I was called on a mis-statement privately, so I need to publicly apologize here. I called the 7070 accident a "blowover" when it was not. I do believe that the CG was too far aft on a long nose vehicle and that this is fudamentally unstable. Jack doesn't agree; OK, we disagree. In addition, some of the responders to the previous thread believe that I am advocating some kind of rule outlawing some cars. To be absolutely clear: I do not advocate outlawing anything. I
DO believe that aerodynamic instability is as dangerous as negative castor or rear wheel steering. Defining aero instability in a simple and cheap manner for LSR is hard, and I would never advocate applying it as a rule unless it was simple and cheap; i.e. on the level of a safety inspector measuring castor angle.
I admire Jack's designs in many ways, mostly for the number of records he has with small displacement. This may not have been clear when I posted my absolute disagreement with flat bottoms on streamliners for both drag and departure criteria. I respect Jack's opinion on this, I do not agree with it.
I am glad that the previous topic spurred a lot of response and some incredibly detailed driver and builder descriptions. I intended the topic to only address streamliners, yet more than one roadster driver posted some really good stuff. Everybody learned more about the dynamics of handling, including me.
As to my own qualifications, I raced superbikes for 4 years, built and raced an enduro cart (125cc shifter), re-engined a hydroplane and never made it class legal (oops!), hopped up and stripped out an RX-7 and learned all about going backwards when violating the limits of trailing arm/solid axle handling (zero steering effect at 140 due to nose lift, and am currently working on a wide variety of aircraft including 7 jets 4 of which should be in the races this September. I have made every aircraft I have ever modified go faster and stall slower and have yet to meet another aerodynamicist that can claim that.
Some here think that this doesn't qualify me to comment on LSR. OK, ignore me. I've grown a thicker skin over the last few years, and I really don't think that anyone should take anything I say as the absolute be-all end-all on a subject. I do think that if an expert in a given field (and mine is aerodynamics) says something that doesn't agree with what you've heard elsewhere, you need to go find someone equally qualified in that field. I have a large amount of respect for everyone in LSR because you guys are constantly changing things. And if you get out into some of the other motorsports (especially air racing) you will find a parochial attitude of stasis that will blow your mind.
Sorry I didn't get back on this earlier, 60 hour weeks in a 95 degree shop do that to you. I may not have time before Speed Week to post anything else. I will be there, I just got offered a room and a friend of mine and I are coming. I'll have my armor on, so anyone who wants to shoot arrows can do it then!
