Toughest place on brakes in all of racing??
10-25-2009, 02:08 PM
#1
Race Director
Thread Starter
Toughest place on brakes in all of racing??
I am relatively new to racing in full bodied cars and I will admit that when I started, I was completely naive as to how difficult it is to get a heavy car to stop consistently over a long span of time.
Now, I am sitting on my butt watching the Martinsville NASCAR race and I got thinking. What is the toughest place on brakes in all of auto racing? I know Martinsville is wicked. Stopping a heavy car with little or no "off" time to get rid of heat.
What do you experts think is the toughest series/track in motorsports in terms of brakes?
Now, I am sitting on my butt watching the Martinsville NASCAR race and I got thinking. What is the toughest place on brakes in all of auto racing? I know Martinsville is wicked. Stopping a heavy car with little or no "off" time to get rid of heat.
What do you experts think is the toughest series/track in motorsports in terms of brakes?
10-25-2009, 03:29 PM
#4
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+1 on Road America. A friend of ours who's been to many tracks across the country participating in amateur road racing claims that Road America and Blackhawk Farms are the two hardest tracks.
I'd be interested to hear what LG and DRM have to say about the matter, as well as Mr. Popp and company.
I'd be interested to hear what LG and DRM have to say about the matter, as well as Mr. Popp and company.
10-25-2009, 06:34 PM
#8
Drifting
10-25-2009, 07:23 PM
#9
Race Director
+1 on Road America. A friend of ours who's been to many tracks across the country participating in amateur road racing claims that Road America and Blackhawk Farms are the two hardest tracks.
I'd be interested to hear what LG and DRM have to say about the matter, as well as Mr. Popp and company.
I'd be interested to hear what LG and DRM have to say about the matter, as well as Mr. Popp and company.
10-25-2009, 07:32 PM
#10
Drifting
Road America has T1, T5 and Canada, but it also has long straights to cool things down.
Speeds are slower at Blackhawk Farms, but the amount of time that the brakes have to cool down is less.
I don't know that the net effect is all that much different. I have cracked rotors at both tracks.
Speeds are slower at Blackhawk Farms, but the amount of time that the brakes have to cool down is less.
I don't know that the net effect is all that much different. I have cracked rotors at both tracks.
10-25-2009, 07:39 PM
#11
Drifting
Tito Nappi designed and built Blackhawk back in the 50's or 60's and wanted a track where his Corvette would have an advantage over the foreign cars that had a reputation for cornering better. As a result braking is heavy at T1, T3, T4 T6 & T7. It's only a two mile circuit with lap times around 1:20 +/- for faster cars. Top speeds are only 120 or so, but it never lets up.
10-25-2009, 08:12 PM
#12
Race Director
I've only run Road America and Blackhawk farms, they are my two closest tracks. They seem pretty equal for brake wear so far.
10-25-2009, 10:38 PM
#13
Race Director
CMP is much worse on brakes than Rd America, at least in a race car. A race car with adequate ducting has plenty of time to cool the rotors at Rd America.......CMP just kills them even though the speeds aren't as high. You simply are applying threshold braking at CMP ever 3-5 seconds. Rd America has 3 long straights that allow tons of cooling, although total pad wear probably is very high
And Sebring is like Rd America......high speed=high wear, but plenty of time for the brakes to cool (with ducting)
I don't see how (or why) you would want to compare Stock Cars to Road cars....
And Sebring is like Rd America......high speed=high wear, but plenty of time for the brakes to cool (with ducting)
I don't see how (or why) you would want to compare Stock Cars to Road cars....
10-25-2009, 10:57 PM
#14
and pads
I've had the fronts rotors completely glowing in T8 also
can't really compare a cup short track to RA. I would say that a Cup car running RA would have bigger brake kits than they run @ the Glen or Infinion.
I've had the fronts rotors completely glowing in T8 also
can't really compare a cup short track to RA. I would say that a Cup car running RA would have bigger brake kits than they run @ the Glen or Infinion.
10-25-2009, 10:59 PM
#15
Racer
I have ran Blackhawk and CMP, I think CMP is worse (the SC ambient heat doesn't help either). Both are kinda the same (slower speeds), but you are just in the brakes all the time.
Thunderhill in CA (I went during a July which doesn't help) is a pretty good work out, although being a big track there is some cooling time between, but there are a bunch of hard braking zones in a row and down from pretty high speed.
Thunderhill in CA (I went during a July which doesn't help) is a pretty good work out, although being a big track there is some cooling time between, but there are a bunch of hard braking zones in a row and down from pretty high speed.
10-26-2009, 07:44 AM
#17
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Yes CMP is very hard on brakes, as they never get a chance to cool down. '
Brake pads and rotors last different lengths of time, depending on which track they are on and the driving style.
10-26-2009, 10:41 AM
#18
Le Mans Master
10-26-2009, 11:11 AM
#19
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10-26-2009, 11:21 AM
#20
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Stock cars Short track calipers and super speed way calipers are very different the road race endurance calipers and the calipers most of us use on road courses.
Very very different.
APRacing stock car calipers
http://www.apracing.com/info/index.a...UP+SERIES_2821
Stock car engines ? not your Fathers 358 ci. That is for sure
Very very different.
APRacing stock car calipers
http://www.apracing.com/info/index.a...UP+SERIES_2821
Stock car engines ? not your Fathers 358 ci. That is for sure