. In this month's article we will discuss some theory on the gas flow in a tube and also the difference between mandrel bent and welded headers.

Tube Bending
So that a piece of tubing can be bent and maintain consistent wall thickness as well as cross sectional area a mandrel type bender is used. When headers are made with mandrel bent tubing that use 1 piece of tubing per primary cylinder, bend radius is limited to 1 � times the tubing diameter. In designing a header of this type and merging multiple primary tubes into one collector variations in tubing length are inevitable. Due to limited room and available radiuses header design must be compromised and a under performing header is the usual outcome. Some will disagree and say "when I installed my set of brand X headers to replace my stock manifolds my performance increased and � mile et and mph improved." Unfortunately what had really happened is that the stock design manifold was produced for mass production and was designed to meet many different operating conditions and its not performance, so that bolting almost anything to the head to replace the stock manifolds will produce more power because of reduced restriction. You will also find for example in a small block Chevy that a poorly designed header of unequal length primary tubes will produce fouled plugs usually in the front and rear cylinders and nicely tuned centre cylinders. This is because the tubing in the middle cylinders is pretty close to the properly tuned length for the conditions of the engine and the front and rear cylinders are to long and to short (in tubing length ) and cause exhaust to be forced back into the cylinders (inert gas) mixed with fresh gas and a misfire results. I would never recommend using unequal length or one piece primary headers on ANY ENGINE EVER!!! The potential to damage your engine is far more expensive than buying a set of headers that are properly sized and tuned for your engine. Now while custom made headers or welded headers are much more expensive than the ones we have just discussed the advantages are well worth it. Custom made or welded headers will still use mandrel bent tubing but because they can be cut and rewelded at any spot and position necessary the lengths and design of the header will not be compromised. Although welded headers are sometimes extremely difficult to build because the primaries may have to snake their way through and around each other to achieve equal length primaries the performance gains are well worth the effort and at plug check time all the cylinders will be burning the same. I image my e-mail box will be full of comments from those who will say that the welds cause gas flow problems because of the weld intrusion into the primary pipe.

Gas Flow in Pipes
When gas or a liquid travels down a pipe there is what is called a gradient of flow. This means that the gas or liquid in the centre or middle of the pipe moves faster and speed diminishes as it gets closer to the outer wall of the tube and is actually almost no movement on the wall itself. As an example take a walk to the nearest quick running stream in your area. Notice out in the centre of the stream that the current is carrying the water quiet quickly now walk to the edge of the stream and notice the water at the shore line it's barely moving!! This is the same way that a header tube works. The gas in the centre of the primary pipe is traveling extremely fast (1,700ft/sec) but at the tubing wall is almost at a stand still therefore while a poor weld and gobs of weld protruding into the primary pipe from a weld will adversely affect gas flow, a properly cleaned and applied weld fillet with proper penetration will have no effect on gas flow.

Remember we welcome your questions on intake and exhaust systems as well as any comments you may have. Stay tuned for more articles on intake and exhaust systems in upcoming articles.

O'Darrell Poole
Autocraft Dynamic Design Inc.
E-mail: autocraftdynamicdesign@live.ca

Racing Sponsorship - Fast Tips Vol.4

Racing Sponsorship - Fast Tips Vol.4
By Don Terrill (c) - www.RacingSecrets.com

(1) Prove it
Telling someone you can help their business is one thing, but being able to prove it is another - The latter infinitely more powerful at persuading potential sponsors. Ask your current sponsors for testimonials and then build a "proof portfolio" by tracking and documenting all of your marketing efforts going forward - hopefully successful efforts.

(2) Overreact
A normal reaction to being short on sponsors is to say, "I'll just try harder." - Unfortunately, This will only get you more of the same. An overreaction would be to revamp your entire team funding system - from how you find prospective sponsors, to how you pitch them, to how you eventually close them. Use this method whenever you're faced with a problem in any area of your life - Ask, "How can I overreact?"

(3) Don't be a Victim
Don't blame the economy, politicians or your lack of free time - If you don't have enough team funding or anything else in your life, it's no one else's fault but your own. Now the question is, what are you going to do about it? How about first taking responsibility for the problem? From that position you'll realize you have the power to fix it.

(4) Make your own Luck
"Luck" can be as simple as convincing someone with the power to "open a door" for you, to do so. Find those people who have the power to help in your sponsorship efforts (e.g. someone who can introduce you to business owners) and then prove that their efforts to help won't be wasted - in other words you won't blow the "luck" they give you.

(5) Play Offense
An example of playing defense would be BEGGING your current sponsors to sign up for another year. Playing offense would be STATING that you have so many sponsors, "you may have to let some go." Playing defense would be ASKING for a renewal of last year's deal. Playing offense would be REQUIRING 20% more.

photo by i_harrier

Building your Own Headers - Part 2

Building your Own Headers - Part 2
By O'Darrell Poole (c)

As we discussed in our first column the design characteristics of our headers fall into 4 distinct categories. To recap they are as follows

1) Primary Pipe Diameter
2) Primary pipe Length
3) Collector Diameter
4) Collector Length

While the diameter and the length of both the primary and collector pipes are of extreme importance there are other very important factors in header design. We will discuss 3 necessary elements.

1) Cylinder Head to header primary pipe entrance
Maintaining gas flow velocity is vital in proper exhaust scavenging. If your header flange is causing a partial blockage (by way of size or shape) turbulence will be step up at the time when velocities are at its highest therefore turbulence will be at its highest. If your header flange opening is to large gas velocities are slowed down and will effect the timing of the negative pressure pulse used to promote scavenging and cause the pulse to come well after TDC. To ensure proper flow from cylinder head to primary pipe use a header flange shaped to match your head (square, circle, rectangle) and merge it into your primary pipe. Using a header flange with short starter tubes that transition from your square (cyl head port) to your primary pipe ( curcular) is common practice.

2) Primary Pipe to Collector Merging
Maintaining gas velocities into and beyond the collector merge point is sometimes overlooked. The collector is not only the spot where the primary tubes merge into one but must also promote smooth transition from primary pipes to our collector pipe. The method used by some is to weld the centre section together with a small piece of metal to help reduce the dead zone left when for example four pipes meet. Another method is to bring the edges of the pipes together in the centre to form a cross where by eliminating all together the dead zone and welding them together. I prefer the ladder method as it promotes smooth transition with no dead zone.

3) True Equal Length Headers
Apparently equal length headers to some does not mean primary pipe length's that are the same length to every cylinder. We have seen headers primary pipe length vary from cylinder to cylinder by as much as 15". Our internal combustion engine is nothing more than a air pump that we put extensive time into making all the internals the same. Examples are compression ratio's, cylinder head volume, intake tract length, and camshaft lift and durations. Now no one would ever think of putting 8 different pistons in a engine or having cylinder head volumes differ by 25% or have a camshaft ground with 8 different profiles, so why would we put 8 different lengths of pipe on the exhaust side of our engine. Utilizing sound wave and pressure wave technology in our exhaust system is free power and once you have gone through the task of determining proper primary pipe length for your header and then not taking advantage of that imformation is just silly. Design your header for your RPM range then use that length on all cylinders and get equal power from all cylinders.

Stay tuned for more information on designing and building your own headers in up coming columns. We welcome your intake and exhaust system questions!!!! Contact us at autocraftdynamicdesign@live.ca O'Darrell Poole

Mental Tool Box!

Mental Tool Box!
By Tami Eggleston (c) - www.DrivingSecrets.com

Every year I conduct a workshop at the Drag News Magazine Expo. In January, 2008 I did a workshop called, "the Mental Tool Box." We all have a tool box we take to the race track full of tools we need to work on the race car, but we also need to make sure our mental tool box has the right tools. At the Expo I asked the racers who attended my seminar and completed the survey the following question, “If you could give just one piece of advice to a racer to help them win, what would that piece of advice be?” I thought this would be a pretty interesting question and I received a wide range of answers and I want to share some of them.

1.) Stay Focused. Concentrate. Stay in the present. Focus on the task at hand. Be in the here and now! Don’t be distracted. Don’t let your surroundings interfere with your concentration. Take it one round at a time.
2.) Be positive. Have a positive mental attitude. Give it all you got!
3.) Race your own race. Never be intimidated by the other car or driver.
4.) Be the same all of the time. Be consistent. Have a good routine.
5.) Practice. Seat time.
6.) Preparation. Prepare everything. Check and recheck everything!
7.) Visualize. See what you are going to do.
8.) Be comfortable in your car. Know your vehicle. Have the best car you can.
9.) Relax. Stay calm. Don’t get stressed. Don’t choke. Keep cool (have a cool head). Relax and do your thing!
10.) Have confidence. Believe in yourself. Learn to trust your gut. Make your moves on instinct.
11.) Have fun.
12.) Don’t give up. Be Patient!
13.) Don’t be afraid to lose. Deal with losing. Learn from failures.
14.) Listen to people that know what they are doing.

The above list was really pretty darn good and I think it is good to remind ourselves about the above list. I would also like to point out that at my seminar there were some fantastic racers, some of these people have won a lot of races and some have raced for a long time, so I think this list is pretty complete.

So what's in your mental tool box? What do you need to work on and add to your tool box to help take you to the winners circle?

Last Minute Power

Last Minute Power
By Don Terrill (c) - www.RacingSecrets.com

Ok, you're almost finished with your new engine - all the machine work is done and you're ready to assemble. But, you're starting to worry about power - it won't be enough. Now what?

Well, this is no time to fiddle with cubic inches, compression or new cylinder heads, but there are still things you can do to help power that won't require starting from scratch.

Camshaft
If you've got enough piston-to-valve clearance (measure it, don't assume) and you're not sure about your cam choice, maybe it's time to sell it and try again. For more power focus on picking the right intake duration and then getting as much lift as possible for that duration. Make sure the valve springs (and your maintenance schedule) can handle the increased stress from a more aggressive lobe design.

Rocker Arms
More intake rocker ratio can be a real help - especially if you think the cam is a fuzz short on duration. In addition to the warnings above, make sure the increased rocker ratio won't create clearance problems between the side of the pushrods and cylinder head. A rough estimate for the piston-to-valve clearance lost with a 0.1 increase in rocker ratio is 0.1 x lobe lift @ TDC (a spec listed by most cam companies).

Intake Manifold
Not a ton of power to be found here, but an easy swap. If your manifold was designed 40 years ago (many were), you may want to look at some of the newer offerings. Also, don't get all caught up in having a perfect gasket match - As long as the manifold port is smaller, but not radically smaller, than that of the cylinder head, you'll be fine. Don't believe me? Back to back it on the dyno.

Carb Spacer
Most applications will benefit (max power) from having the tallest carb spacer the hood will allow. Try a 4-hole spacer nicely blended into an open - It doesn't work on all applications, but it works more often than not.

Carburetor
If your carburetor still has a choke tower on it, you're leaving at least 1ohp on the table. Upgrade to a newer high flow model or modify the one you've got - which is not that hard. http://racingsecrets.com/holley_carburetors.shtml

Headers
Not that cheap anymore, but a simple bolt on. If your headers are the wrong tube diameter, replace them. If you think you've got the right tube diameter, then cut off the collectors and get a set of merge models - they do work. Buy the slip on models if you want to do some tube length testing by adding extensions between the header and collector, or if you want to try different collectors down the road.

Oil Pan
Wet or dry sump, anything you can do to get the oil away from the crankshaft will help free up horsepower. In fact, it's impossible, from a power standpoint, to get the oil pan too big or too deep. And when you're done, don't defeat the whole purpose by adding more oil to the pan.

Take on the "Big Guys"

Take on the "Big Guys"
By Don Terrill (c) - www.RacingSecrets.com

This will go against how society has taught us to think, but I believe it's dangerous to assume someone else is better or smarter just because of their position or title. I'll even go one step further and say it's dangerous to think that way about anyone, at anytime, on any topic.

Use this as your default until you see proof to think otherwise.

Cornell University Findings:

Top performers tended to underestimate their own performance compared to their peers. The researchers found that those participants fell prey to the false-consensus effect, a phenomenon where one assumes that one's peers are performing at least as well as oneself when given no evidence to the contrary.

Not only that, but we overweight certain evidence, like seeing Nascar crew members on TV and assuming they're the best of the best - From my experience, only 20% of them actually deserve to be there.

Here is a litmus test for deciding if you can move to the next level of racing and compete with the "Big Guys": Are you winning at your current level? Yes? You're ready!

Then, just keep moving up until you prove the Peter Principle. (Which I probably did by writing this article) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Principle

Want to find your level of incompetence in a hurry? Try the Leapfrog Theory. http://racingjob.com/2005/08/leapfrog-competition.html

Now for the other side of the coin: Cornell not only discovered that top performers underestimated their ability, but that bottom performers overestimated theirs. Yep, I'm sure we all know a "few" of these.

Summary:

• Question all of your assumptions about the competition - because many are unfounded.
• If you've won at your current level, create a plan to move up - it's time.
  

photo by suddencomfort2

2007's Top Engine Building Posts

2007's Top Engine Building Posts
By Don Terrill (c) - www.RacingSecrets.com

Fatal Mistakes....
Indexing spark plugs ??
Micrometer choices????
old school vs modern, can it be done
PUMP GAS
When does a firing order swap on a SBC become an advantage??
Cam profile in relation to airflow curve
Interesting flat tappet pre break-in treatment.
power pulses and rpm
Rotating weight.....crankshaft....bobweight
intake port screens?
I specialize in Filtration and would like to share so info:
valve to piston clearance
700+hp N.A. Ford engine ideas, budget.
Suggestions please...600hp sbc buildup
horsepower increase w/ dry sump and vacuum pump
Valve Size
I.E ratio for heavy nitrous 565
KB hypers & timing
squirter pullover,,dominators
Let's talk assembly lube
Holley Carburetor Emulsion
What is the most effective windage tray for a SBC?
TQ vs. HP which is more important. . .
The great torque/HP debate
Bearing damage analysis
race oil
Singh Groove testing redux and CFD for groove positioning.
carbs and fouled plugs on the street big solid roller cam...
Camshaft profile design - hard on parts?
k&n stub stack
Standard Vs High Volume Oil Pump Pressure.
Diagnosing hurt motor
balancing holes ?
Weirdest engine rattle ever, BBC454. Help!
Minimum quench in BBC?
Square Headers??
too much compression vs. cam timing, what happens?
Has anyone here done any testing on mufflers
Suggestions for "pullover"
Oxygenated Fuel??
Does MSD make power?
Why does this car burn my eyeballs right out of my face??
Squeezing more HP out of a 434
Question about repeated bearing failure
1000HP SBC in the Making
How much vacuum does an intake port really see?
Would like to find 70 hp from my 582
Solid vrs roller cam on a street motor
Where does power come from?
Pump gas BBC street motor
Pushrod Deflection
head flow vs cam choice
Why are carbs still use in racing if F.I. is so much better
Intake/Exhaust ratio
HP - RATE - Actual Performance
high lift flow backing up
compression ratio limit
Quench v.s. Squish?
Help analyze port design, pictures within...
cfm gain to horsepower gain correlation
Port Velocity vs RPM Range
Port Area Curve
intersting head design
Cam Gurus, Question about Dynamic Compression
% Mixture burned/crank angle
Valve shrouding - myth or fact?
Detonation starts on intake side of chamber. True?

Plan Your Work & Work Your Plan

Plan Your Work & Work Your Plan
By Milt Gedo (c) - www.sponsorship-101.com

What are your goals and plans for this new year and new racing season? Besides the obvious goal of winning more races, what are your goals regarding sponsorship for 2008? Are you seeking a primary sponsor, or looking to add an associate sponsor to your team? Will you improve existing programs and relationships?

Whatever your goals are for 2008, it’s important to have a plan and to work your plan. As in all areas of life, first you set your sights then you chart a course to reach them…racing and sponsorship are no different. If your goals for this season are to become a sponsored racer or to increase your sponsorship income, I’ve outlined a basic plan below:

Step 1: List your team assets. The first step in finding sponsorship is to discover what your race team has to offer a potential sponsor. To clarify, assets in this case doesn’t mean race car, trailer, etc., rather what types of actions your team can offer a company to help them achieve their marketing goals. Your actions should be classified as “at-track”, “off-track”, and “media”. This first step requires a lot of thought, and it’s best to brain-storm with another person (spouse, car owner, crew chief, etc) while developing your list. Remember to think outside the box and think big!

Step 2: Create a list of potential sponsors. After you have a good list of team assets, the next step is to create a list of companies you think might be a good fit for motorsports sponsorship. As in step one, it’s very important to think outside the box while creating this list. Think of new companies/industries that are currently not involved in racing, but that might target the demographics you can reach. This is NOT the time to analyze each potential sponsor… you’ll do that in the next step. What’s important here is to build a list of good, quality prospects… the more the better.

Step 3: Know your prospects. Once your list of potential sponsors is complete, it’s time to trim the list down to several solid prospects. This step could possibly be the most time consuming, but cannot be skipped. There are many questions you must answer about each prospect to determine if they are eligible for motorsports sponsorship, and more importantly if they would be a good sponsor for YOUR team. Some of the questions you must answer include: Who are their customers? How do they reach them now? What is their annual marketing budget? What is their marketing strategy? As you research each company on your prospect list, you’ll eliminate companies that don’t “fit” the required profile. Don’t be surprised if you cross-off 80-85% of companies off your list. But the remaining 15-20% will be very good potential sponsors, and these are the companies you should expend all your efforts to pursue.

Step 4: Contact your prospects. At this point, you should have 10-20 companies that are very good prospects for sponsorship of your race team. Now you need to contact each prospect, via mail, phone, or in person (if possible). Your goal here is to engage in a conversation, explain how your actions fit into their marketing strategies, and how your race team can help them with their marketing. Your second goal is to have your prospect ask to see “something in writing”, i.e. a proposal. If you get one of your prospects to ask for a proposal, you are very, very close to reaching a sponsorship agreement. Also, you can be confident your proposal will be read and studied, as opposed to most UNSOLICITED proposals that usually end up in the garbage, unread.

Step 5: Send a custom proposal. You are now ready to send a proposal to a prospect that has expressed interest in your racing program. Be sure you do NOT send a generic, one-size-fits-all proposal. You should send proposals that are customized for each individual prospect, including action pages and demographic pages. I wrote a detailed book about proposals, “How-To Write a Winning Proposal”, which is available through RacingSecrets.com. I recommend anybody who is SERIOUS about sponsorship purchase this valuable book. Remember, you get one chance to make a good impression, and your proposal is usually that one chance… don’t blow it!

Step 6: Follow up and close the deal. After sending your proposal, give your prospect adequate time to review it (about 1 week is normal), then make a follow-up phone call or visit (if possible). Answer any questions or concerns, review the actions you’ve offered, and then ask them what the next step should be. At some point you’ll negotiate a budget, but if you’ve done your research properly, your budget and their budget should be fairly close. Remember not to undervalue or overvalue your program, and be prepared to adjust your actions to fit their budget. Lastly, after you close the deal, remember to ALWAYS fulfill your commitments, give your sponsor more than they paid for, and stay in contact! If you do these things, you’ll enjoy a long relationship with your sponsor.

Now you have your goals, you have your plan… go work it! Good luck in 2008 both on the track and off, and thank you for your loyal readership!

Milt Gedo has been involved in motorsports marketing for over 12 years and helps sportsman racers acquire sponsorship through seminars and personal coaching. As an NHRA racer, Milt has a unique perspective on the struggle most Sportsman racers face in their quest for sponsorship. Milt is a full-time racer with sponsors such as KD Kanopy, American Racing Wheels, Goodyear and others. You can reach Milt at www.sponsorship-101.com

photo by: FlyingJ054100