How well do turbocharged/supercharged engines do in the American Iron Series?

JUSTNLX · 03-13-2003

Well I'll start with a question or two.

How well do turbocharged/supercharged engines do in the series or if they are allowed?

Do you need to have taken some kind of driving course to race in the series. I plan on doing one in the near future

Man I'm bummed I didn't make it out this time!

trackboss · 03-13-2003

Boost is disallowed in AI. I don't know about AIX. I believe it is a total disadvantage. Too much additional weight up front, too much heat, and too much complexity. You can make a n/a motor produce more hp reliably than a production car couild ever handle. Ditch the turbo.

As far as schooling, this is a real race series. You need to be a licensed racer. NASA has a program to help you get your license, but that is only part of it. Just because one has a license doesn't mean they can drive. It sounds like you have no exerience on a road course. In that case you should start attending NASA high performance driving events which are held at the same time as the races so you get some seat time and also can see what goes on as far as the racing side of things.

Good luck.

-V

JUSTNLX · 03-13-2003

Wow! Thanks for the quick response

As for my turbo, they are not too complex. It really is a simple kit. I have used heat bearer coatings inside and out to help with the heat plus they are water-cooled. But now we get to the weight. They are pretty heavy. Any weight I saved on aluminum heads was quickly taken up by the turbos.

You are correct. I have not been out on the track, yet! Your suggestion of running in the NASA high performance driving events is a great idea! That and a course would be good experience for me. I learn real quickly. My car is pretty well setup. I've been back and forth with Erin and Chuck @ M/M. When/if I get good enough I could build a different car or engine, Lord knows I have plenty of Mustang shells lying around, and keep my twins for a street toy.

I have been real interested in doing this! Who would I talk to about getting a license?

trackboss · 03-13-2003

go to www.nasaproracing.com and look around. A good school to go through to get your rookie permit or even to be a more aware driver on track is driving concepts. Their schools are usually held on NASA weekends. They are not about driving fast or being a successful racer. They teach you to be more aware on track and to be comfortable with your surroundings. Both very important in racing. They do have a website.

The turbos themselves may not be very complex, the fact that there is boost involved sometimes means fuel system issues and heat saturation. Work on the HPDE stuff now and use what you have. After you get some seat time you can change things around if you desire to.

wildhorsesracin · 03-18-2003

Les ran a supercharger in AIX here on the east coast, and he ran into all of the standard engine longevity issues during the season (changed head gaskets sunday morning at lowes!) Gobs of power, lack of reliability...

shugg · 03-18-2003

I agree with Vageli - superchargers add more headaches (and weight) than they solve. Unless you have tons of $, a reliable SCed solution just doesn't seem feasible to most. However, I do know of some people that have raced SC's successfully... and have won. Les' block was a bone stock 302 bottom end. They expected that motor to take a nap. But as Jim said, they do require a more frequent maintenance schedule.

JUSTNLX · 03-18-2003

Thanks for the input guys!

My main concern with my twin turbo would be the head gaskets. My bottom end is strong. R302 block, Scat crank and rods, Wiesco custom slugs. I do have the o-ring type gaskets. I should have o-ringed the block.

I guess the only way to really find out is to get it out there with HPDE.

Mad Max · 03-28-2003

Quote:

Originally posted by shugg
I agree with Vageli - superchargers add more headaches (and weight) than they solve. Unless you have tons of $, a reliable SCed solution just doesn't seem feasible to most.

Mine adds about +75lbs of wieght. I can get the same power if I up the compresion. Tunning is a pain in the a** with duel carbs. But then agian, I did only get mine for looks

Mike Austin · 03-29-2003

Hey, JUSTNLX: The racers are steering you in the right direction. I've been running in HPDE around 3 years, and that gave me a great deal of experience. Now I'm targeting getting a racing license for next season with that under my belt.

With your car specs, you would totally have a blast in HPDE!

To give you a comparison, my car is mostly stock suspension with fatter anti-sways, Tokico adjustable shocks and struts and wider 275/40 x 17 street rubber on '95 Cobra R wheels. Stock motor at around 260 RWHP, I'd suppose. After running in HPDE for a while, it's a regular thing for me to swap leads and follow track lines with BMW M3s, Mazda RX7's and Corvettes. It's 90% driver and 10% car. One of my favorite things to do it have one of my instructors chase me in his M3 and try and catch me! That's a pretty racy experience for anyone new to a track.

JUSTNLX · 03-29-2003

Thanks for your input Mike!

Yeah I may have gone a little over board, but what the heck! I would like to make the turbos work, but if they don't I guess I could build something else

b_tone · 03-29-2003

Are you sure that boost is not acceptable? I thoughth that if you were over 9.5:1 you can do anything you want...maybe I will have to re-read the rules...

swhiteh3 · 03-29-2003

I would definitely stay with NA motors in road racing. They're more reliable, and especially in the begining, you should be concenntrating on building a RELIABLE car so you can get seat time. Seat time, more than any other go-fast part, will improve your lap times.

I don't believe though that boost is disallowed in AI, but then again, us AIX guys don't believe in those silly AI rules!!!