Aint that the truth, aero costs big bucks, especially the good stuff.

 

I know the wings APR produces, used by many of our teams, work very well. Depending on the materials used and companies purchased from, other items can get pricey.

One team is using a Carbon/Kevlar splitter, with aluminum inserts that costs about $1200 new or so.

Full under trays are made for a couple thousand.

However, in the Street Class, racers take the low buck approach.. buying used parts, making their own canards, splitters and diffusers... to great effect.

 

You're right nikolas, I have just recently found out about APR and their stuff seems pretty good and very reasonable.

However most of it is sending in templates and they build from there, which isnt bad at all for amatuer stuff, but properly done you can spend a ton with wind tunnel testing etc. Which is why no one will beat HKS. At least no one here.

 

I can understand the low buck approach, but not everyone is like that. I looked at the link of the S2000 and that is anything but low buck street car. Everything is carbon including the doors. I don't ever remember after market doors with no side protection being D.O.T. legal. Now, I know that is for modified, and I'm sure there are cars even more modified in that class, but I've seen some similar parts used on car in street class.

 

A good car can create zero lift to compensate for the lack of wing, Ferrari spent tons of time in the wind tunnel to do that. Up to a certain point, they did that with the Corvette too.

 

Look for an amazingly quick time out of one North American based team at Buttonwillow this November. Probably won't be a 1:43... but should be in the 1:45 range.. inching ever so closer. I think it's just a matter of time before an American based team sets the record at Buttonwillow. ;-)

 

Yeah, that S2000 is pretty much being built to the full extent of the rules for Mod Class.

 

While I'm in here.... We're attempting to find out how much power can be made, naturally aspirated, on 100 unleaded, on the C5's and C6's... non Z06 models...

is 450whp easy? (from what I've seen, it appears so)..

what about 500whp?

More than 500whp?

This is assuming no boring/stroking and no dropping in a bigger engine. Just cam, heads, intake, exhaust, headers, tune, etc...

 

on an LS6.

450 is quite doable

500 is possible

over 500 may be pushing it.

Need the right combo heads, and cam mostly, then fast 92/92 and all the other things

 

I think with the new motor Ernesto's car may very well be under 1:45. I doubt he was even approaching 500rwhp.

 

Ernesto Rocco?

Yeah, we need to take a look at his car and make sure it adheres to our "frame modification" rules for next year.

Front-halving and back-halving are not allowed.... The upper "frame", fore of the strut tower/upper suspension pickup point, may be removed, in favor of tubing however.....

Lower frame cannot be removed or replaced. Only altered for "fitment" reasons, and even then, must receive our prior approval, and will then be inspected upon arrival to the track. Custom subframes can be installed, so long as they mount to the factory/OEM frame "bolt holes"...

 

Yeah you can get to 500rwhp with an LS2, an LS3 maybe 10-15 more. To get that level you need EVERYTHING.

Callaway Intake
Ported FAST 92
Trick Flow 225s Milled
LG PROS
Underdrive

exhaust would have got me about 10 more probably but I was at 500rwhp with that setup

With the LS3 you could get to 450rwhp with just an intake, cam, headers probably.

I am hoping my next motor will be around 600rwhp.

 

Yes, that's him. He and I are great friends and began racing together at the same time in AI back in 2001 or so. I was going to bring out my AI car in modified, but the glass windshield rule and some interior pieces are what would make it illegal and its far from an AIX car so unlimited it would get killed. If it were allowed in modified it would be in the 1:53 range, possibly a bit better with A compound hoosiers. If I dove into the motor and made some real hp, then more so, but its really built for AI racing. Time attack would just be a fun thing to do on the side. That being said I still want to bring out my C5, but am worried that I don't have the power needed. Probably 290rwhp on a heavy street car. I do have some simple but super effective suspension upgrades so that's my only advantage. Ernesto's car will pass with no issues. I've built a couple of AI cars and can tell you his has the factory framerails in place. Only some worthless sheetmetal above the fronts has been removed in favor of simple tubing. The AIX rules require the strut towers to remain in place. His car is quite simple if you looked at it closely. He needs more power to compete with other AIX cars that WAY out power him. Not sure what his plans are for time attack. I think that carbon S2000 in his class has much more extensive modifications.

 

Yeah, the CWest S2000 is a pretty well setup car. They are supposed to be at VIR next weekend with us. I'm curious to see what time they run there. AMS ran a 1:58 last year in their EVO.. and was good for 1:48's at buttonwillow.... If CWest runs faster than a 1:58 at VIR, that will give us a good idea of where the car is at.

I'd encourage Ernesto, or anyone else with a car legal per our rules, to come out next year. We have a TV contract in place for next season, that favors the Unlimited Class quite heavily (Street and Mod will receive air time as well). There are very few racing series in this country that will be able to offer the amount of media exposure our series will have next year. (television, print, web, DVD's, etc.)

It was actually part of my plan during the off-season to contact every team racing in AI/AIX and send them a copy of our 2009 Press Kit, so they could see exactly what we are offering. :-)

 

Nikolas,

I hope to make it out for your March event at BW. I am looking forward to it.

By the way my car is all factory Really, all the frame rails, shock towers, and the frame in front of the firewall is still being utilized per the NASA AIX rule book. The rear still has the original stick axle and uses the factory shock towers. It has about 575-585 hp or just shy of 500 rwhp.

See you at the track.

Regards,
Ernesto Roco

 

Ernesto,

You should make a serious consideration for running our entire season next year. We have a package deal for those teams wishing to step up and become a "sanctioned" Unlimited Class team, that GUARANTEES a level of exposure and media coverage you will not be able to find anywhere else for this level of financial commitment. With your car, you'd have a good shot at the Season Championship, if only you could attend all 8 events next year across the country.

Magazine coverage, internet coverage, streaming web video, television coverage, DVDs, etc.

I'll be sure to send you a link to our Press Kit when it is done in about 2 weeks. I'm confident you'll like what you read.

Nikolas

 

Nikolas,

I look forward to the press kit. Let me know when it's ready.

If you have time, check out this video my friend made from our weekend at Mid Ohio for the NASA National Championships..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lA2hq_Wv35k


Regards,
Ernesto

 

Nice!

 

Bringing this back up. I'm still interested in entering my FRC street car. I would fit well in street class although very low power and high weight. The tire rule discourages me however as I don't want to buy a dedicated set of expensive tires I'll never use again. More importantly, I'm just not enthusiastic about running a street tire on the track. AWD has too much advantage in street.
What seems to be the hot tire to use in modified?

 

My personal favorite Modified tire is the Toyo R888. Nitto NTO1s are well liked as well, but I haven't tried them because they don't come in ideal sizes for me.