Please wait. Contacting image service... loading

Article text

TRACK RACING
NOW AN EXACT SCIENCE
WkataNsted Drirer Says
"The most variable factor in speed-
way racing: to-day is the driver. The
performances of which the cars them-
selves are capable can be determined
before each race almost in terms of
exact science," says Earl Cooper, a
noted American track driver.
"To- Illustrate how scientifically
exact the profession of speedway rac-
ing has become it might be pointed out
that drivers are striving continually
for such a small difference in time as
a tenth of a second per lap on 11-mile
ovals. They realise that their ability
or inability to achieve this may mean
the difference between winning or los-
ing a race.
Ingenuity Taxed to Limit.
"The engines, in fact thc entire race
cars of to-day, are practically identi-
cal. To achieve this split-second dif-
ference in speed, therefore, it is nepes
! sary that the race driver give vital
consideration to factors which would j
be considered negligible even in most j
experimental work. Every detail per- í
tainirre; to the car must he exactly cor-
rect, as qpar as human ability can
make lt, if the car Is to perform to the
standard of which it is capable.
EARL COOPER ' Help
EARL COOPER '
"Though Champion spark plugs have
become standard for - speedway and
road racing, the drivers ^are loud in
their insistence that they be exactly
correct. It is a fact that: a" difference
of a small fraction of a second in lap
time may be traced to a slight differ-
ence in the spark plugs, or even lin
one spark plug.
- "That they may secure the maximum
performance from their cars, practi-
cally every driver insists on a new set
of plugs for each race, "even though
they may have been driven. In some
cases, not to exceed 140 or 150 miles.
They realise that the terrine strains
imposed on spark plugs -under racing
conditions axe so great that they must
have undergone some deterioration,
even in the short distance they have
been run. In fact, they consider that
500 miles on the speedway is .equiva-
lent to from 5000 to 10,00« miles in a
passenger car.
Plugs Should be Changed.
"Instances have been many where,
after a set of plugs has been through
one severe race, the car. in its trials
for the following race, actually was
incapable of performing within a tenth j
of a second per lap of what it previ-
ously did. Sometimes this loss of 6peed
has been even greater.
. "This being the case, it is evident'
that there is deterioration to. spark:
plugs in ordinal?' passenger car ser-i
vice. If racing plugs are changed at
least every 500 miles, the spark plugs
in passenger cars certainly should not,
be run more than 10,000 miles without
changing them for new ones. . That
applies to «very spark plug I have ever;
used; whether in racing or for trrdlnary
Mr. &. Clarkson, of South Perth, is
one of the latest Overland buyers.
-?- ??
Nu-Tred Tyres (W.A,> Ltd. have
enlarged their plant,- adding new ma-
chinery, and are now .prepared to re-
tread tires of different sizes, and in
the near future they will be able to re-
tread balloon tires with the full circle
patent mould now -under construction.
Clients should "Vatch for particulars
of operations with the new full circle
mould.
"Piston heads will" resist "the forma-
tion of carbon deposit for a longer
gèriojl ff they are polished to as smooth
a surface as possible. Fine emery
cloth and oil should be used, followed
by the application of ¿rtordinarj- metal
polish. A valve should, not be regard-
ed as property ground In" until a final
finish has been put on its face ánd
seaüng by using metal polish" as the
"abrasive." " ~ -
- The assembly. staff are v *usy at
Comet Motors LtdU unpâcûhg.'a .ship-,
ment of'Rugby four- cars. With the
rapid oncoming of spring there will
soon be a' lot of Rugby "cars on the
road, for the many good road qualities'
of the Rugby are- now fully appre-
ciated. The most convincing proof *>f
this is to be found lin the increasing
number of' "repeat"*. .orders which
Comet Motors Ltd,' receive for Rugby
cars.
$