04-17-2020, 09:06 PM
(This post was last modified: 07-18-2020, 02:18 AM by Terry Bentley.)
Chapter 30
Tuesday finally came around. From the weekends disappointment to this race finally underway, there had a bunch of discussion going around around about old tried and true verses new engineering developments. Some even referred to it as revolutionary. Alrighty then....
Of the 33 entries all but one were running conventional tube axles front and rear. 30 of these were equipped with the conventional torsion bar suspension. This had proven reliable and been the normal for years now. But this year there were two cars using coil spring with damper style shocks that had been developed by Monroe.
All of the pre-race chatter from the announcers and even continuing during every caution they were commenting about one particular car that had made the field. It was Jack Brabhams Cooper Climax. He started in the lucky number 13th position.
The announcers kept going over how much different this car was compared to all of the others in this years field. Its wheelbase was six inches shorter. The tread width, measuring from center to center of tires, was on average of about three inches wider. The car sat up noticeably taller too. It looked like a grass hopper in a swarm of beetles as one announcer had described it.
One big difference was the engine was in the rear of car instead of front design like the other entries. This wasnt something new, but never had proven to having a big advantage from previous years attempts.
There was one major difference in this car with its all four wheel independent suspension. It used a coil and damper system like those other two cars had been equipped, but developed by Armstrong in Great Britain.
They kept going on about this car was focused on and centered around last years Formula 1 design. With the engine in rear of car the frontal area was much less, that should reduce drag in open air. This is comparing against the other front engine entries.
Something that was repeated over and again was engine size and weight differential. This car was powered by the Conevtry Climax built engine. The engine was 80 cubic inches smaller and about 150 horsepower less that the 32 other competitors.
Another thing in its favor, this car was about 500 pounds less weight. But 150 less horsepower sure was a lot to give up even at that weight difference. Once you get these cars up to speed that weight didnt seem to be as much a factor. Maybe it wasnt as they were going on about.
For the last few years that I have been more interested in this race, didnt usually favor any driver in particular, but had my eye on either Parnelli Jones or A J Foyt. Eddie Sachs won pole position two years running and seemed to be a highly likely candidate from many of the commentators.
I never focused on anyone that started in front. They usually hold the lead early on, then seemed to drop out or crash before any chance of proving their driving skills. Anyway it isnt a real race to just lead the whole way. That is boring.
Tuesday finally came around. From the weekends disappointment to this race finally underway, there had a bunch of discussion going around around about old tried and true verses new engineering developments. Some even referred to it as revolutionary. Alrighty then....
Of the 33 entries all but one were running conventional tube axles front and rear. 30 of these were equipped with the conventional torsion bar suspension. This had proven reliable and been the normal for years now. But this year there were two cars using coil spring with damper style shocks that had been developed by Monroe.
All of the pre-race chatter from the announcers and even continuing during every caution they were commenting about one particular car that had made the field. It was Jack Brabhams Cooper Climax. He started in the lucky number 13th position.
The announcers kept going over how much different this car was compared to all of the others in this years field. Its wheelbase was six inches shorter. The tread width, measuring from center to center of tires, was on average of about three inches wider. The car sat up noticeably taller too. It looked like a grass hopper in a swarm of beetles as one announcer had described it.
One big difference was the engine was in the rear of car instead of front design like the other entries. This wasnt something new, but never had proven to having a big advantage from previous years attempts.
There was one major difference in this car with its all four wheel independent suspension. It used a coil and damper system like those other two cars had been equipped, but developed by Armstrong in Great Britain.
They kept going on about this car was focused on and centered around last years Formula 1 design. With the engine in rear of car the frontal area was much less, that should reduce drag in open air. This is comparing against the other front engine entries.
Something that was repeated over and again was engine size and weight differential. This car was powered by the Conevtry Climax built engine. The engine was 80 cubic inches smaller and about 150 horsepower less that the 32 other competitors.
Another thing in its favor, this car was about 500 pounds less weight. But 150 less horsepower sure was a lot to give up even at that weight difference. Once you get these cars up to speed that weight didnt seem to be as much a factor. Maybe it wasnt as they were going on about.
For the last few years that I have been more interested in this race, didnt usually favor any driver in particular, but had my eye on either Parnelli Jones or A J Foyt. Eddie Sachs won pole position two years running and seemed to be a highly likely candidate from many of the commentators.
I never focused on anyone that started in front. They usually hold the lead early on, then seemed to drop out or crash before any chance of proving their driving skills. Anyway it isnt a real race to just lead the whole way. That is boring.