VanDesmo conversion for '08?

[Purple Frog]

Sean says it would be Formula H. (not Z) What you didn't see in the picture was the salvage electric golf cart we have acquired...The Zuma motor running at a constant 75% in the old fuel cell location, will keep the police interceptor alternator spinning enough to keep all the onboard batteries charged. The rear wheels being driven by electric motor. Sean says i will be particularily good at employing 'coast down' technology to also ramp up the batteries, as he says I start coasting at T8 to make my turn into T10a at Road Atlanta.

Formula Hybrid... the wave of the future. I'm jumping on! You read it here first.

The local golf course manager promises we can get literally thousands of hours on a salvage motor. Making even the much touted Zetes duty cycle look whimpy. A refresh involes just buying another old cart off of eBay then selling off all the parts we don't use. Each multi-thousand hour motor will probably only cost us about $14.97 after the trading.

And get this, he promises we can easily prove that tens of thousands of a given model were sold in the U.S. getting by the committees new proposed manufacturing numbers rule.

We had originally intended to put motors in all 4 uprights, but we haven't figured out how to get by those sticky SCCA rules about 4WD. Prototype will only be rear wheel drive. The 135cm width rule allows us to install batteries down both sides of the car in the large wizzy looking sidepods copied from the Sthor and Speads.


What we give up in top end we make up in not having to make a pit stop but every 25 hours. Really advantageous in 30 minute races.

And the bonus. No sound penalties at places like Waterford. In our dyno tests it seems to make 40db at peak spead ( a loose body panel flapping).

[VehDyn]

but we haven't figured out how to get by those sticky SCCA rules about 4WD.

Just tell tech that they are electromagnetic brakes on the front and you "promise" not to use them for thrust. When they ask you after the race why your inside front tires we spinning and leaving tire marks on slow corners you could just say it was a power surge from the capacitors or something along those lines and it was more of a handling detriment than a gain and you promise to have it fixed the next time. Problem solved.

[R. Pare]

I know the "hybrid' talk has been in jest so far, but....

In fact, a hybrid is perfectly legal with the current rule wording!

[Purple Frog]

Richard, Since we have hijacked this thread...

Steve and I were talking about it at the Runoffs @ Heartburn Park Topeka under the LaRue / Weitzenhof party tent.

Hybrids will be in racing. SCCA could jump on the current "Green" movement and take advantage in their marketing campaign. And what is sexier on the road course? A Prius? (SSH) or a Formula H? No brainer.

So... design me some wings with built in solar cells.

[neildrake]

If Mr Spitler is building the Desmo powered FB, I say bring it on. If the car gets homologation before any engine rule change, of course the car should be allowed to run.

If he's not building this proposed car, awesome. I love that he would even suggest it to stir up some controversy amongst us. It all brings attention to our class..good job!

We need every bit of interest in this class to get the numbers up. Allowing a diverse selection of motor manufacturers and configurations will help this.

I think there should still be a minimum production rule or minimum time on market rule but for now, use the loophole and get people interested in the class. Build something unique!

I could put just much money into a new stohr with all the expensive parts as one could with a converted car with a $50000 motor so the whole dollar thing doesn't bother me. Someone will always have more money than you in racing.

Neil

[Jon Jeffords]

I spoke with a very friendly gentleman at our local Ducati dealership, who also indicated he is a big motorcycle racing fan. Here’s the scoop on the Desmosedici:

The Desmosedici only recently started production, and is being built at the Ducati race facility at the rate of 2 to 4 per day.

None have arrived on US soil yet. They should start arriving here in early January ’08.

MSRP is currently $72,500. Ducati has taken orders for 1,476 bikes; only 24 remain, so get your order in before the Dec 31st cutoff.

They are, or course, US street legal, and are registered as Model Year 2008 vehicles. The bikes come with a 3-year warranty including free regularly-scheduled maintenance.

Each bike comes with a separate “race kit in a box”, including a low-restriction air filter, a complete exhaust system, and an ECU.

Crate motors will not be available. To get one of these motors, you will have to buy the entire bike.

[rynoracer]

I agree with Matt, as usual racers take a perfectly good idea (low cost drive train with great performance) and muck it up. Maybe the F1k/formula b guys need to put there foot down and list a few good powerplants ie: pre 07 R1's, ZX's ect. and draw the line there for the next few years. This would bring down cost and make it easier for the chassis guys to tool up and make stuff a lot cheaper.
There is a group of guys in California who have started a new class at Willow springs.Spec motor, spec chassis, tire ect... and the car sells for under 30k turn key. sounds like these guys have a good idea.

Hopefully the brainsurgeons at S.C.C.A get it together or it sounds like another lackluster class for the future.

BTW the website for the series in California is: www.f1kracecars.com

[Richard Dziak]

The website listed in this thread is quite impressive:

www.f1kracecars.com

These guys may have set a good standard for F1000 type class and the end price of a turn key race car at what seems to be a very attractive price point. Of course the F1K will be have to be shown on the track and I will be very interested to see how this manufactured car performs.

From the price point, if this car really performs well and is accepted by the F1000 racers, they just may be able to dominate the market for new car owners and conversion minded racers.

Only time will tell, but from what I have seen here, it certainly is interesting and time will tell to see how this F1000 is accepted by the general racing community.

While the car is advertised a track day type car, it will be interesting to see a final production run with SCCA specs and price points.

I guess we will have to see what happens and what the acceptance is on the west coast. Some better close up photos and detailed descriptions would certainly be interesting to see, along with who is building the car.

[Lee Stohr]

The car is built by a prep shop that runs Ferrari Challenge cars for Ferrari of Beverly Hills.

[Mark Walthew]

Does the F1K have a solid axle or am I missing something in the photos? I can't see that beng competitive with FB cars if it's a solid axle rear suspension.

[thunderracing91]

.

[ccambern]

Does the F1K have a solid axle or am I missing something in the photos? I can't see that beng competitive with FB cars if it's a solid axle rear suspension.

I think it is a live axle... kinda like a mullet- race car in the front, ATV in the back!

[Daryl DeArman]

SoCal + Motorcycle engine + Ferrari Challenge connection = are these things going to have any connection with Jesse James? I know he took a school with a track day club at Willow.

[preform resources]

Lest we forget the f-500 guys have live rear axles and Brian Novak among others have consistently gone faster than the formula fords and no Penske shocks either,Jay seems to have worked out most of the attendant problems with a live rear axle.
Dave Craddock

[Straight8]

I also saw the post promising a Desmocidici. Remember, it doesn't have to be that particular engine to be a viable Ducati option. They could just as easily run an 848, 745, various Monsters or even a 916 or 999. I would expect one of those first.

Also, couldn't someone as easily take an out of production engine and blueprint the thing for what amounts to an exotic engine? A VF1000 Intercepter maybe? A Norton Commando? A BSA ? Stranger still: A Harley KR or XR, on the face of the current rule, would be permitted even though they are pure racing engines. They are production motors in that Harley probably still builds more XR 750s than any Ducati and likely built at least as many KRs.

As far as capping power is concerned, even with the I4s that everyone focuses on, the intake and exhaust rules - as is - will probably take a good GXR or R1 mill to 200bhp, at least at the crank. And don't forget: even the current and recent 600s are in the 130 to 140bhp range. Currently allowed intake and exhaust mods might take these to, say, 150bhp? You could go the ultra lightweight route with one of these (an R6 perhaps?) and be freer with ballast.

As far as solid axles are concerned, I'm certainly designing mine around that idea. I've read too many engineering books that state a solid axle works as well or better than an irs on a smooth surface, so I'm willing to try that route. Besides, I can adapt any number of rear ends for this so it's cheap