Fran Am 2000 Race 1

[racingdick]

Congrats to Rob Bell whos made a solid start to the Us Fran Am.

Hope the blow out in qualifying didn't scare him too much.

[Jay]

Here's the race results if anyone's interested:

POS CAR DRIVER TEAM BESTTIME BESTSPEED

1 12 AURELIO LOPEZ PHILLIPS MOTORSPORTS 0:59.653 91.127
2 27 ANDREW RANGER AIM AUTOSPORT 0:59.860 90.812
3 7 ROBERT BELL TEAM FIRSTAIR 0:59.771 90.947
4 50 JUAN MARTIN PONTE EURO INTERNATIONAL 500 0:59.370 91.561
5 1 CHARLES HALL GELLES RACING 01:00.6 89.682
6 28 TIM BARBER CT MOTORSPORTS 01:00.6 89.682
7 15 DAN McMULLEN GTI FORMULA MOTORSPORTS 01:00.3 90.161
8 77 CAN ARTAM EURO INTERNATIONAL 01:00.5 89.887
9 8 DOMINIC CICERO CONDOR MOTORSPORTS 01:00.5 89.798
10 24 SEAN McINTOSH QUANTUM AUTOSPORTS 01:00.2 90.233
11 59 MATT GREEN MICHAEL SHANK RACING 01:00.5 89.830
12 34 MARK WILKINS AIM AUTOSPORT 01:00.4 90.003
13 2 KUNO WITTMER GELLES RACING 01:00.6 89.672
14 51 PATRICIO LARREA JR ATLANTIC RACE TEAM 01:01.0 89.134
15 22 NICK BUSSELL GTI FORMULA MOTORSPORTS 01:01.4 88.553
16 88 DANIEL BADIA BRM RACING 01:01.3 88.709
17 25 SCOTT ROBERTSON ROBERTSON MOTORSPORTS 01:01.6 88.313
18 9 TIM HAURANEY CONDOR MOTORSPORTS 01:01.5 88.359
19 89 JERRY MOLITOR BRM RACING 01:02.1 87.473
20 5 GALEN PUCCINI TEAM RESET 01:01.1 89.032
21 6 LUCAS STRACKERJAN ATLANTIC RACE TEAM 01:02.4 87.127
22 73 JOE PRUSKOWSKI QUANTUM AUTOSPORTS 01:01.6 88.254
23 3 ANTOINE BESSETTE GELLES RACING 01:01.3 88.751
24 75 JUSTIN PRUSKOWSKI QUANTUM AUTOSPORTS 01:01.3 88.722
25 29 RICARDO IMERY TEAM FIRSTAIR 01:01.2 88.764

Looking down the list, I've actually heard of many of the teams. Looks like Fran-Am has a series this year!

[Mr Jinxx]

Look at the best time from that guy Ponte in the Euro International car. Spookily fast.

[racingdick]

AHHH so thats where charles hall is.
guess his plans to do the v6 fell through

[Jay]

well..if he can win this he'll have that in the bag.

Interesting on Ponte... That is huge.

[Queenie]

Also interesting was that he pulled a 5 second gap in 6 laps after starting on pole (1/2 second faster than p2). Then spun off when the pack caught up with him.
Well done to Rob after a worrying start to qualifying!

[Mr Jinxx]

I hate even thinking such unworthy thoughts, but I'd love to know how Ponte's car can run more rear wing than other cars, yet be quicker. That team have found something, and Rob will have his work cut out to overcome that advantage, for sure. I really really hope he does.

[racingdick]

ive heard that a renault v6 engine and 8spd gearbox have gone missing from renualt sport in the states....

[Charlex]

Originally posted by Mr Jinxx
I hate even thinking such unworthy thoughts, but I'd love to know how Ponte's car can run more rear wing than other cars, yet be quicker. That team have found something, and Rob will have his work cut out to overcome that advantage, for sure. I really really hope he does.

Less aerodynamic charge doesn't mean a quicker car, if it were so simple nobody would use a aileron!! If he is using more rear wing maybe is because he wants an understeer car so as he can accelerate before in the curves, and with this he can obtain more velocity at the end of the straights.
The setup depends a lot of the driver, and Ponte is a good one.

[Charlex]

It's easiest to think that the others are cheating instead of what are they doing well

[Russfeld]

Understeer usually prevents early and hard acceleration as you tend to run out of road and into hard stuff

[Mr Jinxx]

I was told from the Winter series by Alex that Ponte was/is indeed driving well, but that he was able to run more rear wing than the others and accelerate out of corners like it was that V6 that racingdick lost. I'm not accusing anyone of cheating, but I am saying that they (Ponte's team) have something on his car that the others don't have. Ponte may be driving well, but he is not quicker than Rob Bell. The difference is in the car, and it needs a driver out there on the track at the same time to be able to tell you what and where that difference manifests itself. In Ponte's case, it is engine. I'll bet Bell is quicker into, through and out of the corners, yet somehow Ponte will pull away at low-to-medium revs. I don't know, I haven't heard anything, but I bet I'm right.

[Mr Jinxx]

And Russfeld is (unusually) 100 percent correct there - if you run more rear wing, you get more rear end grip, hence understeer, and if you have understeer, then the front of your car will wash away from you under hard and early acceleration, as the rear digs in, making it nigh on impossible to get a really good early grunty exit from corners. You need a special powerplant to achieve this. And I understand Ponte's engine is the difference. Let's see what Rob Bell reports - we know what it was like in the winter series, but so often the main championship differs from the winter series.

[Russfeld]

Well I did some research and everyone uses the same engines from the same supplier in Fran-Am so there's no difference there. Depending on the specific corners more wing could help. HE'd get through the corner faster and have more grip under acceleration, which would give him that initial jump off and carry it down the straight.

[Russfeld]

btw what's Ponte's background? I was never able to find anything out about him even during the winter series. Im fairly certain he came out of another Renault series though.

[Mr Jinxx]

The trouble with same engines from the same supplier is that they won't be the same ... every engine builder tells you of "The" engine. The one that is born. In theory no different to the others, but somehow gives that extra few bhp. And in a one-make formula, it's these little differences that make all the difference.

I think Fortec have 2 - there are always 2 quick Fortec cars. I think Hamilton had one monster engine last year. Not sure why it isn't working now, but I'm sure they'll sort it. I think Ponte has one.

I think the winter series bumph said he'd done 2 or 3 years of FRenault in Argentina with limited results before coming to this team and suddenly bursting to the fore?

[Charlex]

No, you are wrong, Ponte is racing for a while, he is not "suddenly" bursting to the fore. He raced a few races here in Argentina, he traveled to Italy, where he raced two years in the Italian Frenault (where he won a race) and also tested an Euro F3000 (and I don't remember if he finally get a Int F3000 test too, I will check) and also a Renault V6.
Mr Jinxx I am not defending Ponte because he is also argentine, I will have the same point of view if the nationality of Ponte would be italian, british or southafrican, it's the same, the thing is that I see in your comments ironics that without proofs I think there are wrong. You can't put in doubd somebody with the facts you posted in this forum.
It's perfectly possible to obtain a quicker car, with the same engine, putting more Downforce in the rear wing. It all depends of the setup.
How can you assure that Ponte is not quicker than Bell?, and how can you assure that Bell is quicker into, through and out of the corners, without comparing the data of the two cars???

[Mr Jinxx]

Charlex - it is very easy to want to defend someone of your own nationality. I would like to see Robert Bell do well, not because he is English, but because I know him to be a good driver and a good guy.

I didn't see Ponte as being a championship contender, from his past records (which, as you say, suggest that he has raced FRenault in Argentina, followed by 2 years of Frenault in Italy), etc ... but then the 18 year old (?) is suddenly miles faster than anyone else.

Yes, I understand he is driving well, but not that well. Another (experienced) driver can tell you what is happpening with another car and driver. I understand that Ponte is driving well, but can be caught into, and through the corners, and even just on the exit, but thereafter, Ponte seems to be able to pull away very strongly, so much so that (even with the extra wing) he can break the tow of the pursuing car.

I am not putting him in doubt, Charlex. I am, however, saying that he has got a degree of power (and drivers that have followed him on track, and experienced guys who have years of experience say the same thing) that the others do not appear to enjoy. All I do say is good luck to him if it's a legal thing. Nobody wants a level playing field, we all want the unfair advantage. If, as I'm sure it's not, the legality of his advantage is suspect, then may the scrutineers discover it. Time, and thorough scrutineering, will tell.

[Charlex]

If he can be caught into, and through the corners, like you said, that's a different story, it's correct to suppose he has a better engine, if that is what is happening. Moreover is he has more charge than the rest. I couldn't see the race, but if you tell me that you saw this behavior, it's another fact, very different that the ones you posted befor. If this is what is happening, I agree with you, he has more power than the rest.

[racingdick]

There equipment can be nop notch and sponsors spending mega bucks but as long as drivers make mistakes , there results will be inconsistant. They will throw the races away. ie Hamilton at Brands, Ponte in the winter series.
And many many others. Consistant results will win the championship. Look at Paul Rivett last year in the clio's. Got 3 wins out of the first 5 races, then rather than push to hard or get in to possible race ending squables, took it easy and cruised for the championship.

[Charlex]

Does somebody know why Martin Ponte was disqualified in the last session of clasification? All the news I´ve read said that he was dropped to the bottom, but no one says why.
Mr Jinxx do you know something??

[Queenie]

Ponte had his qulaifying time disqualified for the use of illegal fuel which might help to explain his performance in Phoenix?!
Well Done to Bell and Hall in strange weather conditions. Bell is now leading the Championship going into the F1 support race at Montreal.

[littleman]

A smart team will match the diff to the circuit configuration.Perfectly legal and will influence bottom or top end performance.

[DanFlag]

Andrew Ranger for champion!!!!