Building a Cobra R AI race car
- Thread starter Cobra-R
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Didn't say he didn't knwo how to, but comparing a car running the kink to a car that isn't, is hardly a realistic comparison..........right?
Correct you are. I've never run the chicane at M-O so I don't really know what the lap time difference would be. Two seconds sounds about right? Perhaps not? I'm not sure to tell you the truth?
Maybe someone that's run both configurations can chime in? :shrug:
If Bruce ran a :41 with NO chicane and Fred ran a :39 WITH a chicane, isn't that about a 4 second difference in lap times for the two cars? :shrug:
Son of a b-, I can't believe George wrecked it again! I see him getting tired of this quickly unless he has a lot of money for repair bills. He is one of the niceset guys I have met though, so I feel pretty bad for him
Hopefully his luck gets better and his driving improves, I would really like to see the guy do well.Glad to hear Jamie and Mike are doing well, I'm kind of sad I couldn't make it. Even though it sounds as though I would be doing a bit of work if the mortality rate continues which means I wouldn't have much time to converse with you fine gentleman anyways:shrug:
Thanks for the updates Joe:beer:
Son of a b-, I can't believe George wrecked it again! I see him getting tired of this quickly unless he has a lot of money for repair bills. He is one of the niceset guys I have met though, so I feel pretty bad for him
Glad to hear Jamie and Mike are doing well, I'm kind of sad I couldn't make it. Even though it sounds as though I would be doing a bit of work if the mortality rate continues which means I wouldn't have much time to converse with you fine gentleman anyways:shrug:
Thanks for the updates Joe:beer:
George has been going pretty fast for a guy with as little experience as he has.
I think he crashed at the bottom of the Esses and that probably means contact with another car. I hear that the car is going to need a front clip. Both frame rails are bent. They may get it straight enough to race, but it will need attention after the weekend.
I'm pretty sure he left Mid-Ohio with that same list of damage. I know the whole front clip was done, and at least one frame rail was bent there, possibly both, it was kind of hard to see. Hopefully he gets to make this race, it would be a dissapointment if he didn't get that chance. I believe he has the same driving coach this weekend as he did at Mid-O, who is a pretty good guy also. I'm sure it has helped him to get his speed up in a short amount of time, hopefully he can't get all these kinks worked out soon.
Guys.
A quick update on the qualifying. Andrew Caddell is on the pole with a time of 1:36.112. Jamie Slone was second with a time of 1:36.637. Pratt Cole was third with 1:36.961.
Mike McGoverm is in 6th place with a time of 1.37.815. George Winkler is 16th with a time of 1:41.405. They got the car back from the frame shop at 04:00 am and it is ready to go. Nice to see him make the field. The #2 car of Bruce Stover was not fixed so it will not make the field. 20 of the 22 cars qualified. Not sure why the #8 car of Carlo Sparacio with TC Motorsports do not go out for qualifying.
The race is at 2:15 pm on Saturday.
A quick update on the qualifying. Andrew Caddell is on the pole with a time of 1:36.112. Jamie Slone was second with a time of 1:36.637. Pratt Cole was third with 1:36.961.
Mike McGoverm is in 6th place with a time of 1.37.815. George Winkler is 16th with a time of 1:41.405. They got the car back from the frame shop at 04:00 am and it is ready to go. Nice to see him make the field. The #2 car of Bruce Stover was not fixed so it will not make the field. 20 of the 22 cars qualified. Not sure why the #8 car of Carlo Sparacio with TC Motorsports do not go out for qualifying.
The race is at 2:15 pm on Saturday.
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Awesome, we have 3 cars in the top 6:rockon: Hopefully things go well tomorrow:coolman:
Pro course, no chicane/kink. I have not run often enough at Mid-O to feel super comfortable. I love the track, but my heavy car is not that great on technical courses with all those switchbacks (hmmm... perhaps it's the driver too?). New engine, cold/damp weather and still running Nittos. My times weren't that great so I can believe Bruce was within 2 seconds. Having said that, I've always been suspicious comparing times from two entirely different days or events. Bruce may have run a 1:41 there last year, but the question is would he have done as well the same weekend I ran???
The beauty of this discussion is that it will be easly resolved on the track at the Nationals. You are going to the Nationals, aren't you?
oke:Edit: Sorry, meant to quote this post, not edit it.
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I just saw the new price for the nationals. Either I sign up by the end of the first price segment or I will have to pass. As it is $500 and a 12 hour haul is a pricey event.
I don't have a clue about the cost of Fred's car. Which car will be more valuable in ten years? A real Cobra R or a used race car?
Money can overcome driver talent. Even in a spec class, the guy with the most money can hire the best engineers and the best private driving instructors.
My opinion is that the car is not "nearly stock". I guess the engine is similar to the new Bullitt. But the car generates a bunch of front and rear downforce, the BFG R-1's seemed to work well, and I did see many areas that one team accomplished that others did not.
I'd agree, that at $75K, the car is well worth the money. But I've never seen one group of 22 cars experience so much carnage at Road Atlanta in one weekend. I was on the grid for the next race and saw the guy hit the tire wall at T-12 during the final race (which ended the race prematurely). It looked to me that he was watching his rear view mirror and not the apex.
I did meet Dorsey Schroeder and Bob Bondurant. Dorsey was actually in one of the 500S's during one of our test sessions on Thursday. He is stilll quick. :thumbsup:
Thanks to Joe and Larry for stopping by my trailer.
The only things not stock in the drivetrain are the exhaust and intake. Coilovers are the only difference in the suspension to my knowledge. They are obviously a little lighter since they have no interior but the cage makes up for some of it.
How much is a bunch of downforce? All I keep hearing talk about is how much of a joke the aero package is on these cars. Something along the lines of "we know the rear wing produces at least 30 lbs at 0 mph". The splitter is very heavy also and not all that strong for it's weight.
The BFG dry tires seem to work well, but expect even more carnage if they run into rain and need to run the spec rain tires.
I would like to hear what one team accomplished that others didn't from your perspective if you don't mind sharing that with me.:beer:
Yep I saw the wreck at turn 11. It was ugly. Those Mustang Challenge guys have a wide group of driving talent. The front five guys were pretty good but the back five guys could be beaten by a few people on this board IMO. The entire Mustang challenge experience is pretty impressive. Perfect for empty nest baby boomer's.......
I don't care who you are! That's some funny shiznit right there!! :lol::lol:
:thumbsup::coolman::beer:
The FR500S is pretty stock but there is a lot more to it than just a Mustang GT. The suspension has FR500S specific front and rear sway bars. It has $7k reserve cannister shocks and struts. Here is the complete parts list which shows more than a handful FR specific parts.
http://www.mustangchallenge.com/pdf/FR500SMillerPartsList.pdf.
There is something to the car as I have a number of friends that want to know how a car with 273rwhp and scaling out at 3600lbs was turning 1:36's at Road Atlanta.
http://www.mustangchallenge.com/pdf/FR500SMillerPartsList.pdf.
There is something to the car as I have a number of friends that want to know how a car with 273rwhp and scaling out at 3600lbs was turning 1:36's at Road Atlanta.
You know a lot more than me. We talked to your people. I doubt they want me to repeat things that were said in the paddock. We also talked to the people over at RP Motorsports and TC Motorsports.
We went over to the pro-paddock with golf carts and driver crenditentals (you have to do this to get back into the amateur paddock). We also talked to Dan (?) who is with Ford Racing.
I don't have any tech on any specific downforce numbers, but the car does have a lot of downforce in order to come under the bridge and go to T-2 with their times. One of our '65 Mustangs had the same 1:36 time, but they had to lift coming under the bridge and down the hill. Our rules disallow any wings and lower frontal splitters. The car gets air under it going down the hill and the car just will not turn at the top of the hill (so you lift the throttle, settle the car, and then turn as you get back into the throttle). Coilovers are also banned in vintage.
I talked to the corner workers during the party Saturday night. They thought that Mark German was doing OK after being observed at the hospital. I was very worried about him since it took several long minutes for the med people to get him out of the car. He must have hit it at 120 mph, and then his car landed on top of the barrier.
Excluding the price of the car, what is the total budget for a guy in this series? $250,000?
I had a great weekend. I picked up the same check as everyone else on Sunday. I arrived on Wednesday afternoon and towed out late Sunday afternoon (I never left the track). I just need to learn to go to bed earlier. :sleeping:
We go to Watkins Glen in six weeks.
http://www.hsrrace.com/HSR/HSRHome.nsf/attachmentweb/EJEN-7AFUM4/$file/Watkins+Glen+Historic+Races.pdf?OpenElement
here are some of the wrecks
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