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(3-23-06)
First, please allow me to explain the "Rolling Dyno" concept again.
A dynamometer is a device engine builders use to measure engine
performance and power at given engines speeds, the most common
readings are horsepower and torque. It is done by providing a
known and stable resistance to the engine output. I have always
felt that when conditions are equal to all, the race track and
aero resistance can provide the resistance need to rely on the
speeds attained in "Q" sessions and get an accurate
picture of who is getting the most power out of their total car
package.
In
2006, with the IndyCar series using "equal" engines
and electronics package's provided by Honda and issued at random
by the series, I think it will be interesting to track
"Q" results to verify that no one team is more
"equal" than others. The minute that Honda announced
that there would be engines equal to all, there was no shortage
of skeptics and doubters among the internet experts and series
detractors, mostly because Team Penske has an Ilmor connection
and everyone just knew Roger Penske would find a way to
make the engines better than the others. Once the questions over
that issue ran it's course, there was the claim that the better
funded teams would be able to get an advantage over the others
with their better Engine Control Unit software. "Not
so" said the ISC, "all teams will run the same
electronics package." Well, lets try to use the
"Rolling Dyno" as a way to track the teams.
In
the past I used the top two or three teams for each manufacture,
using Dallara results only, and only at tracks where
"Q" laps were only run "flat," where the
driver didn't lift. In other words, the
"cookie-cutters." I'll do that again this season, but
I'll also try to provide another set of results for both short
track tracks and road race events as well, but I'm not sure how
I'll do that yet. I will also keep separate numbers for both
Dallara and Panoz cars.
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