Check back often. Our next series will be on Racecar Suspensions.
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Engine Build Part 3 Now Up in the Tech Corner
Check back often. Our next series will be on Racecar Suspensions.
Friday, July 3, 2009
Cosworth Modern Art
Just posted in the Technical Corner of www.fontananissanracing.com, Engine Build Part 2, the Cosworth Improvements. Check out the meticulously crafted VQ35 crank, rods, pistons, bearings, and gaskets that the best in the business offer.
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Check out the Engine Build !
The Technical Corner on the www.fontananissanracing.com website has just posted the first of three articles on the VQ35 DE based race engine that is powering the Fontana Nissan 350Z in the Red Line Time Attack series. We have begun with the bottom end and will be adding articles on the top end components and Cosworth upgrades to the engine.
Scroll down to find past articles on the Chassis Build, Body Build, and Car Build. We are planning upcoming articles on the Xtrac transmission, JRZ shock package and suspension set-ups, wheel and tire choices, among many other topics.
Check back often!!
Monday, June 15, 2009
SpoCom!
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Willow Springs Red Line Time Attack Event
The Fontana Nissan Racing Team made the arduous trip to Willow Springs International Raceway. The trip lasted about five minutes including the three minute delay at the gate. It's good to be racing at the home track again!
After completing the paddock set up on Friday morning the team was ready to start testing the improvements made to both the teams 350Z and the 2009 GTR. Mike first laid down some baseline laps in the GTR. Bone stock with the OE tires he ran a quick 132.1. The first change to evaluate was the new 18" CCW wheels and Nitto NT-01 tires. Bolting on this package with no other changes resulted in a 2.5 second improvement with a time of 129.6. The car still suffered from too much under steer. We took the GTR back over to the shop to change to the JRZ shocks.
We started testing the 350Z and after our engine failure at Buttonwillow were extremely cautious and looking for any detail that would indicate trouble. After a few short runs it was clear that the oil pressure was still marginal. We had a larger capacity oil pump ready so we decided to install that pump to insure the reliability of the engine. After installing the pump the pressures were up but still not as designed. We continued testing the 350Z and achieved a time of 122.9. We had high hopes that during the Time Attack sticker tires and a qualifying effort would result in an expected time of 120.5.
During Round 1 of the Time Attack the tires and handling were way below our expectations. The car was struggling to run a low 125.0. We decided the best thing to do was to run a used set of tires and reset the handling. Mike did a good job and ran a 123.8. Our time was way off of what we had set out to do but we did get a lot of valuable data and the engine survived the weekend. We are confident that with some more testing the car will run the expected mid 1.20 laps.
The GTR ran in Round 1 of the Time Attack and ran a 130.6 with the new JRZ shocks. This performance was also disappointing as we felt we should improve 2 seconds a lap with the better shocks. Mike's input tells us that with some spring changes and a bit of tuning we will get the improvement from the JRZs.
Also during the weekend we ran the Cronin's 1967 Firebird vintage race car. The car had not run in about 10 years. We had some battery issues but did get Mike out in a session and the old bird ran some impressive laps, the best being a 130.3. It is interesting to note that the 1967 car and the 2009 car ran about the same time with two totally different approaches to performance.
The team is now back in the shop working through a long list on all three cars to be ready for the next track session.
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Development!!
When a new race car is built, especially a car that no one has raced before, you expect that some development will be required to make the car successful. When we originally built the GT 350Z the unusual circumstances surrounding the Rolex season meant that virtually no development was accomplished during the season.
Testing and development began when we ran the car at Willow Springs Raceway prior to the Red Line Time Attack event at Buttonwillow. During that first run several shortcomings of the car reappeared. The first was stock axles that we had improved enough to be reliable previously in Grand Am GS proved immediately unreliable. Secondly, the new Pirelli tires which we had never run before were definitely different than the Hoosiers the car ran before in Grand Am. The car went well in the test but we decided to change tire sizes to the larger Pirellis that are now allowed in Grand Am.
We arrived at Buttonwillow full of confidence but as soon as we started running we knew things were not quite right. All of Saturday was spent chasing the handling. At the end of the day we found a broken shock. With the shock fixed things were better on Sunday but still not quite right and then the engine blew.
After the weekend we identified the following areas that needed to be improved prior to the next event.
We then went to work developing solutions for the known problems.
1. We took a carefull look at the entire oil system. Aviaid built new pumps and we worked with Goodridge to improve the oil plumbing throughout the chassis. Cosworth came on board as a sponsor / technology partner so we built a new 3.8 liter variant of the VQ35 using a Cosworth crank, rods, pistons, bearings, and head gaskets.
2. Moving the seat is fairly straight foward but does require a bit of fabrication as the seat is very solidly mounted.
3. Working with JRZ is easy and they built a custom set of shocks right to our specifications.
4. A thorough study of the suspension revealed a need for stiffer springs. We ordered new Hypercoils front and rear. Additionally the JRZ shocks provide an increase in support from rod pressure. The front anti roll bar diameter was also increased. The bar is driver adjustable over a wide range but we needed more control in the upper end of adjustment.
5. With the new larger tires we had some rubbing issues and not quite enough compression travel. We cut away all the material that rubbed or limited travel and seam welded the newly trimmed areas.
6. Since building the car we knew we needed to remove all rubber from the suspension. We acquired new links for the rear from Megan Racing. We reworked the Megan Racing parts to improve their reliability and we made custom monoball bushing replacements. The front lower control arms were modified to use rod ends to allow additional adjustment to the front suspension.
7. We worked with The Drive Shaft Shop to build custom axles using Lobro 108mm CV joints and 36 spline axles. Nobody else had really addressed the requirements that an endurance car has for drive axles so we had to go down a new path to come up with an acceptable solution.
After spending a few hundred hours in the shop and several days on the dyno we believe we have now completed this phase of development. This weekends testing and Sunday's Red Line Time Attack event will prove our efforts and probably create a new list of things to further develop before the next event.
Check out the Gallery page of the website to view photos of the changes that were made.
Testing and development began when we ran the car at Willow Springs Raceway prior to the Red Line Time Attack event at Buttonwillow. During that first run several shortcomings of the car reappeared. The first was stock axles that we had improved enough to be reliable previously in Grand Am GS proved immediately unreliable. Secondly, the new Pirelli tires which we had never run before were definitely different than the Hoosiers the car ran before in Grand Am. The car went well in the test but we decided to change tire sizes to the larger Pirellis that are now allowed in Grand Am.
We arrived at Buttonwillow full of confidence but as soon as we started running we knew things were not quite right. All of Saturday was spent chasing the handling. At the end of the day we found a broken shock. With the shock fixed things were better on Sunday but still not quite right and then the engine blew.
After the weekend we identified the following areas that needed to be improved prior to the next event.
- Build new engine / fix oiling problem
- Change seat position for better driver comfort
- Install new JRZ shocks
- Decrease roll
- Increase front compression travel
- Remove all compliance from suspension
- Improve half shafts
We then went to work developing solutions for the known problems.
1. We took a carefull look at the entire oil system. Aviaid built new pumps and we worked with Goodridge to improve the oil plumbing throughout the chassis. Cosworth came on board as a sponsor / technology partner so we built a new 3.8 liter variant of the VQ35 using a Cosworth crank, rods, pistons, bearings, and head gaskets.
2. Moving the seat is fairly straight foward but does require a bit of fabrication as the seat is very solidly mounted.
3. Working with JRZ is easy and they built a custom set of shocks right to our specifications.
4. A thorough study of the suspension revealed a need for stiffer springs. We ordered new Hypercoils front and rear. Additionally the JRZ shocks provide an increase in support from rod pressure. The front anti roll bar diameter was also increased. The bar is driver adjustable over a wide range but we needed more control in the upper end of adjustment.
5. With the new larger tires we had some rubbing issues and not quite enough compression travel. We cut away all the material that rubbed or limited travel and seam welded the newly trimmed areas.
6. Since building the car we knew we needed to remove all rubber from the suspension. We acquired new links for the rear from Megan Racing. We reworked the Megan Racing parts to improve their reliability and we made custom monoball bushing replacements. The front lower control arms were modified to use rod ends to allow additional adjustment to the front suspension.
7. We worked with The Drive Shaft Shop to build custom axles using Lobro 108mm CV joints and 36 spline axles. Nobody else had really addressed the requirements that an endurance car has for drive axles so we had to go down a new path to come up with an acceptable solution.
After spending a few hundred hours in the shop and several days on the dyno we believe we have now completed this phase of development. This weekends testing and Sunday's Red Line Time Attack event will prove our efforts and probably create a new list of things to further develop before the next event.
Check out the Gallery page of the website to view photos of the changes that were made.
Monday, April 27, 2009
Fontana Nissan Transporter Tour Part II
Once we get to the track with our fine truck and trailer, the circus begins. Raise the big top!
First step is to unload all of the equipment and cars. We need access to the cart that carries the Kiwi Tile. Kiwi Tile is a fantastic invention consisting of .33 meter squares of a very hard mesh plastic that connect together endlessly. We carry our tile pre-assembled in 3 tile by 5 tile sections on a cart that was fabricated specifically for this application. When the tile is off loaded, the cart becomes our fuel cart. Multi-functionality at its best! The tile is carried section by section into the proper spot and snapped together to form one very large working surface. This surface makes jacking up the car, rolling around on a creeper, and just about every other task much simpler and cleaner. Sometimes we can be paddocked on grass, gravel, or just plain old dirt and the Kiwi Tile makes life wonderful.
Next up is setting up the framework for the transporter awning. The rafter poles hook to the side of the trailer and are connected at the outer ends by poles.
Next comes the actual awning fabric. Ours (and most other race teams) was sewn by Larsen Sails in Santa Cruz California. They used to be a top sail maker for boats but have switched to sewing transporter awnings for teams in every major racing series. The awning consists of a top main awning cover, side curtains for all three sides, and a hospitality area awning. Once the main awning is pulled through the track on the roof of the trailer it is secured to the rafter poles and raised into place. The smaller hospitality awning is then set up in similar fashion. It connects to the main awning. Once the awning is up it is very vulnerable to damage from winds. We carry 1200 pounds of weight to tie to the awning poles, 100 pounds on each pole, plus we tie the whole apparatus to any conveniently located truck, building, car, etc. if available.
This is what the finished set up looks like. The hospitality area is to the right with the half wall privacy panels in place. We can fit and work on up to five cars at the same time. In this instance we displayed three cars for Fontana Nissan and ran the race car out of the fourth and fifth spots. Outside of the awning we use crowd control poles to keep all of the bikes, scooters, and quads neatly organized in one place.
Working on the cars out of the weather and sun makes all the difference. Spectators can easily view the cars and talk to the crew.
The hospitality area is used to entertain guests and sponsors as well as feed the crew. It is a great place to take a break and sit down with a cold drink. We can seat sixteen. We serve three meals a day here instead of going to the snack bar or having to wait in line at Denny's at six in the morning.
I hope you enjoyed your tour of the Fontana Nissan Racing truck and trailer. See you at the races!
First step is to unload all of the equipment and cars. We need access to the cart that carries the Kiwi Tile. Kiwi Tile is a fantastic invention consisting of .33 meter squares of a very hard mesh plastic that connect together endlessly. We carry our tile pre-assembled in 3 tile by 5 tile sections on a cart that was fabricated specifically for this application. When the tile is off loaded, the cart becomes our fuel cart. Multi-functionality at its best! The tile is carried section by section into the proper spot and snapped together to form one very large working surface. This surface makes jacking up the car, rolling around on a creeper, and just about every other task much simpler and cleaner. Sometimes we can be paddocked on grass, gravel, or just plain old dirt and the Kiwi Tile makes life wonderful.
Next up is setting up the framework for the transporter awning. The rafter poles hook to the side of the trailer and are connected at the outer ends by poles.
Next comes the actual awning fabric. Ours (and most other race teams) was sewn by Larsen Sails in Santa Cruz California. They used to be a top sail maker for boats but have switched to sewing transporter awnings for teams in every major racing series. The awning consists of a top main awning cover, side curtains for all three sides, and a hospitality area awning. Once the main awning is pulled through the track on the roof of the trailer it is secured to the rafter poles and raised into place. The smaller hospitality awning is then set up in similar fashion. It connects to the main awning. Once the awning is up it is very vulnerable to damage from winds. We carry 1200 pounds of weight to tie to the awning poles, 100 pounds on each pole, plus we tie the whole apparatus to any conveniently located truck, building, car, etc. if available.
This is what the finished set up looks like. The hospitality area is to the right with the half wall privacy panels in place. We can fit and work on up to five cars at the same time. In this instance we displayed three cars for Fontana Nissan and ran the race car out of the fourth and fifth spots. Outside of the awning we use crowd control poles to keep all of the bikes, scooters, and quads neatly organized in one place.
Working on the cars out of the weather and sun makes all the difference. Spectators can easily view the cars and talk to the crew.
The hospitality area is used to entertain guests and sponsors as well as feed the crew. It is a great place to take a break and sit down with a cold drink. We can seat sixteen. We serve three meals a day here instead of going to the snack bar or having to wait in line at Denny's at six in the morning.
I hope you enjoyed your tour of the Fontana Nissan Racing truck and trailer. See you at the races!
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