Hi All.
Since Monday this week there has been an event on Lake Gairdner in South Austalia (apparently somewhere out near Woomera). A couple of interepid souls made the trip over from Melbourne with a 250 International just to see what it would do "officially". They tried this a couple of years ago and the place was mud.
They are on their way back with a recorded top speed of 121MPH which is not really that fast but apparently the salt was wet and it was their first time of trying this out. Knowing the two who went over, next year is already being planned and a true run at a decent speed would be on the cards.
Check out where it all happens at [url=http://www.dlra.org.au]www.dlra.org.au[/url]
Comments20
Re: Salt Lake racing?
Re: Salt Lake racing?
What tyres? Slicks or wets? What width rims? How much aero on the front and wing on the back? What happens on salt if it all turns to brown stuff?
Personally I think 121MPH on the first attempt at this is a reasonable figure. It was really just a recon year so they know what to do for the next time. Pity we have to wait a year for the next one and then it is dependant on the weather in the middle of nowhere and most likely most every other place in Australia as to what the salt will be like.
Hopefully I can get some info off them during the week otherwise it is at Winton next weekend.
Re: Salt Lake racing?
They are on their way back with a recorded top speed of 121MPH which is not really that fast but apparently the salt was wet and it was their first time of trying this out. Knowing the two who went over, next year is already being planned and a true run at a decent speed would be on the cards.[/quote]
What's the secret? Told us half the story, who are the two that went?
What was the reason for maxing out at 195kph?
In the USA, a 125cc Pavasi engined laydown goes round Daytona at 230kph (143MPH) according to MyChron.
Re: Salt Lake racing?
Let me call them "Thelma and Louise" or perhaps "Dumb and Dumber" or perhaps the "Dynamic Duo". No Thelma and Louise will do.
The reason for maxing out at 121MPH (that's the way they measure speed these salt lake racers) is that the salt was too wet.
Now I don't know much about this sort of thing but from watching movies and all that I would have to say that even though salt is very abrasive, I don't think it gives a lot of traction. What salt is like when it is wet, I have even less knowledge or idea about. If someone wants to set up a test bed in their shed and give us the shore rating of slicks and treaded tyres on dry and wet salt it may help in this little science class.
Latest news from our intrepid pair is.
[color=red]"Salt too slippery to use 6th gear. Did not get to make motor work hard. Kart would swap ends at about 110MPH"[/color]
I don't know about anyone else but if that was happening to me I would show a lot of trepidation and not be game to push the limits too much. Like I said I think they have used this as a learning experience for another go at a good speed next year. Get out there next year, weather permitting, and have a crack Sammy.
Imagine Sammy and Stocky in the middle of nowhere for a week with Sammy trying to go faster all the time and Stocky sitting back giving advice. I and a lot of others would go along and help you Sammy just to get to see the show. You could have the bigest entourage to go onto the lake in history. Sorry just a funny thought Sammy.
Now onto Daytona. What is the track surface? Asphalt? Heaps of traction so heaps of confidence and speed.
Re: Salt Lake racing?
Re: Salt Lake racing?
Still any ideas are good in the search for answers. Sometimes the crudest methods of testing are the best because when you try them it is not in perfect conditions.
Re: Salt Lake racing?
Let me call them "Thelma and Louise" or perhaps "Dumb and Dumber"
Now onto Daytona. What is the track surface? Asphalt? Heaps of traction so heaps of confidence and speed.[/quote]
I wasn't there so I don't know the actual conditions.
Let say it's slippery.... It's slippery when it rains and the track is wet, it does not make the wheels spin on a 250 twin in a straight line or effect the max top speed (except for a little water resistance pumping the water through the wets, pending how wet).
The wing.
The wing in a webmaster only helps the kart in the high speed corners and over bumps. A salt lake should not have these track features. Piss the wing off. The kart still won't wheelspin if its slippery.
The danger.
Scared of what? What are you going to hit...a concrete wall? Pussies......So you have a few 360 spins...that will be fun....I think.
If the salt is wet and the tyres sink a little, they wouldn't run the event would they?
Anyway we weren't there, so we don't know the conditions but we can hear the excuses ;D ;D ;D
Craig,
Is 'dumb and dumber' a carbon coloured PVP?
Re: Salt Lake racing?
Re: Salt Lake racing?
The carbon PVP man is in NZ racing his fully sic ttoorraannaa mate this weekend. You are close though. Usually paired with him in the garages.
Looks like a lot of soul searching before next year. Looks promising though with Sammy possibly going out just for the 360's. How much fun would it be. All piss and no politics.
Re: Salt Lake racing?
Scared of what? What are you going to hit...a concrete wall? Pussies......So you have a few 360 spins...that will be fun....I think.
If the salt is wet and the tyres sink a little, they wouldn't run the event would they? [/quote]
Sam, I don't think it will spin, the tyres will dig in and OVVVEEEERRRR it will go. Yes they do run when the salt is a bit wet as they only run it once a year so take the salt as they find it. Full points for giving it a go as apparently no one else has thought of it.
Re: Salt Lake racing?
Sammy.
The carbon PVP man is in NZ racing his fully sic ttoorraannaa mate this weekend. [/quote]
Gee there is nothing much you don't know going on around the place.
You should publish a weekly gossip coloum for Womens Weekly.. :D
PS. I bet you haven't heard the latest about the "Green Machine".
Your going to have to wait till after the Eastern Creek State Titles I think.
Re: Salt Lake racing?
PS. I bet you haven't heard the latest about the "Green Machine".
Your going to have to wait till after the Eastern Creek State Titles I think.
[/quote]
I heard he got so sick, he turned blue!! Hope he gets better before EC.
Re: Salt Lake racing?
After reading this thread you have had a couple (crude testing) and have come up with. Salt containers at each wheel trickling salt under the tyres. New salt racing record and hang it on everyone else.
Good or what? Am I close?
Re: Salt Lake racing?
I heard he got so sick, he turned blue!! Hope he gets better before EC.
[/quote]
Yepp he changed colour. Did you know about that one Cookie? Put that in your gossip coloum. ;D
No he will not feel better and go back to yukky green. That's a loser's colour, look what happened to Dick Johnson when he hit the trees. Dick's luck changed when he went Red.
If salt is slippery, how would a kart so low and heavy flip when spinning. We don't flip with grip on asphalt...... I don't know anything about this salt thing, never been so only assuming little logic with mostly guess.
Re: Salt Lake racing?
If salt is slippery, how would a kart so low and heavy flip when spinning. We don't flip with grip on asphalt...... I don't know anything about this salt thing, never been so only assuming little logic with mostly guess.
[/quote]
Try it and let us know what happens, the proof is in the eating.
Re: Salt Lake racing?
Apparently on the Saturday night, 7th of March, There was rain at the Lake. On Sunday morning there was 1 inch of water (25mm for the younger people) over the bottom of the lake. Everyone spent 3 days twiddling their thumbs (travelled for 2 days to get there you won't come back until they call it off) before the salt dried enough to get the track prepared. The salt remained wet for the rest of the week. Apparently this lake is one of the very few salt lakes in the world that is very far above sea level (200m) but it is still affected by the moon like the tides are. I have been told that at the times that there was a high tide in the ocean that puddles would form on the salt.
A little bit of technical stuff. Asphalt has a co-efficiency of some sort that gives you grip. That number is .9. Dry salt has a co-efficiency number normally of .4. The salt over that week did not even registed .1 so there was no grip. I think they may have had some cricket commentator out there with his keys to get a reading.
Re: Salt Lake racing?
Now with all that technical data on the salt conditions and surrounds, pretty sure I know who it could be now.
Do you have to fish oil the kart first so it doesn't rust? :D
Re: Salt Lake racing?
Spray the kart with what?
It would smell like a prawn trawler and you be chased by a flock of cats
Re: Salt Lake racing?
Most of the pictures have machines with bodywork shaped like a cigar. I was having this discussion with another webmasterer only last night. ;)
Thanks KartSportNews.com for the Goss.
http://www.kartsportnews.com/content/2009/news_090317-4.html
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,25184380-5013404,00.html
Re: Salt Lake racing?
Don't forget you heard it here first!!!