Lakester wheel position:

[Rex Schimmer]

I am working on the initial design for a lower class lakester, probably J or I class and was wondering what the best placement of the wheel/tire is for the lakester class.
 First: Should the front and real wheel run in the same "path" i.e. be inline front to back with each other. This certainly seems the preferred way and as I understand it the front tire "packs" the salt for the rear tire in this configuration which is good?
 Second: I am planning to have the wheels be at least 12 inches away from the body as I think that the turbulance from the spinning wheel would interfere with the air going around the body. Right or Wrong?
 I am planning to run the thin 22 inch dia dragster tires for the front and probably 25 inch funny car fronts for the rears. I am just in the preliminary stages of this design as I am trying to get my 28 track roadster done first.
 
 Any help form the open wheel competitors is appericated.
 Rex

[DallasV]

Rex, I'm no expert on lakesters but I have seen both ways done. It seems to me that it depends on the type of lakester. The tank style lakesters generally have the tires in line, and the rail type lakesters have the fronts inside the rears. as far as the front packing down the salt for the rear I couldn't tell you. I know on the roadster that the front and rear tires are rarely on the same path anyway.

[Bob Drury]

Dallas, another classic statememt!

[John Burk]

Rex - I was told buy a good source that if the tire is less than 6" away from the body aerodynamicly it's as if that space was added to the frontal area .

[Rex Schimmer]

John,
 That is what I was thinking also that if the wheel/tire is to close to the body it would disrupt the air flow around the body. I am planning to fully streamline both the front and rear axles and also cover the inside of all wheels with a non-rotating faring. I am planning to shape the body in the shape of a NACA 6000 series symetrical airfoil in the plan view. These shapes are very aerodynamic, with a very long area of laminar flow and exceeding low drag, which I think is going to be very important if I want to go over 200 with 150 hp. Still at least a year away from really starting but I am making some drawing.
 Rex