Round 2 2016 Formula First NSW Championship

[Rayzor]

A few pictures of Round 2 that took place last week at Sydney Motorsport Park.

[Jphoenix]

Some of those Aussie cars have an interesting rear suspension arrangement, looks like pull-rods? Anyone have photo details of what they look like close up - in full disclosure, I'm looking to steal some speed secrets here

I found this photo on google - is this typical of those vees down there? Doesn't look like it's zero-roll, but hard to tell.

[Bill Bonow]

That's actually an FV from the UK.
Guy Bellingham knows all about it and I'm sure could add some detail.

[Rayzor]

Here are pictures of the rear suspension of two of Australia's fastest Vees, possibly the two very fastest Vees.
The first is the Checkmate, (of which there is only one, but another will be finished in the next few weeks). The Checkmate has won so many National Titles and Australian Series we have lost count. See the Formula Vee Association of New South Wales June 2016 magazine at http://www.fvansw.asn.au/ for a story on this car.
The other is the Ryan Reynolds Sabre 02, which is currently leading the NSW State Championship. There are about 20 Sabre 02's built, and which have won several State Championships, and I think a National trophy or two.
I can think of only one pull rod twin coil/damper car built in Australia in recent years (called the Corsica) which is slowly getting closer to the front.
Most of our newer cars are Jacers, which are transverse pushrod operated coilovers (like the Sabre), with the occasional Mako (twin direct coilovers), and Stingers (transverse pushrod operated coilovers).

[Jphoenix]

Thanks for those photos - those rear suspension designs appear to be very far advanced over anything I've seen so far. Very interesting and complex.

[Jphoenix]

In the photo of the Checkmate, it appears the shocks have data acquisition pots? And a mass airflow sensor in the cooling fan inlet? That is some serious stuff!

[Rayzor]

Yes on the damper travel sensors, but its an air flow switch, not a mass flow sensor. If the fan belt breaks, it simply shows a warning light on the dash. An engine at full load only lasts a lap or two without air from the fan, but you sure do get a big kick in the back!
We are quite proud of our cars. The Checkmate has been very dominant at National level, and the Sabre 02's have knocked the Jacers off the top step, although the latest Jacer (the F2K14) has won a National Series and has started to regain Jacers former glory.
We have found absolutely that Formula First is the way to go. Many parts are cheaper and more available, and the entire package needs less set up time (no more brake drum adjustments, less jet changes, no more gearbox changes just to change the diff ratio, and its nice to have only 16 wheel studs rather then 20), is more equal on the track, and is more durable. And most of all, it added years of life to our category. There is no way we would still be racing at the level we are in every Australian State if it wasn't for the modernisation that Formula First provided. This included releasing the older spec 1200 cars at lower cost to some smaller states, which increased their grids.
The cost of tyres are our problem at the moment. We ran Dunlops for several years (same ones as England and Ireland Vees and Historic Fords) but they went out of production in England a couple of years ago. Hoosiers were the only alternative, and their price was OK until the Aussie dollar collapsed from a peak of US$1.10 now down around US$0.74. And the rears are wearing too fast.
A South East Asian manufacturer has developed tyres especially for us and is waiting for a contract to go up for grabs (may be in a couple of years), and there is a rumour that Dunlops may be going back into production soon in Portugal.

[Rayzor]

Here is one more rear suspension on an Aussie Formula Vee. This car won the 2014 Australian Formula Vee Series.