Tag: Racing
How To Of The Day: How To Build A Soap Box Racer
With it’s first competition in 1933, the Soap Box derby is still going strong today. Seventy-five years later the events are still going strong. The Soap Box car designs have changed over the past few decades but the concept behind the car has stayed the same. Below we will look at the various designs, and the history of Soap Box racing.
1911 Fiat S76
A 1911 Fiat S76 started for the first run for 100 years… 28.5 litres!
Description:
Duncan Pittaway made history today by firing up one of the largest-engined 4 cylinder cars ever built which was constructed by Fiat for a Land Speed Record attempt in 1911.This is the first time anyone has heard or seen this monster in action in over 100 years ! The heroic project has been a challenge of monumental proportions and the success is a huge credit to Duncan and his team who have triumphed over a multitude of difficulties during the last twelve years.
The stories of the original LSR attempts over 100 years ago are legendary and reported elsewhere but here is a brief specification of the car:
28.4 litres, 4 cylinder Land Speed Record car. 1911. 290 b.h.p. at 1,100 rpm.
Torque 1,384 lbs/ft . 1,876 Nm.
Bore: 190 mm. Stroke: 250 mm. 28,353 cc.
Wheelbase 2.75 m. (9ft 1/4″). Weight 1,900 kg.
Double chain drive.
2 cars produced
The engine has no starter motor, thus each 7.1 litre cylinder has to be hand-aspirated with fuel mixture and then detonated on the correct piston, after it has begun its downward stroke, by a small battery-operated trembler coil which produces a shower of high voltage sparks. The man on the crank handle needs to stand well clear at that point !
Turn the sound up for added thunder!
The Secret To Mercedes’ F1 Success
A great pictorial explanation of how the Mercedes turbocharger layout is so different from other F1 engine suppliers.
Brilliant!
Martin Brundle uncovered why Mercedes could be so strong in 2014 F1.
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