Spanner Spot
Welcome to Spanner Spot, here we like to provide you with an insight to the work required for successful maintenance and running of our race cars. It is our attempt to explain what might seem complex at the race circuit so if you have any questions then please do approach us on your next visit to the circuit.
THE POWER OF THE RACING DATABYTE in modern racing systems is truly impressive, from complete electronic management of powertrains to recording every millisecond of driver & car on-circuit performance, the databyte is one clever collection of electrical charge.
When it comes to powertrain management it is justly so that carburettors and ignition distributors have given way to the black boxes of Electronic Control Units (ECUs), so that precise control can be administered for exact engine/gearbox operation. It is these ECUs that contain the operating instructions (maps) that make everything run smoothly, and in the case of our current cars then these maps can be adjusted to suit on-circuit conditions and driver preference in getting that all important horsepower transferred to the asphalt.
Then we have data analysis, where complete car sensor information is logged lap by lap and stored in the ECU awaiting a laptop wielding engineer to plug in and download. Databytes now laden with information being sucked out from the ECU and translated into more meaningful graphical and numerical presentations are the tools of the race engineer. Now every aspect of car and driver behaviour can be assessed and discussed, from tailoring car setup to proof of full throttle application in those hairy flat-out bends. No hiding the truth now! All speeds, throttle positions and hundreds of other channels are logged to lay bare in how car and driver are reacting together.
The racing databyte of course requires specific computer software applications to make sense of it all. Our current GP2 and Formula Master cars run Magneti Marelli systems for both electronic control interface management and data aquistion analysis while our former Junos ran Pectel systems. Morning engine fire-ups require laptop plug-in so important parameters can be checked in real time as the powertrain is warmed up and various sensors are calibrated. With maps corrected and final electronic checks Okayed, then it’s all systems go for the day’s on-circuit running.
With laps completed and car returned to pit box, those databytes hurry their way into the engineer’s laptop for display. So in the case of determining driver performance against car behaviour, a simple 2-dimensional XY graph with lap distance represented on the bottom X scale against various logged channels on the vertical Y scale, will clearly show what’s happening out there on the track. The analysis software allows various commands and advanced functions for further interpretation of the data to give an insight into driver performance and racecar setup to be assessed, always with the engineer paying particular attention in areas of lap time loss.
So this is all great; problem is, it does not tell you what setup change to make! That’s down to the engineer along with the driver to sort that out but with understanding of what the data is telling you, then the next setup change is just an evolution of what the databyte reads.
Checkout our facebook page where you will find a data screenshot of Philip’s 52.4 sec lap of Kirkistown. (note top speed trace of 274kph – 170mph)
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Breezemount-Motorsport/125640014165937
