Bell's Banter 2021

[Gerard C]

Air movement to wind and sails are way different and much more complicated, because you have to take in count the reaction of the forces applied on the keel. Not forgetting that the sails work like a wing, intrados and extrados, and that the jib influences the main sail…*That's why some boats can go faster than the wind.

https://auto.howstuffworks.com/auto-...r-drafting.htm

[GORDON STREETER]

This is one of the things keeping me from going "Stir Crazy". Filming through the closed kitchen window
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iX7ZHlo-p7A

[chunterer]

Originally Posted by GORDON STREETER

Yes I did note who put it on, it could do with a bit of colour/exposure work I could do it for you

Haha. It did try and play about with it but the footage was uploaded from a dvd i received which in itself had already been transferred from a VHS with apparent tracking issues!

This stuff is total gold dust. Still looking for the 2nd half of '81 and the whole '82 season.

I know it's out there!!

[midgetman]

Originally Posted by grantp

I get the impression that Nascar (in particular and due to the nature of the oval races) have a feel for the way that bumper to bumper racing is somewhat beneficial in Aero terms to both cars (or, in deed, all cars in a line.)



However what if, somehow, it would be possible to create an Aero shape that acted in conjunction with local air movements to provide forward momentum? (Whilst at the same time generating a horribly messy air wake to prevent others benefiting as well)?



OK, Physics probably makes that impossible and ground level effects of air movement are not the same as wind and sails.



By comparison DRS is a very blunt tool. Just a reverse air brake really.

As an aside, when you watch the velodrome pursuit races, they use 20% less energy at the back of the line than at the front, so the giys have quite a good rest.

I once joined a "peloton" of my local club riders around Castle Combe Circuit, I could keep up with the group in the slipstream but when it became my turn to take the lead I couldn't ride fast enough to get to the front

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[Tel 911S]

Originally Posted by midgetman

As an aside, when you watch the velodrome pursuit races, they use 20% less energy at the back of the line than at the front, so the giys have quite a good rest.

I once joined a "peloton" of my local club riders around Castle Combe Circuit, I could keep up with the group in the slipstream but when it became my turn to take the lead I couldn't ride fast enough to get to the front

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When I was racing karts back in the **** [ was it that long ago?] .
Did mostly the motor racing circuits with a gearbox class . Slipstreaming was quite important , even with our very low profile .
Depending on various factors , we could pick up a tow from 10 to 20 yds behind . You would feel it suddenly getting faster , close up on the one in front , back off the throttle until the right amount before the next corner , then full power would slingshot you past .

Then someone had the bright idea of closing up until you touched their rear bumper , [ only with someone you could trust ], then full power again and the both of you could go far quicker together than possible just by yourself .
This had some quite amazing effects until the RAC/MSA/ MSUK decided that pushing at 120 to 150 MPH was not considered safe so they put a ban on it .
But it was fun for a time .

[The Fat Clerk]

Then someone had the bright idea of closing up until you touched their rear bumper , [ only with someone you could trust ], then full power again and the both of you could go far quicker together than possible just by yourself .
This had some quite amazing effects until the RAC/MSA/ MSUK decided that pushing at 120 to 150 MPH was not considered safe so they put a ban on it .
But it was fun for a time .[/QUOTE]

Believe me it still happens.

[Gerard C]

Originally Posted by The Fat Clerk

Believe me it still happens.

We do.

[midgetman]

It's exactly why the nose cones of karts these days incorporate a special clamp so that when you "persuade" someone to go faster it slides inwards. At the end of the race any driver with the front fairing not properly lined up gets a five second penalty which cannot be appealed.

What used to happen in the rolling starts was that the whole grid loaded the kart ahead resulting in the front row ending up in the tyres at turn 1!


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[morninggents]

Originally Posted by grantp

Just imagine if F1 could do something similar with their Aero technology and find extra speed whilst making it impossible for anyone to pass.

They have, Grant. They're called Mercedes.

[Gerard C]

Originally Posted by midgetman

It's exactly why the nose cones of karts these days incorporate a special clamp so that when you "persuade" someone to go faster it slides inwards.

Assuming it can only slide once, five seconds is the total of penalty. Does this persuade your drivers to push a lot of times? Once is five seconds, ten times five seconds, push once and get nine free sounds like bargain.

[midgetman]

Yes that's what tends to happen, nose cone drops and it's "sod it, need to find five seconds". Either that or the side pods get used a lot more.

To be honest kart racing is so close in the pack that you can't gain five seconds back. One time MiniMM was 0.3 seconds off fastest lap and it was 22nd quickest!



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[Gerard C]

Phew, this is close racing! Just out of my curiosity, how tall is "mini" MM?

[The Fat Clerk]

Originally Posted by Gerard C

Phew, this is close racing!

That's why I choose to Steward Karts, 30 something races in a day and as much 'action' as you want.

[midgetman]

Originally Posted by Gerard C

Phew, this is close racing! Just out of my curiosity, how tall is "mini" MM?

185cm. Crucially I top him by 2cm, so he's always "Mini" to me. Neither of us is built for kart racing

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[midgetman]

Originally Posted by The Fat Clerk

That's why I choose to Steward Karts, 30 something races in a day and as much 'action' as you want.

I've always felt if something like the British Championship were televised it would be good entertainment. If one race is boring there's a fresh one along in 8 minutes. They also deserve more spectators at the events, it's a heady cocktail of rubber and 2 stroke - some of it is even vegetable based for us old beggars who remember Castrol R.

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[Gerard C]

"R" scent was great but could this oil increase the octane level? Using it in a four-stroke was quite a hassle if I remember well.
I wonder what kind of vegetable can imitate the castor smell… Jamaican?

[Tel 911S]

Originally Posted by midgetman

It's exactly why the nose cones of karts these days incorporate a special clamp so that when you "persuade" someone to go faster it slides inwards. At the end of the race any driver with the front fairing not properly lined up gets a five second penalty which cannot be appealed.

What used to happen in the rolling starts was that the whole grid loaded the kart ahead resulting in the front row ending up in the tyres at turn 1!


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Most of the gearbox class races would have clutch starts .
Except possibly Cadwell Park which sometimes had rolling starts , and with a normal 50 on the grid it did get very busy for the first lap or two.
But generally a clutch start would give less congestion in the first few corners .

[midgetman]

Originally Posted by Tel 911S

Most of the gearbox class races would have clutch starts .
Except possibly Cadwell Park which sometimes had rolling starts , and with a normal 50 on the grid it did get very busy for the first lap or two.
But generally a clutch start would give less congestion in the first few corners .

Yeah to be fair the long circuit gearbox karts don't have the drop down nosecone.

[zefarelly]

Originally Posted by midgetman

185cm. Crucially I top him by 2cm, so he's always "Mini" to me. Neither of us is built for kart racing

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Funny you say that, I'm 1.89, Zef Jr, last time we went karting was 1.78, and 20kg lighter, and getting faster. I'm still a few inches above, but he's catching me up in every respect.

[midgetman]

Originally Posted by zefarelly

Funny you say that, I'm 1.89, Zef Jr, last time we went karting was 1.78, and 20kg lighter, and getting faster. I'm still a few inches above, but he's catching me up in every respect.

I'm never going to beat MiniMM in a kart of course, but we went to Wiscombe Hill Climb in the ZR last year and let's just say he was shocked how far he was off my pace. Old dog, life in the, yet.

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[Mike Harte]

I'm signed up for petrol price alerts, and have noticed that since Christmas the price of unleaded has been slowly creeping upwards, and is now about 6 pence more a litre than it was, after the price had remained static for many weeks.

Being a curious soul, I googled why the price was rising as world prospects in the immediate future don't look all that rosy due to the pandemic, although things are bound to improve during the summer in the northern hemisphere. According to a number of websites, it would appear that many dealers and hedge funds have become very bullish about the future, and have therefore been buying forward vast quantities of oil and derivatives, thereby pushing up the price.

As these people, when they do something like this in tandem, rarely get it wrong, seem to be optimistic about the future, one must be encouraged that we may be able to turn the corner fairly shortly.

[Gerard C]

Originally Posted by midgetman

We went to Wiscombe Hill Climb in the ZR last year and let's just say he was shocked how far he was off my pace.

La critique est aisée mais l'art est difficile. Taaaa!

[Peter Mallett]

Originally Posted by Mike Harte

I'm signed up for petrol price alerts, and have noticed that since Christmas the price of unleaded has been slowly creeping upwards, and is now about 6 pence more a litre than it was, after the price had remained static for many weeks.

Being a curious soul, I googled why the price was rising as world prospects in the immediate future don't look all that rosy due to the pandemic, although things are bound to improve during the summer in the northern hemisphere. According to a number of websites, it would appear that many dealers and hedge funds have become very bullish about the future, and have therefore been buying forward vast quantities of oil and derivatives, thereby pushing up the price.

As these people, when they do something like this in tandem, rarely get it wrong, seem to be optimistic about the future, one must be encouraged that we may be able to turn the corner fairly shortly.

https://markets.businessinsider.com/commodities/oil-price

Brent has been going up for a while now.

[Mike Harte]

For Bauble, re the jab.

According to Dr Phil Hammond, writing in the latest issue of Private Eye, he was given his vaccination at work in his hospital. He experienced mild side effects which he states is a good sign that the immune system has responded to the vaccine. However, his and his colleagues' side effects all passed within 48 hours; the side effects tended to be worse for those that had already had Covid-19.

[grantp]

Originally Posted by Mike Harte

For Bauble, re the jab.

According to Dr Phil Hammond, writing in the latest issue of Private Eye, he was given his vaccination at work in his hospital. He experienced mild side effects which he states is a good sign that the immune system has responded to the vaccine. However, his and his colleagues' side effects all passed within 48 hours; the side effects tended to be worse for those that had already had Covid-19.

One jab or two so far?

I have seen a US medic suggest the responses to his second jab were more noticeable than the first, though not especially significant for a person of his age (about 40 I would estimate.)