My team is planning to go to the emerald coast electrathon race in April. I have never been on a track like this.
The track is a 1/2 mile banked track, i believe 14 degrees on turns. My question is around what speed should we gear for? Are there any tips for a track of this size as my team has only been in short tracks.
Thanks for the help
Archer321 said
Mar 22, 2016
I attended last year's race and I believe the winner averaged close to 35mph. There was one car that did a 40 mph lap. Being an oval track, I would gear for the fastest speed my batteries can Support for the hour.
Also note that according to their website, the race will be held on the 16th, not on the 23rd as it stated on the calendar on here.
Ron said
Mar 24, 2016
I agree with Archer321... fastest speed your car can handle for 1hr... with one caveat, then drop 1 tooth on the sprocket (just for a reserve)
I race in the Northwest (as everyone knows from my prior posts) and the only racetrack we race on is Portland International Raceway...
it won't equate equally to your 5 Flags because it is a road course and not an oval but maybe you can glean a little bit from what I do...
I tend to gear @ 38mph for the "long track" 1.9 mile track, and 36mph for the "short track" about 1 mile track.
I usually average about 1/2 the distance (give or take, depending on long or short track) that I gear for as speed in distance in 1hr..
(usually about 20-22 miles long track and 18-20 mile short track) of course the corners kill the distance...
I know that the "cloud car" usually beats me by about 5 miles in either race (great car with good driver = hard to beat)
but on 3 occasions I have been 3rd place to the Cloud team (twice in short track, once in long track)
of course there were only 5 cars (open class) in the long track event... (and two broke down during race)
and the only times I've been a contender in the short track was when I was driving car #38 the Willamette Wolverine (school mascot)
belonging to our "illustrious Potentate" Mike Hodgert (electrathon America president) not my own car #13 the bathtub (so dubbed by Willamette students)
sorry for all the "going off on a tangent... but... "gear for first, finish last" is quite true...
If your car can handle 38-40mph gearing for an hour, go for it... you just might make it...
I race in the Northwest (as everyone knows from my prior posts) and the only racetrack we race on is Portland International Raceway...
it won't equate equally to your 5 Flags because it is a road course and not an oval but maybe you can glean a little bit from what I do...
I tend to gear @ 38mph for the "long track" 1.9 mile track, and 36mph for the "short track" about 1 mile track.
I usually average about 1/2 the distance (give or take, depending on long or short track) that I gear for as speed in distance in 1hr..
(usually about 20-22 miles long track and 18-20 mile short track) of course the corners kill the distance...
I know that the "cloud car" usually beats me by about 5 miles in either race (great car with good driver = hard to beat)
but on 3 occasions I have been 3rd place to the Cloud team (twice in short track, once in long track)
of course there were only 5 cars (open class) in the long track event... (and two broke down during race)
and the only times I've been a contender in the short track was when I was driving car #38 the Willamette Wolverine (school mascot)
belonging to our "illustrious Potentate" Mike Hodgert (electrathon America president) not my own car #13 the bathtub (so dubbed by Willamette students)
sorry for all the "going off on a tangent... but... "gear for first, finish last" is quite true...
If your car can handle 38-40mph gearing for an hour, go for it... you just might make it...
Ron