Touringcars-why not a/c?

[kmchow]

Over the years, I've always read that the interior temperatures inside racing and touring cars can easily reach 70 degrees. So why not mandate and require a/c to be installed in cars to help reduce interior temperatures? It can be for the safety and health of drivers.

The DTM website just posted an article on interior car temps.

[racer69]

Paul Morris ran a form of air-conditioning in his Commodore a few years back in V8Supercars.

[JMeissner]

A/Cs means more weight which isn't good. Obviously the teams and drivers does not feel that A/C is important enough to compromize the weight of the cars.

[graham bahr]

Originally Posted by JMeissner

A/Cs means more weight which isn't good. Obviously the teams and drivers does not feel that A/C is important enough to compromize the weight of the cars.

not only that but it costs power! if they had 500+bhp engines they might consider loosing say 5 bhp worth while but as the engines are tightly controlled but teams are still going to huge lengths to find more power no way will they ever just waste it using A/C

[Notso Swift]

Lots of drivers do run a form of AC. They have both cool vest and a system that takes air from out side and runs it over some ice packs in a cooler box and then pumps the cooler than ambient air into the helmet. I think Stand 21 have it on thier websire, but there are other systems as well.
Since most professional catagories are weight limited ""race weight" they just run less balast to balance.
As Graham said, god forbid that they would compomise power

[kmchow]

By making it mandatory, every team would be faced with the same weight/hp affecting issue?

But as someone said, the coolvest and dry ice is one cheaper solution.

[touring fan01]

you couldn't just madate it in touring cars (and no other class) as every enclosed competition car has the same heat issues - so you would either have to make it mandatory for everyone or not at all. and obviously you can't expect every saloon/sports car racer to fit A/C, so it won't ever be mandated.

[thereal_tdb]

What next?
Air bags in case they crash?
Heated seats for winter testing?
Sat nav if they haven't been to the track before?

Racing is dangerous, hot and hard work!
That's the way it is!

[kmchow]

Originally Posted by thereal_tdb

What next?
Air bags in case they crash?
Heated seats for winter testing?
Sat nav if they haven't been to the track before?

Racing is dangerous, hot and hard work!
That's the way it is!

I thought I recall the old DTM cars did have airbags or they were developing airbags for them before in died in'96? Wow, I never thought there would be such strong negativity to mandating a/c on cars. I recall several years were weak or became dehydrated after getting out of their veh.

[marcush.]

typical error in racing.....maximising the potential in the wrong areas....40 kilos of ballast won´t stop mr müller or priaulx from winning,right?a cool head would help a lot of guys in thhe heat of the moment....

[JMeissner]

Originally Posted by thereal_tdb

What next?
Air bags in case they crash?
Heated seats for winter testing?
Sat nav if they haven't been to the track before?

Racing is dangerous, hot and hard work!
That's the way it is!

Why not improve the sport instead of just letting it be "dangerous"?

[Notso Swift]

Originally Posted by marcush.

typical error in racing.....maximising the potential in the wrong areas....40 kilos of ballast won´t stop mr müller or priaulx from winning,right?a cool head would help a lot of guys in thhe heat of the moment....

Some of them need more than air conditioning to cool their heads

[flor]

http://dtm.motorsport-total.com/news..._big/17010.jpg

i wonder how much cooling those "pipes" provide

[Brown, JonBrown]

A/C would mean the commited fit drivers lose an advantage.

I don't want A/C in touring cars

[racer69]

They should just wind the windows down

[MrTTraces]

Originally Posted by racer69

They should just wind the windows down

I thourght the windows were electric and they have a little button on the dash to operate them

[Dudley]

Originally Posted by kmchow

By making it mandatory, every team would be faced with the same weight/hp affecting issue?

Cost.

[thereal_tdb]

Originally Posted by JMeissner

Why not improve the sport instead of just letting it be "dangerous"?

Go on then! tell us how you stop cars running around a track at 130mph+ inches apart from being dangerous! ?????????

[JMeissner]

Ever heard of HANS, rollbars, window nettings, etc.?

But that is a discussion for another thread

[TVRfan]

I believe the ACO have made it mandatory to have a/c in all their competitions now. obviously that is endurance so the drivers will be exposed to the temps for a lot longer. All of the open top prototypes have had an extra 25kg added to compensate.

[100%hondafan]

its only a short race no air con if it gets that bad open the window!

[marcush.]

opening the windows kills rear downforce...and adds drag ..so not a good idea....in a fiercly competitive and stringend environment.
A/cis not a bad idea ,considering the ballast almost everybody has to carry...why not use it to help the driver perform to the max?I honestly believe in helping the driver as much as possible to feel ONE with AND Comfy in the car.of course it helps ,and if not why bother ,it is not a disadvantage but surely a psychological advantage to KNOW you are cooled when the other guy is grilled in pregrid in the summer sun... ....But hey are you a man or a mouse.....