New Portland Test Day Pics

[Shamus]

Man, what a great event this is each year. No rain on the day we went and completely unfettered access. We went up on Thursday and had a blast. The pits were wide open, and we were allowed to go out into the area inside the Festival Curves - INCREDIBLE!

Here are links to pics, I've got vids too but I don't have any more room to store up right now!

http://home.comcast.net/~the2hannans/AJ_Allmendinger_Festival_Curves_2.JPG

http://home.comcast.net/~the2hannans/AJ_Allmendinger_in_the_Festival_Curves.JPG

http://home.comcast.net/~the2hannans/Alex_Tagliani_Car.JPG

http://home.comcast.net/~the2hannans/Alex_Tagliani_Front_Straight.JPG

http://home.comcast.net/~the2hannans/Andrew_Ranger_Front_Straight.JPG

http://home.comcast.net/~the2hannans/Beautiful_Scenery_3.JPG

http://home.comcast.net/~the2hannans/Bruno_Junqueira_Festival_Curves_2.JPG

http://home.comcast.net/~the2hannans/CAR.JPG

http://home.comcast.net/~the2hannans/Forsythe_Racing_Hard_at_Work.JPG

http://home.comcast.net/~the2hannans/Forsythe_Racing_Rear_End.JPG

http://home.comcast.net/~the2hannans/Justin_Wilson_in_the_Pits.JPG

http://home.comcast.net/~the2hannans/View_from_Bridge_2.JPG

http://home.comcast.net/~the2hannans/Justin_Wilson_Ready_to_Go.JPG

http://home.comcast.net/~the2hannans/Marcus_Marshall_in_Pits1.JPG

http://home.comcast.net/~the2hannans/Marcus_Marshall_Turn_12.JPG

http://home.comcast.net/~the2hannans/Nelson_Phillipe_Festival_Curves.JPG

http://home.comcast.net/~the2hannans/Nelson_Phillipe_in_Pits.JPG

http://home.comcast.net/~the2hannans/View_of_Paddock_from_Bridge.JPG

http://home.comcast.net/~the2hannans/Paul_Tracy_in_Pits_2.JPG

http://home.comcast.net/~the2hannans/Paul_Tracy_in_Pits.JPG

http://home.comcast.net/~the2hannans/Paul_Tracy_Turn_10.JPG

http://home.comcast.net/~the2hannans/Paul_Tracy_Festival_Curves.JPG

http://home.comcast.net/~the2hannans/Paul_Tracy_Festival_Curves_3.JPG

http://home.comcast.net/~the2hannans/Andrew_Ranger_in_Pits.JPG

http://home.comcast.net/~the2hannans/Ricardo_Sperafico_Leaving_Pits.JPG

http://home.comcast.net/~the2hannans/Ryan_Hunter_Reay_in_Pits.JPG

http://home.comcast.net/~the2hannans/Ryan_Hunter_Reay_Festival_Curves_2.JPG

http://home.comcast.net/~the2hannans/Sebastien_Bourdais_in_Pits_2.JPG

http://home.comcast.net/~the2hannans/Sebastian_Bourdais_Turn_11.JPG

http://home.comcast.net/~the2hannans/Sebastians_Helmet.JPG

http://home.comcast.net/~the2hannans/Sebastien_Bourdais_Leaving_Pits.JPG

http://home.comcast.net/~the2hannans/Me_and_SeaBass.JPG

http://home.comcast.net/~the2hannans/Team_Australia_Pit_Wall.JPG

http://home.comcast.net/~the2hannans/Timo_Glock_Festival_Curves.JPG

[rabbit]

http://home.comcast.net/~the2hannans/Paul_Tracy_Festival_Curves.JPG The more things change, the more they stay the same. Even though the curves have changed, Tracy is still taking his same line. :)

[Wally]

Great stuff!!! :thumbup: Thanks for sharing.

[dreamracer]

I stood in the same spot! It was so much fun.

[NismoZ]

Again, pardon my technical shortfall, but why no pop-off valves...and what does this do to relative horsepower figures, and are test times among teams then comparable? (without the valve, that's quite a "scoop" back there, isn't it?) Wonderful pictures. I can't help but recall a test at the paperclip in Chicago a few years ago ('00!!?) where I was able to get the best pictures and had most interesting conversations...way better than on race weekends. They ran valves then. Am I just missing them in the on-track photos? Are there just a few available/shared and they screw 'em on just before they go out?

[dreamracer]

The pop off valve only regulates MAX boost. It doesn't affect boost settings. It's merely a regulator for max boost during the race weekend. It really has no effect. The pop off valve is far less of a factor than it was during the engine manufacturer "wars".

The valves are tested and maintained by Cosworth and controlled by Champ Car. They are handed out randomly at the start of each race weekend.

When not being used, a flat cover plate is bolted to the engine's intake plenum to seal it off.

[nrc]

Right, the pop-off valve isn't intented to be the primary boost control. It's a measure to protect against cheating.

[NismoZ]

Right...that IS what my understanding was, so what kind of max boost do they get in testing without it, and is it easier to "cheat" during testing? I was just wondering if comparing test times is worthwhile as they are emphasized quite a bit. In other words, without precisely calibrated valves, is there a wider range of horsepower tapped by the various teams?

[NismoZ]

BUT...you'll have to re-explain that "it really has no effect" statement. Without the valve how do we know they all have the same boost settings in testing? Atmospheric pressure, right? How are those settings regulated in tests? Maybe that's what I'm asking. And while I'm at it...all the forum turbo crazies expound on how great a turbo engine formula is, because it's easy and cheap to simply dial boost up or down, but how much LOWER can we, at present, go? 30psi is rock bottom? (ie, normal?) What is CC at? Seriously, did these same basic engines run 45 psi? Was that the 900hp days? Don't know why I'm thinking of this now, except that the more I read the more I believe the turbo fans will get their way in '07. :D

[dreamracer]

Well, they don't do anything to the engines, for starters, except bolt them in, and out, while a cosworth rep watches.

Plus, they need meaningful data from testing. It serves no purpose to crank up the boost, to "cheat" even if they could. The teams need to know how the car behaves while performing as it would in race and qualifying trim.

To be honest, the pop off valve serves far less of a purpose than in previous years where the manufacturers were looking for every meaningful angle to produce power. Including the clever stuff Honda and Ford were doing in the early 2000's to circumvent or fool the Manifold Air Pressure sensor in the intake manifold.

Unless there is an engine mapping malfunction that somehow allows the motor to produce too much boost, it's very unlikely that the popoff gate will ever open.