Sorry, I did not see this discussion in the "Fontana" thread.
If the wing were hinged at the rear, and the sideplates slotted at the front, it would allow the wind to flatten out when going backwards, negating lift.

Operating properly, the wing produces some, but not all of the downforce on the rear of the cars. The total rear downforce is much less than the rear wheel weight of the car.

In full reverse, operating as an airdam and not a wing, the thing cannot physically generate sufficient lift to pick the car up. There's no splitter on the azz end of the car ... there's a great gaping maw between the bottom of the bumper cover and the track surface. At high speeds, the airflow fills the hole and lift is generated. The wing helps, as did the spoiler on the old cars. Neither is the culprit.

auntysquat - 02 November 2009 10:25 AM

Operating properly, the wing produces some, but not all of the downforce on the rear of the cars. The total rear downforce is much less than the rear wheel weight of the car.

In full reverse, operating as an airdam and not a wing, the thing cannot physically generate sufficient lift to pick the car up. There's no splitter on the azz end of the car ... there's a great gaping maw between the bottom of the bumper cover and the track surface. At high speeds, the airflow fills the hole and lift is generated. The wing helps, as did the spoiler on the old cars. Neither is the culprit.

well done again Bernoulli...

Dirtymopossie08 - 02 November 2009 09:24 AM

Yarboroughfan - 02 November 2009 09:20 AM

Dirtymopossie08 - 02 November 2009 09:14 AM

USAC, WoO, All Star, Sprint Cars All Get Upside Down At 150mph, So Should We Stop Racing Sprints?

well.. there is quite a bit of difference between 150 and 190mph.. and even more difference when you're talking about a 3450lb stock car and a 900lb Sprinter

A WoO Sprint Car has nowhere near the protection of a NASCAR CUP Car, an a WoO Sprint is 1375 with the driver in it.

And energy is one-half mass times velocity squared.

Dirtymopossie08 - 02 November 2009 09:14 AM

USAC, WoO, All Star, Sprint Cars All Get Upside Down At 150mph, So Should We Stop Racing Sprints?

Sprint cars do not hit 150 very often. On most 1/2 mile tracks they hit maybe 120-130. On 1/4 mile tracks they are lucky to see 100 mph. And wingless sprints, such as USAC are about 10-20 mph slower than that.

Dirtymopossie08 - 02 November 2009 09:14 AM

USAC, WoO, All Star, Sprint Cars All Get Upside Down At 150mph, So Should We Stop Racing Sprints?

That's comparing apples to rib eye steaks. Sprint cars get upside down because they hit walls, catch a wheel in the dirt, and the momentum flips them over. Newman took off airborne on simple aerodynamics lifting the car up and off the ground.

well.. there is quite a bit of difference between 150 and 190mph.

Well how about an IndyCar that gets upside down at 224 mph?

Why are we trying to fix the car when the track is the problem? They don't have these cars engineered to go forward all that well and now they need to work on backwards too? Technology has made these plate tracks outdated, more dangerous, less entertaining, and you're obviously not going to fix it by slowing the car down 10-15mph or re-engineering them to go backwards at 190mph. Decrease the banking.

they need to go back to the rear spoiler but leave a gap of 1 inch along the base from the centre almost out to the edge for air to slip thru, and have it curl in on the ends . and maybe have the front spoiler curl up on the outer edge also maybe try the bending skirts they had in formula one back in 1982.

I think they should go back to the mid eighties G-body two doors and thunderturds. May not help keep them on the ground but at least they'll look better while they're soaring thru the air.