Covers the development and tuning of race car by clearly explaining the basic principles of vehicle dynamics and relating these principles to the input and control functions of the racing driver. An exceptional book written by a true professional.
"Is titanium for you? Can better brakes reduce lap times significantly? How do you choose the rights nuts and bolts? Which is more important, cornering or straight-line speed? Why did it break again? Engineer to Win not only answers these and many other questions, it gives you the reasons why."--Back cover
Take pole position to learn the ground rules, techniques and procedures of driving perception and evaluation. Racing professional Carroll Smith delivers current state-of-the-art techniques for working with your crew to develop and set up your car so that you'll have a competitive tool with which to practice the art of driving.
To make your car handle, design a suspension system, or just learn about chassis, you’ll find what you need here. Basic suspension theory is thoroughly covered: roll center, roll axis, camber change, bump steer, anti-dive, ride rate, ride balance and more. How to choose, install and modify suspensions and suspension hardware for best handling: springs, sway bars, shock absorbers, bushings, tired and wheels. Regardless of the basic layout of your car—front engine/rear drive, front engine/front drive, or rear engine/rear drive—it is covered here. Aerodynamic hardware and body modifications for reduced drag, high-speed stability and increased cornering power: spoilers, air dams, wings and ground-effects devices. How to modify and set up brakes for maximum stopping power and handling. The most complete source of handling information available. “Suspension secrets” explained in plain, understandable language so you can be the expert.
Performance and racing drivers constantly seek ways to sharpen their skills and lower their lap times. Ultimate Speed Secrets is the indispensable tool to help make you faster, whatever your driving goals. Professional race driver and coach Ross Bentley has raced everything from Indycars to World Sports Cars to production sedans, on ovals, road courses, and street circuits around the world. His proven high-performance driving techniques benefit novice drivers as well as professional racers. Ultimate Speed Secrets covers everything you need to know to maximize your potential and your car: Choosing the correct line Overtaking maneuvers Adapting to new tracks and cars The mental game and dealing with adversity Finding (and keeping) a sponsor. The pages are filled with specially commissioned color diagrams to illustrate the concepts described. Whether you are a track-day novice or a seasoned professional, Ultimate Speed Secrets will arm you with practical information to lower your lap times and help you get the best out of your vehicle—and yourself. It’s the ultimate high-performance driving tutorial!
Tuning your Dinghy throws a bright light on the black art of boat tuning. Here is a logical, systematic approach to the problem of setting up your boat and fine-tuning it for maximum speed on all points of sailing. A 'troubleshooting' section at the back of the book shows how to pinpoint and cure specific weaknesses in your boat's performance. Tuning your Dinghy is part of the Sail to Win series - books by world-class sailors and sailing coaches which take a fresh look at the complex subject of racing. Each book gives the detailed expert advice that the competent sailor must have to overcome the "club racer" barrier and compete successfully in international fleets. The emphasis is on practical, effective advice presented in a straightforward, highly illustrated manner.
For most sailors, boat tuning may seem a mystery understood only by sailmakers and the like. In this book, sailor, chandler and championship winner, Ian Pinnell, unravels this daunting subject and will help improve your boatspeed as a result. Since most races are won or lost by a difference of less than 2% of racing time, you will soon be moving up the fleet. With hundreds of photos and diagrams to illustrate every point, the book clearly explains what each control does and how to set it up optimally for different conditions. Additional troubleshooting and skills sections take things even further, making this the bible of dinghy tuning.
This complete guide analyzes the thousands of options available and shows you how to choose the correct fastener for any application, whether it be racing, street performance or restoration. Plus important information on thread cutting, torque, material selection, inserts, panel fasteners and much more. Pub. 1990.
Hand-selected by racing engineer legend Carroll Smith, the 28 SAE Technical Papers in this book focus on the chassis and suspension design of pure racing cars, an area that has traditionally been - farmed out - to independent designers or firms since the early 1970s. Smith believed that any discussion of vehicle dynamics must begin with a basic understanding of the pneumatic tire, the focus of the first chapter. The racing tire connects the racing car to the track surface by only the footprints of its four tires. Through the tires, the driver receives most of the sensory information needed to maintain or regain control of the race car at high force levels. The second chapter, focusing on suspension design, is an introduction to this complex and fascinating subject. Topics covered include chassis stiffness and flexibility, suspension tuning on the cornering of a Winston Cup race car, suspension kinematics, and vehicle dynamics of road racing cars. Chapter 3 addresses the design of the racing chassis design and how aerodynamics affect the chassis, and the final chapter on materials brings out the fact that the modern racing car utilizes carbon construction to the maximum extent allowed by regulations. These technical papers, written between 1971 and 2003, offer what Smith believed to be the best and most practical nuggets of racing chassis and suspension design information.