CMG Racing

Occasionally I am asked what are the differences between a Formula 1 and Champ Car chassis. Yet how many people really know what a Champ Car is? (As I’m frequently asked to explain what they are)

Unfortunately the majority of today’s non-racing savvy public only knows what “RASSCAR” (Nextel Cup) is… So my simple answer is: Do you know the cars that run at the Indianapolis 500? Those are “Indycars,” which a Champ Car loosely resembles.

Although technically speaking, the Indy 500 is the sole domain of the Indy Racing League, which is NOT Champ Cars. This is due to the current state of Open Wheel racing having been divided between two opposing sanctioning bodies when the CART-IRL split occurred back in 1996…

The most noticeable visual difference between a Champ Car and IRL chassis is the rear engine cowling. Champ Cars being turbocharged do not utilize an overhead airbox. IRL cars feature a “Formula 1-esque” airbox to ram air into the engines induction buried inside the carbon fibre enclosure…

And yet this year’s brand new Panoz DP-01 Champ Car will appear to be a hybrid of the series former Lola B2K chassis and a current spec Formula 1 contender with its new front wing treatment. The new Panoz will also utilize similar F1 steering wheel mounted paddle shifting and a host of new electronic engine management features including the removal of the ubiquitous “pop-off” valve…

Providing an interesting twist on the subject of Open Wheel racing cars terminal velocity was the announcement that F1’s BAR-Honda would attack the Bonneville Salt Flats in October 2006 in an effort to break 400kph…

Further details were gleamed while watching last July’s Formula 1 Qualifying at Silverstone. (Sat, 7/09/06) when the SPEED Channel’s Bob Varsha made some interesting comments during the 5AM broadcast.

Varsha noted that the BAR-Honda “jalopy” was expected to “max-out” at 250+mph running a modified Formula 1 chassis with front and rear wings removed and utilizing a parachute…

This leads back to another question I’m often asked: Which is faster: “The chicken or the egg. The Coyote or the Road Runner?” ERR, Formula 1 or “chUmp carZs?”

This naturally leads to a comparison of rival machinery. The 2005 BAR-Honda 007 chassis is propelled by a 3.0 liter normally aspirated V-10,
rumoured to be producing 955bhp @ 19,200RPM’s… Yet in July 2005, BAR-Honda was in LAST place of the F1 Constructor’s standings.

Meanwhile the ‘05 Champ Car, the Lola/Cosworth 2.65 liter turbocharged V-8 was producing 750bhp @ 37″ of boost. Utilizing Cosworth’s “Push-to Pass” technology allows drivers 60 seconds of “turbo boost” creating an extra 50bhp to be applied for a maximum output of 800bhp.

During the waning years of Factory backed Champ Car (CART) racing, engines were fast approaching 900bhp. And in 2000 Gil de Ferran recorded Honda’s fifth consecutive CART Drivers’ championship while setting a new world closed-course speed record of 241.428 mph at California Speedway. (Fontana, CA: 2.5 mile Tri-Oval)

Meanwhile the F1 circus has hit “terminal velocity” speeds of 221+ mph along the front straight of Indianapolis while making the long blast down the straightaway by running full throttle for 21 seconds… (Prior to the 2005 Michelin tire DEBACLE!!! Fortunately I was attending the Portland GI Joes Champ Car race instead…)

This was prior to Formula 1’s engine downsizing from 3.0 liter Normally Aspirated V-10’s to 2.4 liter V-8’s by lopping off two cylinders in an effort to reduce power outputs which were threatening to exceed 1,000bhp!

This had occurred in the mid 1980’s during F1’s Turbo era which had seen 1,100+ bhp during qualifying from the tiny 1.5 liter inline 4’s and V-6 twin turbocharged motors. The spiraling horsepower increases led to the FIA (Formula 1’s sanctioning body) choosing to return to normally aspirated engines with the introduction of 3.5 liter maximum displacement in 1989, with a reduction to 3.0 liters in 1990… (This engine formula stayed in place from 1990 to 2005)

The all time monsters were known as Can Am, which raced from 1966-1974. This saw the evolution of the all-conquering German Panzer, otherwise known as the Porsche 917/30 whose flat 12 turbocharged motor was rumoured to exceed 1,300bhp…

Yet In the mid-90’s Porsche’s direct descendant of the 917’s: The 956’s followed by the dominant 962’s vs. Jaguar XJR’s (Lemans prototypes) were both blasting down the 3.0 mile Mulsane straight just shy of 250mph. (246+ mph) This led to the addition of two chicanes being added to carve up the straightaway…

Of course top speed is simply relative to the vehicles application…

On Oct. 15, 1997 the British Thrust SSC became the first jet powered “automobile” to break the speed of SOUND! (Mach 1) The dual engine land jet blasted to a two way average speed of 766.609 mph…

And just where do the boundaries of ultimate speed end?

For example, the Lockheed SR-71 flies FASTER then a speeding bullet (3,000 mph), while the XB-70 Valkerie broke ALL records with a top speed of Mach 5! (3,700+ mph)

So which is ultimately faster: Formula 1 or Champ Cars? Unfortunately this will NEVER truly be answered as the two different forms of Open Wheel cruise missiles adhere to different engine formulas, rules packages, different tires, weights, fuels, gear ratios, etc. And the greatest limiting factor is the different aerodynamic rules enforced by Formula 1 vs. Champ Cars.

Even the racing is slightly different. While both race on traditional road circuits and apply the same “Point ‘N Squirt” theory of racing. F1 chassis are more suited towards outright acceleration from corner to corner while Champ Cars were able to reach higher top speeds while continuously circling the banked super speedway ovals during the late 1990’s or as exhibited by today’s running of the Indy 500…

Yet during the 2006 Champ Car World Series raced at Montreal’s Circuit Gilles Villenuve, site of the Canadian Formula 1 race, their lap times were nearly 7 seconds SLOWER then the F1 cars… (Lap Time Comparison: F1 = 1:14.942 vs. Champ Car = 1:21.856)

By: Tomas Rotelli

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Believe it or not but if you find the right car accessories parts dealing with audio and sound, you can transform your vehicle’s sound system from a tiny beach radio to a bass-boosting fantastic music machine with sound so great you can hear when a pin drops. Today there are lots of sound accessories from a variety of brands such as Pioneer car accessories, iPod car accessories and many more that can turn this into a reality. Today you don’t have to rely on a few CDs in your car’s glove compartment and you are not stuck with the music your local radio station are playing either.

The iPod has developed to a multi-faceted digital audio system since its inception by Apple in 2001. This sound system has gone through different incarnations, from the Mini to the Shuffle model. The BMW was the first vehicle company to include iPod car accessories and technology in its vehicles. In 2005, Apple announced the expansion into other auto brands, such as Volkswagen, Honda, Volvo, Mercedes-Benz and others. Now, almost any car can be equipped with adaptors and interfaces to incorporate the use of an iPod.

Factory radio iPod interfaces can be bought through many online sites and car accessories parts stores that would allow you to use your own radio controls as controls for your iPod By connecting certain iPod vehicle accessories, thousands of songs can be downloaded and accessed through your own car music system. Quality interfaces from Panasonic, JVC, Sony and Pioneer can all be bought new or after market.

Another useful iPod vehicle accessory part is the iPod cup holder mount. This contraption fits conveniently in any standard cup holder and allows you to slide your iPod into a position that is easily accessible, thus avoiding it to slide across your dashboard or passenger seat while you drive.

If you’re looking for an easier connection from your iPod to your vehicle’s stereo system, there are a few options for you. The most frugal is a wireless FM transmitter. This transmitter attaches through the headphones jack of your iPod and broadcasts music over a localized FM band within your car. The changeableness of this item makes it possible to bring it from vehicle to vehicle no matter what the vehicle’s radio capabilities are. The only necessity is that the radio can pick up a FM signal.

However, if you’re looking for something a little more permanent for your car that also have a very clear and great sound, you don’t have to look further than Pioneer. This vendor has several options available when it comes to audio car accessories. The Pioneer CD-ID100II model provides a connector between your iPod and whatever Pioneer audio system you’ve invested in. The connector also doubles as a charger for an iPod model. If you add some select Pioneer car accessories such as the TS-CX7 Surround Stereo Sound System, a high class SPL Subwoofer plus a Bluetooth Hands-free CD Tuner with iPod controls, then you’ll have yourself the envy of all car sound systems.

I cannot see any reason to go for the ordinary and standard stock music systems that comes with your vehicle when you pick it up at the dealership. In the market of today you have a wide range of options all with great sound when it comes to car accessories. Vendors like Pioneer, iPod and others have sound systems for your vehicle in all price ranges. With a decent car sound system installed in you vehicle you can finally have the listening experience you deserve and if you are a music lover I would say it’s a must to have it.

By: Terry Bolton

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Every now and then a new guide hits the market that captures a niche or hole in information that no other guide has yet covered. Recently, I had a chance to sit down with just such a guide – the incredibly accurate and overwhelmingly detailed new monthly guide being released by Warcraft Formula.

The idea is simple. You pay a small upfront fee for full access to a past library of Warcraft Formula guides going back to the release of Wrath of the Lich King and every month, for $17 you get the newest guide in the series. Each guide comes with PvP strategies, recent news in the game, class strategies, recent gold making options, action plans, and information that is as up to date as it comes, written as often as it is.

You also get a nice bonus in the form of an Action Plan that guides even the noobs among you to build an account from the ground up to be as effective as the pros out there. What Warcraft Formula does is nothing short of astounding, creating a new product that allows users of all skill levels to start out with nothing and build their way up to pro status every month with sharp, pointed strategy guides.

It’s not a select guide – you don’t get a leveling guide or a gold guide or PvP guide alone. But, unlike the guys offering those guides, you get information that isn’t three months old and mostly nerfed. You get info as it is added to the game and you get strategies that no one else has seen yet. I was astounded at how much information is included each month in these guides.

To top things off, the guide writers – Brad Johnson and T Dub Sanders – are the geniuses behind Warcraft Millionaire and PvP Bible (respectively), making them the best possible sources for all the top new info in the game. You can’t get much better than the best around in PvP and the best around in gold making. If you’re looking for the next big thing in Warcraft guides, this is it folks – don’t miss out on Warcraft Formula.

By: Russell Bolding

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