Best automotive racing books according to redditors
We found 207 Reddit comments discussing the best automotive racing books. We ranked the 45 resulting products by number of redditors who mentioned them. Here are the top 20.
We found 207 Reddit comments discussing the best automotive racing books. We ranked the 45 resulting products by number of redditors who mentioned them. Here are the top 20.
Fail button is to deselect the menu options on the LCD Display
Source: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Red-Bull-Racing-Manual-Championship-winning/dp/0857330993
Screenshot from mine:
http://i.imgur.com/a6MDY.jpg
Ayrton Senna's Principles of Race Driving
This book is pretty awesome. I'm sure you could find a better price, I got my copy for like $35...
http://www.amazon.com/Ayrton-Sennas-Principles-Race-Driving/dp/1874557403/ref=cm_lmf_tit_25
Basically though you're trying to increase the corner radius to maximize mid corner speed. But there are also places where you would want to enter tight and sacrifice some mid corner speed to get on power earlier for a straight bit. Or take a wider entry line to brake late for passing or in a corner where it would be more beneficial to setup for the next corner. All lines depend on what happens before and after the corner.
Sorry if this is just a brain dump, I'm on my phone and formatting is hard...
It is actually a slightly confusing title, as it's principally a biography rather than the workshop manual (which also exists) https://www.amazon.co.uk/Red-Bull-Racing-Manual-Championship-winning/dp/0857330993
The redbull owners manual: http://www.amazon.com/Red-Bull-Racing-Formula-Manual/dp/0857330993
Again, please stop trying to apply your physics 1 understanding of friction to this. The way friction is taught in a course like that is completely inaccurate and flat WRONG with how friction and tires actually work. It would be like trying to newtonian physics in astronomy, where relativity is incredibly important.
Have you ever stopped to think and ask why sports cars have wide tires? According to your sources and the physics 1 modelling of friction, surface area has no factor in lateral force, so why would they ever want to have those big, heavy, wide tires when they could just get nice skinny and light ones which get the same amount of grip? Its because friction is a nightmarishly complicated topic and all of those numbers youre looking at are at best rough ballpark guesstimates dont hold up in reality.
First off, in YOUR OWN SOURCE, there are items in there with higher than 1 coefficient of frictions, so its clear that even the completely basic (and wrong) understanding of friction isnt bounded at 1.
Second, there are a ton of readily available examples of street cars exceeding 1G in acceleration, braking, and cornering. Basically every reasonably quick sports car today has a higher than 1G skidpad, most of which dont generate any downforce, and even the ones that do arent generating anything meaningful at skidpad speeds. Under your assumption it would be literally impossible for the corvette z06 to hit the 1.2G on a skidpad that it did in car and driver's test. The Tesla model S also would not be able to hit its 0-60 time of 2.3 seconds, and it definitely isnt generating downforce. On top of that, basically every car on the market can hit >1 peak braking Gs.
third, "you dont increase the u" is completely wrong. u is an ungodly complicated variable which depends on temperature, chemistry, surface conditions, surface properties, deformation, contact angle, system dynamics, and funny enough the normal force as well. Its why you have to warm up a racing tire, its why race tires use very different rubber compounds and construction methods than street tires, its why racing brakes dont work worth a shit the first few times you try to stop, its why vehicle suspension matters, its why vehicle weight matters in a corner.
Start on page 13 to start learning about how tires and friction actually work then after youve read that book about 10 times go buy race car vehicle dynamics and read that about 5 times. Then go work on a racing team for 5 years, then come back and talk to me about your understanding of friction.
Check to see if your university has a Formula SAE team. As an AE student you can help design and fabricate the airfoils of a Formula one car. Lightweight aeropackages with a low lift/drag ratio and a large downforce win races.
Race Car Aerodynamics: Designing for Speed (Engineering and Performance) https://www.amazon.com/dp/0837601428?ref=yo_pop_ma_swf
*edit: forgot to include link
Totally forgot about this test! Hard to believe it was only 3 years ago.
From what I remember, I did the acceleration testing and one of the other test drivers did the handling testing. Essentially the 1LE performed identically on both tires. The figure eight test is so short that the 0.03 avg lat g difference is basically noise.
Much of the reasoning why has to do with optimization of the suspension for a given tire. I won't pretend to be an expert on suspension setup, so I'll point you here: https://www.amazon.com/Race-Car-Vehicle-Dynamics-Experiments/dp/0768011272
If you're interested in continuing to talk with him about this, ask him how weight impacts tire grip, and how the force needed to turn plays into that.
You see... more weight does mean more grip from the tires. The problem is, the added grip provided by the weight is less than the added grip needed to control the weight. So more weight means less grip:force for the same move. Adding weight to the car means its maximum cornering speed is lower.
If you're interested in more, Think Fast has a good breakdown, without being overly heavy or technical. Speed Secrets is another good book on the subject of performance driving, but my memory is that Think Fast does a more effective job of succinctly explaining technical/engineering realities in an easy-to-understand fashion.
Why is this book so obscure and expensive? Why wasn't it republished? You can find only 3 copies on Amazon, starting from $230. (edit: since I wrote that, two more popped up, reaching from $70 to $1153)
​
I guess it has to do with the Senna family. They were allegedly very strict in providing home videos for the Senna documentary, requiring that Ayrton be presented in a favorable way, which is one reason why the movie ended up being biased and one-sided.
For aerodynamics competition car aerodynamics by Simon McBeath is good starting point for aero.
Amazon link
Competition Car Aerodynamics 3rd Edition https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1787111024/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_LyUezbWXPXNS1
For engine design, I've found the tuning books to be good for a base point. The Books by A Graham Bell are good starting points
Amazon link.
Four-stroke Performance Tuning (4th edition) https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/0857331256/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_1BUezb9J526WQ
I'd also recommend some of the books from the speed pro series. Should be noted there are books by bell for 2 stroke engines should that take your fancy
Transmission wise I'm not to sure. I got all my knowledge of those through practical experience and engineering maths.
Hope this helps
Since Le Mans (linked posts only):
Yesterday, Maldonado (not a meme, just silly): http://www.reddit.com/r/formula1/comments/jw47n/maldonado_is_worse_than_hitler/
No race for Button: http://www.reddit.com/r/formula1/comments/jw35u/no_race_for_button/
Copypasta-esque: http://www.reddit.com/r/formula1/comments/jrc80/dont_get_me_wrong_bruno_is_a_great_driver_but/
Prost vs. Senna panel comic: http://www.reddit.com/r/formula1/comments/jlimk/prostsenna/
Trollface Button: http://www.reddit.com/r/formula1/comments/j4ymz/you_went_off_a_lot_didnt_you/
Overtakes 'like a boss' with a mugshot of Kobayashi: http://www.reddit.com/r/formula1/search?q=like+a+boss&restrict_sr=on&sort=relevance
Copypasta: http://www.reddit.com/r/formula1/comments/jjayd/three_words_jenson/
Copypasta re Button at Silverstone (presumably): http://i.imgur.com/qBUAp.jpg
http://www.reddit.com/r/formula1/?count=275&after=t3_j6b5i
Button eating a biscuit: http://www.reddit.com/r/formula1/?count=325&after=t3_j4ggc
Vettel overtaking: http://i.imgur.com/jOQ6L.jpg
Vettel overtaking: http://i.imgur.com/4unXN.jpg
That laughing face: http://i.imgur.com/z5mpn.png
Haynes manual for about the 4th or 5th time: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/0857330993
Haynes again: http://www.reddit.com/r/formula1/comments/iphp4/haynes_red_bull_racing_f1_owners_workshop_manual/
Current points standings (?): http://www.reddit.com/r/formula1/comments/illa4/formula_1_drivers_standing/ and http://www.reddit.com/r/formula1/comments/ill98/formula_1_teams_standing/ - deservedly downvoted (linking to someone's advert-ridden blog, no doubt)
40 upvotes for pasting Terrence & Phillip heads on marshalls at Canadian GP: http://www.reddit.com/r/formula1/?count=650&after=t3_ikti3
The Haynes manual appears again: http://www.amazon.com/dp/0857330993/ref=cm_sw_su_dp
Troll face Vettel with 40 upvotes: http://www.reddit.com/r/formula1/comments/i9jeb/luckily_hes_not_a_fortune_teller/
Haynes manual: http://www.haynes.co.uk/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?catalogId=10001&storeId=10001&productId=52821&langId=-1&parent_category_rn=34566
Button, the 'most interesting F1 driver' copypasta (169 upvotes): http://www.reddit.com/r/formula1/comments/hxzv1/the_most_interesting_f1_driver/
Don't know: http://www.reddit.com/r/formula1/comments/hy0dw/yep_i_still_have_it/
No upvotes, but 'Vettel's a whingey little fucker': http://www.reddit.com/r/formula1/comments/hy54a/bbc_race_report_fixed/
'Spoiler': http://www.reddit.com/r/formula1/comments/hnum3/spoiler/
Forever alone F1: http://www.reddit.com/r/formula1/comments/hnve2/forever_1/
Others before Le Mans:
I first started noticing it when Petrov had his infamous 'flying' moment - a .gif with troll faces superimposed (http://www.reddit.com/r/formula1/search?q=gif&restrict_sr=on&sort=relevance).
Also, from Monaco, rage comic (264 upvotes): http://www.reddit.com/r/formula1/comments/hmum9/monaco_rage/
Another rage: http://www.reddit.com/r/formula1/comments/dxguc/hey_f1_reddit_sorry_i_know_this_is_several_months/
More rage: http://www.reddit.com/r/formula1/comments/e6930/abber_dabby_spoiler_rage/
Y U NO meme: http://www.reddit.com/r/formula1/comments/hmxr1/this_goes_for_both_quali_and_the_race/
http://www.reddit.com/r/formula1/comments/h6qp2/hamilton_has_had_enough_of_vettels_finger/
Demotivational poster: http://www.reddit.com/r/formula1/comments/gngo4/back_to_malaysia_ii/
Petrov flying (plus gif in comments): http://www.reddit.com/r/formula1/comments/gmn8y/stoli_gives_you_wings/
EJ copypasta: http://www.reddit.com/r/formula1/comments/gm9ga/what_i_think_will_happen_tomorrow/
Petrov trollface: http://www.reddit.com/r/formula1/comments/gji4g/what_most_people_thought_of_petrov/
Rage: http://www.reddit.com/r/formula1/comments/gbtqk/f1_spoilereverything_went_better_than_expected/
Bernie copypasta: http://www.reddit.com/r/formula1/comments/ejytf/badass_bernie/
Granted, this isn't representative of the deluge of memes in other subreddits. But about a year ago, there was very little of this, and I think when they did crop up, they were all the more funny. But I worry that r/formula1 is beginning to turn into the rest of Reddit. I was attracted to Reddit because of good grammar, intelligent comments, insightful posts, and quirky in-jokes. Over the past year that has mostly disappeared, and I have stuck mostly to r/formula1. I just don't want to see one of the few parts of Reddit I can still intelligently enjoy devolving into a Reddit memefest resembling a cross-over between Youtube comments and FunnyJunk.
I strongly suggest you find your engineering school librarian and ask them to show you some of the databases on hand at your school. You'll find everything you need there, plus a few extra rabbit holes to go down. Here's a good title for other interested readers https://www.amazon.com/Physics-Nascar-Science-Behind-Speed/dp/0452290228
>I think it would work on an untrained drunk jerk in a bar
Actually, probably not for several reasons. First off, a move like this requires a lot of open space to execute. Bars are not known for having those. This would likely send you crashing into all manner of tables, chairs, bar stools, or other patrons. Secodnly, this move requires a compliant partner. If the persons ducked or pulled back or did pretty much anything other than just stand there, this move would just turn into a shitty kick to the head and the person falling on the ground. Thirdly, the ground is just about the last place you want to be in a bar fight. You don’t know if this drunk jerk has a half dozen drunk jerk friends and don't want to be laying on the ground where they can come up and stomp the shit out of you.
As a general principle, more complicated = terrible plan in real world fights. Your adrenaline drops, fine motor control goes out the window, complicated moves like this are pretty much guaranteed to get totally flubbed. You know what works great against a drunk jerk in a bar? A solid, well practiced right straight to the jaw line.
Only a fool would try something like this against anyone that wasn't a compliant "dance" partner.
Find the organizations that hold track days at your local tracks and sign up as a beginner with an instructor.
https://www.reddit.com/r/CarTrackDays/
Some reading: https://www.amazon.com/Going-Faster-Mastering-Race-Driving/dp/0837602262
Don't get too caught up in the didactics, as there is no replacement for seat time. But it's a good introduction so you have the right frame of mind and get the most out of your instructors.
There are no winners at track days, but there can definitely be losers.
Be safe, and have fun.
No prob, I was gonna make a little post about it anyway.
On a side note, if you love F1s as much as I do, definitely pick up that R&T, it has like a 12 page article of stories and facts about the F1. It's kind of an added chapter of the book (which I can hook up a PDF if you need).
Learn more about driving.
Many techniques and principles from racing can be applied on the road at perfectly legal speeds. Some of this can be demonstrated at 30mph or even less.
The techniques can make you a safer driver as well. Practicing the various skills as you drive, even on something as simple your commute will help keep you engaged and focused on your driving. This helps keep you attentive like you should be anyway, so it's just a bonus.
I would suggest you do some research before you post this kind of vague question here.
What you're asking is akin to, "How do I speak Latin?"
Carroll Smith is a very good start E: there are many books, I forget which one has suspension design, but all of them are worth getting.
Gellespie is a good addition
Milliken and Milliken is much more detailed, some call it 'the bible' but it's just a very good reference with a lot of equations for when you start doing more complex models that won't be explained by simpler books.
I'd reccommend getting at least smith and gillespie to start. If you need more complex modeling go for milliken, but 90% of FSAE teams don't need what's in milliken IMO. They struggle on the basics so much that it just is too much to absorb in a usable manner.
No one cares if you have a roll couple distribution model based on your tire data if you haven't done a proper camber or toe analysis, or if your vehicle isn't designed to have self-centering steering.
Not my thing, but dude, kudos to you for build finish and worksmanship. I'm really impressed.
You are going to have wheelbase changes as you corner, and the rear is too narrow for the front end. I would have made that rear tire as wide as possible. It will tend oversteer a lot and will be difficult to use the throttle to balance the vehicle. Chassis could use more triangulation too, but from a glance, the tubing looks big enough to hold.
If I can suggest a reading, please check out https://www.amazon.com/Tune-Win-science-development-tuning/dp/0879380713
Not specifically about F1, but Competition Car Aerodynamics by Simon McBeath is a good book on motorsport aerodynamics in general. I think it is part of a series of books, as there are ones on suspension, composites, etc as well.
I'm currently reading How to Build a Car by Adrian Newey so I can't give it a recommendation until I'm done. So far it's been more of an autobiography than a technical book, but it is definitely worth a read for any F1 fan.
I'd say to keep remembering that what you're trying to set up is a student run business. Pretend you're Elon Musk trying to tell people how electric is the next best thing in the automotive market, which may be true, but the public (and more importantly, endorsers such as the school) are not going to be swayed easily without proof of concept.
Before I go on, I was the president of the VCU FSAE team in Richmond, VA up until last month (June 2017). The team was in the same predicament as yours 10 years ago, and was getting threatened with the discarding of the half-finished vehicle up every other year until our first competition at Lincoln 2017 (for internal combustion). Richmond is the capital of Virginia, so I'm very familiar with the difficulties of building a vehicle in the city as you've described above. That being said, the information I'm providing is from a team that didn't pass the Noise/Kill-Switch tests at tech inspection, and I'm probably going to be one of the least experienced people to respond to this thread.
Start with looking at the paperwork required for competition, particularly the Business Logic Case. Here, you outline your goals for the vehicle and why you want to build it in the first place and who you will sell it to. Do you want to make the car cheap and market it to a broader, lower income market? Or do you want to make a high cost vehicle which comes with options such as paddle shifting, adjustable front and rear wings, and a carbon fiber monocoque. Every design decision that is made on the car after deciding on your market and budget needs to coincide with the Business Logic Case, which you are allowed to modify if the team decides that they want to market differently for whatever reason. The car should be designed around the Business Logic Case, and we messed up by designing our Business Logic Case around the car, and that's why I want to mention this so strongly.
From there, you'll probably want to assign a few people who have taken their economics/business courses to start on the presentation. There are a lot of things in the presentation that the judges love to see, such as factory layouts, tooling requirements, and labor costs that take a lot of time to prepare and assess accurately.
Design work can start alongside the Presentation, beginning with the chassis. There are a few key points I'd like to throw in first:
So as a summary, compile all the paperwork that you'll require for competition, and begin working on it as soon as you can. It should go something in the starting order of:
With all of this completed, you should be able to make a very solid case to anybody at the school for building space. I encourage you to keep trying to get work space as you put together the virtual stuff in the vehicle however.
I will leave these resources as well for you to look through:
Good luck, and let me know if you have any other questions!
I could go on for hours about basic vehicle dynamics tbh, but suffice it to say that there are countless variables that go into determining handling characteristics. If you're really interested, the definitive introductory resource is this book, which if you can find used would probably be best. It's certainly not an easy read.
For a more accessible read, this book is pretty great too. It's also much cheaper.
IMO, you should probably do a bit more research about common solutions that people have for your particular car. I'd recommend, before changing anything, learning a bit more about basic vehicle dynamics. You don't even need to learn fancy math or anything, just kind of get an idea of what changes generally affect which characteristics.
I would highly highly recommend picking up the book "Going Faster" and reading through that. It teaches the basics of race craft and how to break down the geometry of any circuit, and how to establish the best racing line through a corner. The book may be a little dated, but the fundamentals haven't changed one bit. And the boys at Skip Barber know a thing or two about race training.
The book is also fantastic
If you're really interested in it, a good book to read is Tune To Win by Carroll Smith. It was written in the 70's so it's a bit dated but still plenty relevant, especially to new drivers/engineers. But if you're studying finance you probably already have more than enough on your plate.
Basically, driving a race car is about managing weight transfer to balance the car around each corner. The more load one corner or end of the car has on it the more grip it has. The driver controls lateral load transfer with the steering wheel and longitudinal load transfer with the gas and brake pedals.
Tuning the suspension is another way to influence how load is directed around the car. For example, if the front springs are very stiff, the front of the car won't squat as low under braking, less weight is transferred forward so the rear of the car has more grip. So that's why if you're struggling with turn-in understeer you might want to soften either the front sprigs or front (low-speed) compression damping. Alternatively you could also soften the rear low-speed rebound damping (take not that when talking about dampers, speed doesn't refer to speed of the car, but of the piston traveling through the fluid in the damper. Think high speed=bumps, low speed=weight transfer).
Anti-roll bars are a bit different since they manage lateral load. They also link suspension systems together, so if you hit a kerb or a bump with the right front wheel, the left front will feel it as well. Very generally, softer=more grip. The book I referenced goes into a lot more detail than I can, but I like to think of it as making that end of the car more malleable. Although I don't think that's entirely technically accurate. It also may be worth noting that when tuning the car, anti-roll bars are the first thing real-world teams play with, and a lot of cars have anti-roll bars adjustable from the cockpit. The team uses it as a sort of guide to lead other larger setup changes.
To your second question, the car can behave differently in different parts of the corner. It might feel great when you turn in (usually at which point the car is slowing-meaning forward weight transfer), but then lose all front grip when you're accelerating out of the corner. This means that you're transferring too much weight to the rear under power, so the solution is to stiffen rear springs or low-speed damper compression. If it happens earlier in the corner, when there is more lateral load, then stiffening the rear anti-roll bar (or the opposite, softening the front) might be a better solution.
This isn't even getting into things like camber/castor/toe, which I don't really understand enough myself. The general rule of thumb is to try to keep the outer/middle/inner tire temps as even as possible.
I think it's also common opinion that cars should always have at least a little bit of toe-in.Edit: This video has a good overview.Your third point is absolutely correct. Race car setup is an unsolvable equation. There are too many interdependent variables for there to ever be an ultimate solution. Add on top of that different driving styles and one setup might work well for one driver and be trash for another. It's more of an art than a precise science.
I hope that helps!
The best way to catch a spin is by avoiding it in the first place. I've been reading a book called Speed Secrets and by FAR the most helpful thing in there is realizing that you have to SQUEEZE your brake & throttle to go fast. I always used to spin like you're talking about, but once I learned to properly apply the throttle after braking into a corner, I've had to catch slides a LOT less frequently. I used to pretty much use the throttle as an on/off switch, since I grew up playing arcadey racers when I was a kid. Over the past 3 months or so, I've had to relearn how to actually apply brake & throttle pressure, and I've gained 2-3 seconds a lap on most tracks since then.
Here's a short article with the reader's digest version of what I'm talking about. Take some time and practice going around corners slowly, applying more and more throttle until you spin. Then get comfortable with applying just slightly less than that, and you'll probably find yourself almost never having to catch a spin. :D
http://www.amazon.com/Red-Bull-Racing-Car-Championship-Winning/dp/0857330993/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1463044349&sr=8-2&keywords=haynes+rb6
You can see the pictures there on what to expect of the book.
(Or just search a site in your country that sells books)
Just my 2C, but unless you learn race craft and theory, simply using a “line” drawn by someone else will do nothing for you. Once you learn the theory you then can start applying it to each corner based on your driving style, etc. There’s no magic bullet outside of outright knowledge and practice.
My suggestions beyond practice and seat time:
Going Faster! Mastering the Art of Race Driving https://www.amazon.com/dp/0837602262/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_UC.GDbR6JKTR3
https://www.amazon.com/dp/1785211749/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awdb_t1_QE.GDbWKAQZPM
https://www.amazon.com/dp/1540628590/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awdb_t1_.F.GDbC7VC4TN
Going Faster! from Skip Barber Racing School is a great resource as well.
Race Car Vehicle Dynamics (Milliken)
Tune to Win
Good Luck!
It's worth emphasizing that this strongly ties in to camshaft design.
For more detailed reading, read The Scientific Design of Intake and Exhaust Systems
Do you have any wide open stretches of pavement you can screw around on without drawing unwanted attention? A big un-lit parking lot in an industrial area for example? The best way to learn driving is by doing it, and particularly by screwing up in a controlled manner so you can learn how the car feels when you take it over the limit. If there's nothing to hit for hundreds of feet you can go out when the weather is bad (I don't think you guys get snow, but rain works almost as well) and intentionally put the car out of control knowing that if you don't get it back under control you at least won't hit anything.
Beyond that, this book is always one I've heard of for being very good: http://www.amazon.com/Going-Faster-Mastering-Race-Driving/dp/0837602262/
I've never read it myself but it comes up all the time on various forums when this sort of question is asked.
There's nothing really special about driving this specific car. It's a front-engine front-drive with independent front suspension and a beam axle out back. The turbo is small enough that lag is not really a huge factor and you don't need to think about it much at a basic level. Most hot hatches have a similar formula, with the main difference being some of the nicer ones have independent suspension in the back too.
I started writing up some basic instructions here, but then I figured there are enough people here who actually race competitively or semi-competitively and would be better at it than a guy who knows the theory but puts it to practice mostly hooning on back roads and playing video games.
Look for the series starting with The Perfect Corner. Then Perfect Control and The Perfect Corner 2.
I’ve read them a couple of times so far and the change in thinking they inspire helped my driving considerably.
Plus I love working through the case studies in the second book.
If you're curious about the early years of Penske, a driver named Mark Donohue was central to the operation in its early years and he quite literally wrote the book on autoracing.
The Unfair Advantage. It's not quite like Senna's book, which is actually a great textbook on how to drive a car, but it's a really good view on how Team Penske started and the principles it follows to this day.
I know everyone hates Penske, but there's a reason they do so well beyond having lots of money. They know how to properly spend it and how to work well too.
The Physics of NASCAR is her book on the subject that she wrote before starting the blog. It's as good as any place to start.
That book got me hooked on the engineering and science behind racing. My favorite bit is about the shift to the COT and the crash testing they did.
Edit: Fixed link.
You haven't really looked at all have you?
Art of the Formula 1 Race Car
http://amzn.com/0760337314
McLaren M23: 1973 onwards (all marks) (Owners' Workshop Manual)
http://amzn.com/0857333127
Lotus 72 Manual: An Insight Into Owning, Racing and Maintaining Lotus's Legendary Formula 1 Car (Owners' Workshop Manual)
http://amzn.com/0857331272
Red Bull Racing F 1 Car: An Insight into the Technology, Engineering, Maintenance and Operation of the World Championship-winning Red Bull Racing RB6 (Owners' Workshop Manual)
http://amzn.com/0857330993
The Golden Age of Formula 1
http://amzn.com/3832794360
Formula 1 in Camera 1950-59
http://amzn.com/1844255530
Formula 1 in Camera 1960-69
http://amzn.com/1844252183
Formula 1: The Roaring 70s (English, German, French, Spanish and Italian Edition)
http://amzn.com/3832795375
Formula 1 in Camera 1970-79
http://amzn.com/1859609600
Formula 1 in Camera 1970-79: Volume Two
http://amzn.com/0857330748
Formula 1 in Camera 1980-89
http://amzn.com/1844251098
One book i can recommend
https://www.amazon.com/Going-Faster-Mastering-Race-Driving/dp/0837602262
http://www.amazon.com/Race-Car-Vehicle-Dynamics-Experiments/dp/0768011272
http://www.amazon.com/Racing-Chassis-Suspension-Design-PT-90/dp/0768011205
Can't learn suspension design without chassis design!
I believe this is heralded as THE racing guide
There was a good technical analysis book for the new hybrid era, but I don't remember the name. Will try to find it when I'm on my laptop. IIRC it was something like 2015 Formula 1 technical analysis, and it has loads of drawings detailing the various components of the PUs. I also believe it was translated from French, or maybe Italian
edit: this is the book
There's a fantastic book about the development process of the McLaren F1.
Driving Ambition: The Official Inside Story of the McLaren F1 .
I happened upon a copy at Foyles in London in the early 2000s and was blown away by the level of detail, I had to buy it and bring it back home.
Probably the only book I've bought that's worth more now than it was when I bought it.
I don’t know which races you watch on youtube but chances are that those people are really good and have lots of experience.
Being 1-5 seconds off pace from the really good drivers isn’t that bad actually. Especially when you’re still new and even more on a track like Bathurst (which is quite challenging).
In iRacing you’re being paired with drivers approximately your skill level anyways. So don’t worry about that too much and just keep on gaining experience.
edit: if you’re totally serious about gaining speed real fast, you may wanna have a look at this book. Didn’t read it yet but heard lots of good things about it: http://www.amazon.de/The-Perfect-Corner-Step-Step-ebook/dp/B019WQFEIK
>teach each other racing techniques
Kind of seems like you are familiar but for those who aren't, Speed Secrets by Ross Bentley is usually recommended for new people looking to understand a bit more about fast driving techniques.
My mum does not drive. Her pimp provides all necessary transport.
Milo tins actually detract from the vehicle performance. The GReddy decals and stick on aluminium look fuel cap covers probably contribute more to performance.
Edit: you should read this book mrscienceguy. Spearwood library used to have a copy.
http://www.amazon.com/Scientific-Exhaust-Systems-Engineering-Performance/dp/0837603099
Here are the two best intro books on the subject:
https://www.amazon.com/Race-Car-Vehicle-Dynamics-Experiments/dp/0768011272
https://www.amazon.com/Fundamentals-Vehicle-Dynamics-Premiere-Books/dp/1560911999
Formula SAE in college is a great resource. Look for a co-op opportunity in vehicle design (it'll probably have to be in Michigan unless you're lucky or go into commercial truck). Experience is highly valued when you're trying to get that intro level job because co-ops and internships are so widely available in the industry.
I’m no new comer to this, I’ve been building and dyno tuning bikes for a decade and a half. the issue with open pipes hurting bottom end is not up for debate, it definitely will hurt bottom end power if they aren’t matched to the characteristics of the engine, what is up for debate is the fact that back pressure helps maintain it which is simply not true.
What occurs when you remove baffles is an increase in pressure at the port due to the reversion wave not being defused.
The little washer on a bolt trick or the various other baffles aren’t there to add back pressure (even if that’s how they advertise) they scatter the reversion wave which delays it’s arrival back at the exhaust port.
The other side effect of removing baffles is a reduction in gas speed due to the increase in pipe volume, physics tells us that a slower moving fluid (exhaust gas flows which makes it a fluid) is under higher pressure. When the exhaust gas slows it will lose momentum which is required to achieve scavenge (negative pressure), scavenge is required to make power since it aids in cylinder fill.
Back pressure will, especially at low engine speeds, push exhaust gas back into the combustion chamber, this is evident on a dyno when tuning. When exhaust gas is pushed back into the chamber it displaces fresh oxygen, with less oxygen in the chamber there needs to be less fuel added or the mixture will be rich, which is exactly what the o2 data shows, the reduction in fresh air and fuel causes a loss of torque
As engine speed increases so does the gas speed which carries more momentum to keep it flowing in an outward direction, reversion waves travel at the speed of sound along the exhaust which means that it is essentially a fixed amount of time to reach the exhaust port, as engine speed increases the exhaust valve will close earlier in relation to the reversion wave allowing it to hit the port on a closed valve so it doesn’t push gas back into the combustion chamber. When reversion is timed right it aids in reducing port pressure (lowering back pressure) and increases scavenge.
This is a scientific study on exhaust and intake design showing the detrimental effects of back pressure
https://www.omicsonline.org/open-access/analysis-of-exhaust-manifold-using-computational-fluid-dynamics-fmoa-1000129.php?aid=77193
This is an article by rb racing, they have been designing some exceptionally high performance bikes and manufacturing exhaust systems for Harley’s in particular for an awful long time
https://www.rbracing-rsr.com/exhausttech.htm
This is an enlightening read on exhaust and intake design where they monitor exhaust and intake pressure at fine increments of engine rotation while testing its effects on performance, higher exhaust pressure repeatedly shows a reduction in power and fuel economy, this is performed many times over with lots of different intake and exhaust designs.
https://www.amazon.com/Scientific-Exhaust-Systems-Engineering-Performance/dp/0837603099
I’m basing my opinion off of the data of several scientists within fluid dynamics who actually understand the physics of what is happening in an exhaust system and have measured exhaust pressure and performance on precision equipment, as well as my own real work data as tested in a repeatable way on a dyno, rather than a someone who sells Harley’s.
This question has been asked a bunch of times, but the one post I've found the most helpful was /u/that_video_art_guy's response in this post. For quick reference, here's the copy/paste:
I've read many of these books, I'm partial to the mechanics and team member books but find all of them to be very enjoyable.
The Super Collective Super list of Super Good F1 Books:
Mechanics/Team Members
[Life in the Pit Lane: Mechanic's Story of the Benetton Grand Prix Year](
http://www.amazon.com/Life-Pit-Lane-Mechanics-Benetton/dp/0760300267/ref=sr_1_5?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1356716346&sr=1-5&keywords=steve+matchett) - Steve Matchett
[The Mechanic's Tale: Life in the Pit-Lanes of Formula One](
http://www.amazon.com/Mechanics-Tale-Life-Pit-Lanes-Formula/dp/0752827839/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1356716346&sr=1-1&keywords=steve+matchett) - Steve Matchett
The Chariot Makers: Assembling the Perfect Formula 1 Car - Steve Matchett
Team Lotus: My View From the Pitwall - Peter Warr
Jo Ramirez: Memoirs of a Racing Man - Jo Ramirez
Art of War - Five Years in Formula One - Max Mosley, Adam Parr, Paul Tinker
Tales from the Toolbox: A Collection of Behind-the-Scenes Tales from Grand Prix Mechanics - Michael Oliver, Jackie Stewart
Technical Books
Red Bull Racing F1 Car: Haynes Owners' Workshop Manual
McLaren M23: 1973 Haynes Owners' Workshop Manual
Lotus 72: 1970 Haynes Owners' Workshop Manual
Tune to Win: The art and science of race car development and tuning - Carroll Smith
Engineer to Win - Carroll Smith
Nuts, Bolts, Fasteners and Plumbing Handbook AKA: Screw to Win - Carroll Smith
Race Car Vehicle Dynamics: Problems, Answers and Experiments - Doug Milliken
Chassis Design: Principles and Analysis - William F. Milliken, Douglas L. Milliken, Maurice Olley
The Racing & High-Performance Tire: Using Tires to Tune for Grip & Balance - Paul Haney
Technical Driving
Ultimate Speed Secrets: The Complete Guide to High-Performance and Race Driving - Ross Bentley
Going Faster! Mastering the Art of Race Driving - Carl Lopez
Working the Wheel - Martin Brundle
Drivers and Rivalry's
Senna Versus Prost: The Story of the Most Deadly Rivalry in Formula One - Malcolm Folley
The Limit: Life and Death on the 1961 Grand Prix Circuit - Michael Cannell
Winning Is Not Enough: The Autobiography - Sir Jackie Stewart
Shunt: The Story of James Hunt - Tom Rubython
Alex Zanardi: My Sweetest Victory: A Memoir of Racing Success, Adversity, and Courage - Alex Zanardi, Gianluca Gasparini, Mario Andretti.
It Is What It Is: The Autobiography - David Coulthard
Flat Out, Flat Broke: Formula 1 the Hard Way! - Perry McCarthy The Black Stig, Damon Hill
F1 Through the Eyes of Damon Hill: Inside the World of Formula 1 - Damon Hill, Photography: Sutton Images
People Of F1
Life at the Limit: Triumph and Tragedy in Formula One - Professor Sid Watkins
Beyond the Limit - Professor Sid Watkins
I Just Made The Tea: Tales from 30 years inside Formula 1 - Di Spires
Bernie: The Biography of Bernie Ecclestone - Susan Watkins
Picture Books
McLaren The Cars: Updated 2011 Edition
Art of the Formula 1 Race Car - Stuart Codling, James Mann, Peter Windsor, Gordon Murray
DrivingFast.net
TurnFast.com
"The Six Most Important Things You'll Learn At Racing School" (Jalopnik.com article)
"Performance Driving Illustrated" by Ross Bentley (PDF e-book)
"Ultimate Speed Secrets: The Complete Guide to High-Performance and Race Driving" by Ross Bentley (book)
"RaceLogic Advanced Circuit Driving Techniques" (PDF e-book)
Rapid-Racer.com Suspension Tuning
"Tune to Win" by Carroll Smith (book)
No kidding, start with this.
Thank you!
Link for Amazon UK
You could at least give the rest of us a link, unless you were planning to keep the secrets to yourself ;)
https://www.amazon.com/Going-Faster-Mastering-Race-Driving/dp/0837602262
Racecar - Searching for the Limit in Formula SAE
In a word, yes. I know there is a way. I know it has to do with things like Ackerman and every other damn suspension variable. Unfortunately I do not know how to do it (engine guy here). Check out RCVD by Milliken. Good luck!
Hayne's manual on Red Bull's first championship winning car, the RB6
https://www.amazon.com/Red-Bull-Racing-Car-Championship-Winning/dp/0857330993
Well, some books that might be worth looking at:
Formula Student Finish to Win by Patrik Sipak
Racecar: Searching for the Limit in Formula SAE by Matt Brown
Learn & Compete A primer for Formula SAE, Formula Student and Formula Hybrid teams by Suzanne Royce, Michael Royce and others
Race Car Vehicle Dynamics by William and Douglas Milliken
Race Car Aerodynamics: Designing for Speed (Engineering and Performance) by Joseph Katz
I figured responding would be better than downvoting and what not. Here's a short list of some good textbooks to start with.
Fluid Mechanics: Fundamentals and Applications: This is my favourite general fluid dynamics textbook.
Race Car Aerodynamics: Designing for Speed: Considered one of if not the best textbooks for race car specific aerodynamics.
Race Car Vehicle Dynamics: This is the defacto vehicle dynamics textbook. I don't think any F1 engineer out there hasn't read this.
Computational Fluid Dynamics: The CFD Bible.
PM me if you want ahem links to the digital versions. Sorry if I've been harsh earlier, everyone starts somewhere and some concepts aren't particularly intuitive. You've got the right attitude though, a better feel for aerodynamics will come soon enough.
I suggest you actually learn the basic fluid dynamics, then you'll understand how they work when people explain to you. Actual maths involved in proper fluid dynamics is pretty tough but you don't need it to understand the concepts.
Race Car Aerodynamics by Joseph Katz is a good mixture of theory and practical examples. The maths is basic, nothing beyond A level or first year undergraduate level.
Scientific Design of Exhaust and Intake Systems
If you like that, you should check out the RBR Haynes manual.
https://www.amazon.com/Racecar-Searching-Limit-Formula-SAE-ebook/dp/B00637KNZG
This is what you're looking for
If you read these four Carroll Smith books you'll be more knowledgeable than just about every person here. They are by an large the foundational bibles of modern race car building, maintenance, and design. Don't let any engineer tell you differently. All of this info is easily applied to motorcycle mechanics, design, and engineering.
https://www.amazon.com/Tune-Win-science-development-tuning/dp/0879380713/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8
https://www.amazon.com/Engineer-Win-Carroll-Smith/dp/0615754090/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8
https://www.amazon.com/Fasteners-Plumbing-Handbook-Motorbooks-Workshop/dp/0879384069/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8
https://www.amazon.com/Prepare-Win-Bolts-Professional-Preparation/dp/0615547338/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8
I don't really think there is one place online.
I've been reading about this car in magazines and online for over a decade now. You'll have to Google around.
If you really, really, really like this car, purchase https://www.amazon.com/Driving-Ambition-Official-Inside-McLaren/dp/1852278412.
Here's another fun fact for you. They have a 56K modem on-board so owners can plug them in and McLaren can diagnose problems remotely.
Alright one more fun fact: They can only communicate with a Compaq LTE 5280. McLaren keeps several very well maintained versions.
Ok fine more fun facts not mentioned in the video: the reason for the chosen tail lights? Someone was sent out to weigh all available safetied tail lights; the ones they got were the lightest.
There is no radio in the F1. The CD player was specially developed by Kenwood, and is very very light. One of the upgrades McLaren offers is to take it out and replace with a modern MP3 system.
McLaren had very stringent weight, etc. requirements from manufacturers for the parts for the F1. BMW went over the weight limit by a tad, but got a hell of a lot more power. Still, Gordon Murray was upset they went overweight.
Here's a video of the owners manual: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SUfRNAuPSbw
If you're interested in ride/handling or chassis design:
Race Car Vehicle Dynamics
The Science of Vehicle Dynamics
Fundamentals of Vehicle Dynamics
Chassis Design: Principles and Analysis
read this https://www.amazon.com/Ultimate-Speed-Secrets-Ross-Bentley-ebook/dp/B005J0K7X6
I totally remember reading about this in Tune to Win, but I forget the reason why it was.
It may have had to do with the fact that they used Swing Axle front suspension, so the camber angle change during body roll was the opposite of what it is with double wishbone (the reason people run negative camber these days).
Yeah, The Perfect Corner is an overall look at the basic physics of racing. If you haven't gotten a chance to check it out, Perfect Control covers car control techniques if you are looking for more info on that. The paperback version was just released a few days ago. Perfect Corner 2 covers things like chicanes, double apexes and how to optimize them when combined into complex sections. I'd be happy to answer questions anyone has about the books, driving stuff or whatever.
We're in a word-spreading mode right now so The Perfect Corner is 50% off list right now on amazon
http://www.amazon.com/Perfect-Corner-Drivers-Step---Step/dp/1523441143/
Going Faster, the Skip Barber book.
Edit for Amazon link:
Going Faster! Mastering the Art of Race Driving https://www.amazon.com/dp/0837602262/ref=cm_sw_r_other_awd_JEK2wbPN6JSZV
Get the STi springs. Subaru spent a couple hundred grand engineering them for a reason.
Are the strut bars bumping you up a class? If so ditch them and run in a more proper class.
As for the bodyroll, that might be a driver mod. Too much braking, not enough gas. Scoobies don't like lifting. That being said, your first problem is absolutely lack of suspension travel due to the drop. 1.6" is a TON of lost travel, and those rates are per inch, which you've chopped off.
I don't think your spring rate is too high, STi's are over 200 stock. But those Epic springs are 100% for looks, and not for handling. Even says so on their website.
>Epic Engineering springs are designed to give your Subaru a more aggressive stance, and increase the intensity of the driving experience while maintaining a smooth and comfortable ride
Further:
>The decrease in ride height effectively lowers the coefficient of gravity, as well as the front roll center and hence inclines the vehicle roll axis further up to the rear.
And, as anyone who's read "Tune to Win" can tell you, lowering the front roll center will promote understeer.
So change the springs for the STi ones. Takes an hour if you DIY and borrow the spring compressors from Autozone (or buy a set for like $40). Just make sure you get the cone washer on top of the struts going the right way!
As a beginner, you're going to benefit way more from getting your form and technique in line before you start tweaking things with the kart. Change one thing at a time until you get a handle on things.
Karting techniques:
http://www.amazon.com/Bob-Bondurant-Race-Kart-Driving/dp/0760310769
http://www.amazon.com/The-Karting-Manual-Beginners-Competitive/dp/0857330861/
http://www.amazon.com/Kart-Driving-Techniques-Jim-Hall/dp/0936834471/
Not karting specific:
http://www.amazon.com/Going-Faster-Mastering-Race-Driving/dp/0837602262/
You are probably entering with too much speed. In levels of importance when racing are
Too many drivers focus on entering as fast as they can which messes up both their line and their exit speed and makes them slower overall.
Also, in the MX5 weight shift is key. To get the car rotating release the throttle. You will get throttle-lift oversteer which is the key to rotating the car into the turn.
I highly recommend buying and reading this: http://www.amazon.com/Going-Faster-Mastering-Race-Driving/dp/0837602262
The Perfect Corner and Perfect Corner 2 and Perfect Control. These are by far the most accurate and in-depth books if you want to not only know the best way to take a corner but also understand why it's the best way. No other resource comes close, in fact many books/videos get things wrong.
Honestly it's the only resource I'd fully trust. Others may give good tips in general but fall apart in some specific cases. Be warned though that it leans heavily on the physics side of it, even though there's not much actual math. I consider it a plus, but then again I'm a maths teacher so I'm definitely biased towards these kinds of publications
The Racing & High-Performance Tire: Using Tires to Tune for Grip & Balance
It is more about technical stuff, and improving your knowlege about tires, doing setups... so it also should improve your driving.
https://www.amazon.com/Race-Vehicle-Dynamics-R146-Premiere/dp/1560915269/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1491969872&sr=1-1&keywords=race+car+dynamics
Get him started early
Ultimate Speed Secrets by Ross Bentley
http://www.motorbooks.com/books/Ultimate-Speed-Secrets/9780760340509/4185
Bentley has several books that cover specific topics. This book pulls all of that together in one volume.
------------
Going Faster by Carl Lopez
http://www.amazon.com/Going-Faster-Mastering-Race-Driving/dp/0837602262
An old standby.
Here's the video you were looking for!
You can also get it in book form, which I think goes into more detail.
If you're interested in going even deeper, Drive To Win by Carroll Smith is a good one, and you'll even learn what it takes to be successful in real-life racing.
Tune To Win also really good if you're interested in learning about set-up, but if you're just starting out then focusing on driving is by far the most important thing. The skippy car doesn't have many set-up options anyways.
I just started -- the first thing is just learning how to drive like a race car driver. It's a lot different than other racing games.
There are a lot of good resources online on how to drive fast. Or if you want a good book check out https://www.amazon.ca/Speed-Secrets-Professional-Driving-Techniques/dp/0760305188
The first little while will be pretty frustrating. Learning a new track and new car involves a lot of spins and crashes. There will be new stuff you're not used to -- going over a small bump in the track will cause the wheels to lose grip. Braking and turning at the same time will send you into a spin.
Spend a whole just learning the track -- several hours at least, until you can drive clean laps without wrecking.
Once you can get around the track a couple times without going off, then jump into an open practice. There you'll learn how to be on track with other cars. Try following other cars around the track. See if you can drive close to them without wrecking. Learn to follow someone into a corner and stay with them coming out.
When you're ready to move up to racing, don't think about winning for the first little while. You'll just end up wrecking and feeling frustrated.
The first job is just to get the car back safely. Think of a race as just lapping with other cars. Honestly if you start in last place, you will probably finish fourth or fifth if all you do is just keep the car on the track. Learn how to let a faster car go by without hitting them (harder than it seems.)
As you get faster, you'll start to be competitive and then you can start racing. Then you'll learn how to pass people without hitting them (also harder than it seems.)
The more you can stay calm and avoid crashes, the better off you'll be. That's true at every level.
Also as you level up, don't feel like you have to race in the highest class. I moved up to the IMSA races too quickly and I wasn't really ready for it. I got DQ'D from.a couple races, and it knocked my rating waaaay down.
So I've dropped back down to the Skip Barber car and I'm having a lot more fun. This isn't like other games where you have to level up to have fun. Your rating is about your driving skill, and it's better to have along slow climb than to yo-yo up and down, wrecking along the way.
Oh -- also check out the Crew Chief app. I just installed it (it's free) and it's way better than the built in spotter.
Good luck! Have fun!
Pyrometer
Low profile jack stands (flat feet, safe for tarmac)
Racing gloves
RaceQuip Helmet Support
A GoPro off-brand accessory kit To help mounting that GoPro to whatever you want to mount it to.
Some Mechanix gloves lots of options
Paint markers various colors.
F4 self-sealing silicone tape
Going Faster
Speed Secrets
High-Performance Handling for Street or Track
Another few things would be to find out what the driver uses for brake pads, brake fluid, rotors, oil filter, etc., as those can be pricey and nice gifts. (I use Hawk DTC-60 front, HP+ rear pads, Motul RBF-600 fluid)
Portable battery powered air pump for tires I have one very similar to this. It's cheap and great to use for adjusting pressures before sessions.
A decent tire pressure gauge This is the one I have and have used for several years and I have been very happy with it.
A subscription to Grassroots Motorsports
Torque wrench, +200 ft/lbs This is the one I have been using for a few years and it works well.
I've got lots of other ideas for tools and such; specific socket sets, impact gun & sockets, special bits for your car, magnet, flash lights/head lamp/stick light, channel locks, stubby sockets, various wrenches, extensions, breaker bar, bits, allen wrenches, vice grips, pry bars, adapters, pliers, cutters, etc that would be good to put on your list if you don't have them in your kit.
Happy holidays!
Tune to Win: The art and science of race car development and tuning
It's never too early to start.
Nice, what about this one? http://www.amazon.com/Ultimate-Speed-Secrets-Complete-High-Performance-ebook/dp/B005J0K7X6/ref=la_B001IGLXME_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1451301872&sr=1-1
You are going to have to try some different things to see which impact times the most (make notes of you changes and the results. One thing to keep in mind is after the long fast straights, try to hold speed as long as possible by early apexing the turns. Before the straights, you want to late apex so that you can straighten out the turn and get on the gas earlier. Check out some racing books too like: https://www.amazon.com/Speed-Secrets-Professional-Driving-Techniques/dp/0760305188/ref=nodl_
Ah, I've had this same problem myself sometimes. There are a few ways to approach the problem.
TRANSMISSION
You can look at your transmission, as mkhockeygeek mentioned. I recently posted a short gear ratio tuning guide here. My procedure is for using the engine's power band, which should give you efficient performance in general as you accelerate through your gears. This is a different strategy than what BIGSTIG recommends, so your mileage may vary.
Adjusting your transmission will only fix the problem if your car has plenty of power that was not being utilized. Unfortunately, installing an adjustable transmission adds to your PI points, which means a sacrifice somewhere else, so it may not help you. I think that the highly experienced tuner "Worm" said that a race transmission is almost never worth it.
All-wheel-drive cars have fast launch and acceleration, but lower top speed, so you'll get passed on the straights. Keep that in mind if you converted your drivetrain.
TIRES versus ENGINE STRENGTH
But there is something more basic to think about. You mentioned you can hang in the corners, but you get passed on the straights. I think this means that your car has good handling, which is important, but this comes at the expense of speed. For example, if you install narrow tires or less grippy tires, you can move those PI over to the engines power. Because many human beings like flashy powerful things and "big numbers", a lot of people are tuned for speed, not handling, so they are really fast on the straights. Downgrading your handling will let you upgrade your speed stat and compete on the straights.
"It is the car that wins in the straights, but it is the driver who wins in the corners." I like this quote. I am personally more interested in corners than straights. However, any great racing teacher will attest, rightfully, that torque wins races. You spend more time accelerating than cornering. Make sure you have the torque you need to beat the pack.
YOUR DRIVING
Usually the driver who begins accelerating earlier out of a corner will be the fastest. You should think carefully about your racing line and make sure you take corners in the way that lets you (1) maintain as much speed as possible and (2) accelerate as soon possible! Here is where BIGSTIG's tuning guide can come in handy, since by adjusting your roll bars, differential, camber, and springs, you may be able to corner faster and accelerate sooner.
The "driving" is how slower cars beat fast cars. A weak car used effectively can of course beat a powerful car that is sloppy.
I'm going to post something different, start learning a martial art. It will help you stay in good shape and get you more comfortable with your body, it will help improve your confidence, and it will give you a tool that can help you defend yourself if you need it. If you're young and you're going out in the world you need to be able to protect yourself from the knuckleheads and even just develop the ability to escape from them. Also hand in hand should be conflict resolution and deescalation skills. Learn how to talk. On the same note, learn how to communicate in your relationships, express your emotions, and most importantly listen. Learn how to really listen to people without judgement and try to understand them. This will open up a lot of doors for you. People love to feel understood and you will love the freedom that comes from learning about other people's perspectives.
Edit: a couple of links.
/r/martialarts
Solo Training 2, this is a good book that covers the essentials of building your core muscle groups for martial arts, gives you some tips for practicing on your own, and has some good tips for the mental side of it as well as conflict resolution.
Geoff Thompson - The Fence pt 1, and pt2 this is a video by Geoff Thompson an experienced martial artist and former bouncer in England who teaches some ways to control situations in a violent street encounter or to notice things beforehand. There's a book too
In the same vein I recommend Defensive Living great book about your personal safety and developing a good system of personal awareness as well as telling you what to look for.
The Best Kept Secrets of Great Communicators a great audiobook series that covers a lot about how to communicate with people.
I also have more recommendations for the relationship/communication stuff if you want to know.
I think I can hook you up with an ebook copy of the Fence book and a rip of the Best Kept Secrets of Great Communicators if you want to hit me up via P.M.
Also I recommend getting into mindfulness meditation, even if you practice listening to your breath for a couple of minutes a day it can be helpful.
This is the one correct answer, and well stated.
Philip Smith's Scientific Design of Exhaust and Intake Systems is also an excellent reference. It's older, but the science really hasn't changed, and you don't really need an engineering degree to get through it. The book and research were long before digital modeling, so it's all dyno experimentation using mechanical measuring systems, no CFD or modern voodoo.
The whole "back pressure is necessary for low end torque" idea is 100% bullcrap.
Yeah that's a tough one. Probably the only real resource that would be useful is Paul Haney's The Racing and High Performance Tire. https://www.amazon.com/Racing-High-Performance-Tire-Using-Balance/dp/0768012414
Most other resources only have tires as a small subsection of the book or are going to be way over your head and focus on mathematical modeling. There is also one other interesting source of info that Michelin produced. http://www.dimnp.unipi.it/guiggiani-m/Michelin_Tire_Grip.pdf
It's not fully online, though you might find a PDF around, is this: http://www.amazon.com/Red-Bull-Racing-Car-Championship-Winning/dp/0857330993/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1410571889&sr=1-1&keywords=f1+engineering
https://www.amazon.com/Race-Car-Aerodynamics-Engineering-Performance/dp/0837601428/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=race+car+aerodynamics&qid=1564857858&s=gateway&sr=8-1
back in the 90s I got paid to do the dynamics on a racing game.
so much fun.
hardest part was understanding impulse vs. force applied, keeping the time dimension straight.
plus figuring out the axis of rotation of wheeled vehicles, how exactly tires turn a car.
https://www.amazon.com/Race-Car-Vehicle-Dynamics-Experiments/dp/0768011272 is the bible of course but it didn't answer any of the hard problems I ran into, like how to transfer the (uneven) forces in the shocks into angular vs. vertical acceleration.
If you think you learned a lot from the video, buy Skips actual book, "Going Faster". It's the single book to own for any driver. The video everyone keeps posting is a massive summation of the writing and it skips a ton of amazing stuff. Not to mention full page illustrations of suspension geometry and setup techniques, setup theory, etc. I got a copy off of amazon for like $20 - http://www.amazon.com/Going-Faster-Mastering-Race-Driving/dp/0837602262
Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby easily one of my favorite movies EVER. Infinitely quotable.
The Physics of NASCAR is a must-read. I'll add that I am a liberal arts major who barely passed high school algebra, but this book made physics understandable. I feel like I have a better grasp of the sport after reading this very approachable book.
I cheated I own this [book] (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Driving-Ambition-Official-Inside-McLaren/dp/1852278412)
Have you read this beauty?
Haynes RB6 Red Bull manual
Its a pretty technical in depth look into practically every part of a formula 1 car
Do you have any good links for more information? I see what /u/Wozrop is saying from the theoretical model of friction standpoint but I see a ton of empirical evidence to backup what you're saying—and no doubt racers know this. I'm basically looking for technical explanations of why this is the case.
Edit: Incase anyone cares (or even reads this) I found an excerpt from Race Car Vehicle Dynamics:
>Tractive force F_T and braking force F_B are a function of slip ratio. As the slip ratio increases (numerically) from zero, the forces rise rapidly to a maximum which usually occurs in the range of 0.10 to 0.15 slip ratio, after which the forces fall off.
So, yeah, Milliken's 10-15% slip ratio finding corroborates /u/Kkubaa's statement. The chapter on Tire Behavior is pretty interesting; a lot more going on than simple problems from undergrad mechanical engineering.
Thanks. I've found a few recommended books already:
http://www.amazon.com/Going-Faster-Mastering-Race-Driving/dp/0837602262/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1312228989&sr=1-1
and
http://www.amazon.com/How-Make-Your-Car-Handle/dp/0912656468/ref=sr_1_5?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1312228516&sr=1-5
The latter is available as PDF ("for free"), although I don't know about the former.
Edit:
The recommendations are taken from this Audi A4 tracking introduction:
http://www.startupracing.com/Docs/Tracking%20the%20Audi.pdf
Good book and the one I came in here to recommend.
Red Bull put out a shop manual for the RB6(?) A few years back. It's got a lot of really interesting stuff in it.
https://www.amazon.com/Red-Bull-Racing-Car-Championship-Winning/dp/0857330993
If you want to learn about the engineering/mechanical side of it, I highly recommend The Physics of NASCAR. I've been watching for 20 years or so and just recently read it and still learned a ton. You'll come across all of the terms you hear them talk about during the broadcast. The book reads almost like a high school text book so you can bounce around and hit things you are really interested in or know nothing about. I've picked it up and flipped to different chapters during a race to refresh my memory.
https://www.amazon.com/Physics-Nascar-Science-Behind-Speed/dp/0452290228
I just picked up Going Faster! and it seems like a solid book.
https://www.amazon.com/Speed-Secrets-Professional-Driving-Techniques/dp/0760305188
Disclosure: I've never read any of these. Going just by what's popular.
> Get the best experience out of iRacing possible without wasting time
I would suggest possibly changing the mentality here (If I'm understanding you right). Instead, take your time & enjoy it instead of trying to rush to the top classes. Especially with road racing, the lower classes are the best place to learn tracks & driving competitively.
For learning how to be fast, I always recommend the book Going Faster. Everything else is just from experience & practice.
For the wheel stuff, you should be fine. Stick shifter would add immersion, but it's not mandatory.
Here is the link
I got it for kindle and am enjoying it. Also Ross Bentley has a podcast where you can get helpful tips.
I think for me the most important concept is "deliberate practice". You will get better by just spending a lot of time on track, but actually taking notes, practicing certain corners/techniques specifically will help you get better faster.
For people looking for the technical book about the ins and outs of an F1 car (RB6).
>And weight on that tire would just be taking away from your other tires.
Except that's a good thing...
For tires to generate lateral force, they need a normal load on them (i.e. weight) and they need to slip (hence slip angle).
So by that logic, you just want to pile on more weight and you get more lateral force. This is true, but the problem is that pneumatic tires have a sensitivity to that weight. This means that for more and more load you pile on them, the less lateral force you get back. It's why race cars want to always be as low as possible, you transfer less weight.
Essentially, because the weight got transferred off the tire, it lost more lateral force capability than the outside tire gained.
If you don't believe me, read either:
The Racing & High Performance Tire by Haney
or
Tune to Win by Carroll Smith
or
Fundamentals of Vehicle Dynamics by Gillespie
or
RCVD by Milliken and Milliken
or you can choose to ignore a random person on the internet that says he has several years of engineering experience for several racing series.
Here is the desktop version of your link
Good reading: http://www.amazon.com/Going-Faster-Mastering-Race-Driving/dp/0837602262
My first was a lot of fun, but I took it very easy since I had OEM summer only tires and it was in the low 40's max in October... Keep an eye out for stupid or faster drivers and just let them pass in the passing zones. Not everyone on track actually belongs there...
Here is some advice, especially for an older car:
Brakes are the MOST important thing to check and there are plenty of incidents where people crash due to inadequate maintenance. fresh brake pads, inspect rotors for thickness, stress cracks if drilled. Inspect brake lines for nicks/age cracking, check brake fluid condition, reservoir leaks. Some places will turn you around right away if they see a wet reservoir. Flush and replace if it is bad or only DOT3. GOOD fresh oil and filter change, check wheel bearings for play (that will get you kicked out). Check tire condition, no dry rot. Clean and check alloy wheels for stress cracks. Remove all loose items you don't need at the track. Bring water, hat, long pants, long cotton shirt, helmet (SA2010+ probably), and of course a camera!
Tune To Win would be my recommendation by Carroll Smith, old but very informative.
I started to read "The Perfect Corner" and whilst there is nothing wrong with it, it's not my go to book, but that is just my personal opinion which doesn't mean it's right for everyone.
Giorgio Piola who does the ilistrations on f1.com has his own books
there is http://www.racecar-engineering.com/ which has a few more tecnical articals
and the http://www.f1technical.net/ forum
edit and of course scarbs on twitter his site and on peter windsor youtube channel
I agree with everything he said. Another way to get the most out of your eventual driving class is to read this book first:
Going Faster! Mastering the Art of Race Driving https://www.amazon.com/dp/0837602262/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_nkVvub00B1PF5
Though not really applicable to the engine side, and likely too conceptual for the tire wear models, this one is really good from the dynamics side and translates many aerospace concepts over to vehicle dynamics (Stability derivatives, etc.):
Race Car Vehicle Dynamics, Milliken & Milliken
Going Faster is a widely recommended book for real life driving and racing. I say driving and racing because you need to focus on two different objectives. There is the ability to go around the circuit fast (Driving) and then there's Race Craft, which is the art of passing, defensive lines, etc. You need them both to be a winner, whether real or simulation. Enjoy.
This may help
https://www.amazon.com/Race-Car-Vehicle-Dynamics-Experiments/dp/0768011272
You want more? You want Going Faster. I've spent a few weekends at the track, but this book still taught me a lot. Going Faster! Mastering the Art of Race Driving https://www.amazon.com/dp/0837602262/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awd_cV2AwbH2J2389
Well, you already know about design, but you could specialize in industrial design, or take another course in ergonomics and such. I have no idea what the job market demands are for car-design, but in a creative place, fresh ideas from other perspectives are usually welcome, so maybe being an architect isn't such a bad position to be in.
Now, you can like cars from varying points of view, you may like to tinker with them, to look at them, or maybe just drive them. If you like the driving part, I'd recommend you go several track days, or try to go to a high performance driving school, just keep in mind they can be expensive. If not, try to save up for a place with serious go karts (try and find some that go to 60mph, but you'll find ones going up to 100 or 120 mph) and learn how to really drive. A good go-kart is cheap fun and acceleration/cornering wise is pretty much on par with a decent, winged, single seater, this means it will corner and brake harder than any supercar car and accelerate on par with most of them.
A couple of books that might help you on the subject of high performance driving would be Thisand this one.
Regarding car shows, the most entertaining one is called Top Gear. It's British and it's more a entertainment show that happens to have cars, but most of us gearheads enjoy it.
I don't know much but if you have any questions ask away :)
Do you think that something like the F1 Technical Analysis or the Hayne's RB6-Rb10 Manual will have any of this stuff?
Also this one is more specific than the Speed Secrets book IMO, which can be a good addition for your reading: http://www.amazon.com/Going-Faster-Mastering-Race-Driving/dp/0837602262/ref=pd_bxgy_14_img_2?ie=UTF8&refRID=0ZQHKTH18AJ2MMNPZ7EZ
buy this book - http://www.amazon.com/Going-Faster-Mastering-Race-Driving/dp/0837602262/
it helped me a LOT. they break it down so well and explain everything you want to work on imho...
Obviously mechanical geared but:
Machine Design by Norton
Is such a fantastic reference book.
If you're in formula SAE or other such projects
Racecar is a fun book that entertainingly in a short read goes over a lot of the experiences every SAE team deals with from engineering to people.
As others said, Machinery Handbook is a must.
A lot of it depends on what you're interested in. Especially as a mechanical you can go from working on steam turbines in subs to packaging in microelectronics to machine design for some every day product to designing some as seen on tv simple part that just needs to be developed and designed for manufacturability and plastic injection molding to super precise machines that are accurate to microns in positional tolerance to doing energy analysis on a house or a brewery to process engineering with that brewery to advanced control systems and systems engineering.
You'll need to learn a little of everything for your degree but depending on where your career takes you and what interests you, study up.
I was doing machine design and DFM work (and logistics that go with tooling and running a small run product.) In a week I'll be doing r&d work with microprocessors dealing with the structural integrity of chips and thermal issues. I searched around and found some interesting books on advanced thermal design for that purpose. I love machine tools as a hobby and have started getting my own. I love reading about how precision machining developed from less precise machines, how things are made, and building your own tools instead of buying them. There are tons of various books in this area and I also sought out older texts. I got some awesome used books from 1910-1950s that are treasures in my rapidly growing library.
I haven't read some of the books here that others mentioned but look good. In particular some of the management related books. My friend swears by How to make friends and influence people as a great way to understand and manage people better. 99% of the time as an engineer your hurdles will be less technical and more people oriented. You've gotta deal with the marketing people, your bosses, your subordinates, the people who control how much money your project gets, your fellow team mates, the manufacturers, the vendors, machinists, the publc etc. It's a team sport and learning to deal with people well, especially in stressful times with deadlines and deadbeats who aren't pulling their weight is an important skill you may or may not pick up in school.
I apologize in advance for any run on sentences but it was easier to just go for it.
Edit:
Also, sometimes non-computer related degrees get shafted on proper programming education. Learn programming. It helps you think about a problem more logically both for computer programs and regular design. Programming is identifying your problem and desired outcomes and doing so in a step by step manner. Programming can also be really helpful. For example, with Python you can do a ton of math and graphing and all of the stuff you'd do in Matlab practically for free. Scientific computing is a great benefit for any engineer. There are tons of different languages to choose from plus things like Matlab and Mathematica etc.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1560915269/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1463348434&sr=8-1&pi=SY200_QL40&keywords=race+car+vehicle+dynamics&dpPl=1&dpID=51RPTK9WZCL&ref=plSrch
No surprise that the McLaren F1 is my number one ultimate dream car going back almost 25 years. I've had dreams about driving one, waking up with actual tears on my face. I've got a cabinet full of McLaren F1 die cast models and toys and two copies of the F1 book Driving Ambition. I spent my time in the UK looking for one. I long for one each and every day of my life. Like an unrequited or lost love.
The Perfect Corner, a bit heavy on trying to describe physics but very understandable
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1523441143/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1457147031&sr=8-1&pi=SY200_QL40&keywords=the+perfect+corner&dpPl=1&dpID=51Bfu8oKN3L&ref=plSrch
https://www.amazon.ca/gp/aw/d/B019WQFEIK?pc_redir=T1
I've just "bought" it and can access it through the Kindle Cloud Reader thing (read.amazon.co.uk)
ps: UK link http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B019WQFEIK
pps: thanks for free stuff... I like free stuff :)
if you don't want BS stop wing chun. it is the art for skinny beanpole nerds as well chubby neckbeards who want to play kung fu. I shit on wing chun because i was one of those nerds who trained WC for years with one of the best sifus in the art, Kenneth Cheung in Cali. it is LARPing with even less of a workout and any real sparring.
just google wing chun fights, they all look like shitty kickboxing or two morons in a slap fest.
if you want to really punch, learn to box. if you want to be a bodyguard, get a gun. if you want to bounce, get some books from Geoff Thompson.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Fence-Art-Protection-Geoff-Thompson/dp/1840240849