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New rear axle kart bearing

2011-05-23T17:34:07Z

I have been working on race cars for over 40 years and certainly understand the compromises made in engineering for the sake of cost but the engineer in me is always wondering if there isn’t a better way. I will admit that I have never had, seen or heard of an axle failure cause by the locating set screws in a kart rear axle but I just don’t like them. I have to clean up the scratches and indentations they make every time I pull an axle and there just seemed to me that there had to be a better way.

Naturally I was intrigued by the SKF bearings which feature three areas of potential advantage.

An axle location method that does not involve the use of a set screw. Their method allows for easy removal of the axle and no scratches!

Removable seals. This allows easy cleaning and re-lubrication while retaining the shields which help prevent dirt, water, etc. from entering the bearing.

They can be purchased with either steel or ceramic bearings.

The obvious issue with the SKF bearings is the price and was not an option for us because of that fact. But the winter is long and the Internet is the greatest research tool ever. I began a search for 50mm bearings that used some location method other that set screws. I discovered that a Japanese company named Nippon Pillow Block, Ltd manufactured bearings under the FYH Bearings name that used a concentric clamp ring. These were industrial bearings marketed as Nu-Loc. I also discovered that they marketing 40mm and 50mm rear axle bearings using the traditional set screw locating method. Nowhere in their literature did they mention a kart bearing using their Nu-Loc technology but I was intrigued by the concept. So I contacted the company and they had already developed the product and had some in stock.

I arranged with them through Laukaites Racing, an FYH distributor, to get three of the 50mm bearings. Upon receipt, the first thing I noticed was the exceptional quality. They were well made with quality dust shields and a precision feel. The lubricated appears to be fairly light oil. They spun freely and installed easily.

Per the pictures, the shoulder does extend out and the locking ring also takes up some room. I had to do some planning to make sure the seat struts, radiators mounts and anything that mounts to the bearing hangers cleared. It wasn’t difficult but needs to be considered. The only very small issue I has is that when you tighten the locking ring, the ring can cock very slightly. This may not cause an issue but I make sure that they stay straight when I tighten them.

After a couple of months and 8 races I can say that I doubt we ever run a different rear axle bearing. They have performed flawlessly and axle changes are a breeze with no scratches to clean. I have been impressed with the quality and like the engineering solution. Does it make us faster? No. Does it make changing axles easier? Yes.

Let me address a couple of other points in the comparison with the SKF bearings. I would like it if the shields were removable so the bearings could be cleaned and re-lubricated. My contact at FYH has indicated that they have that capability and would add that feature if there was some demand.

The FYH bearings are available only with steel balls while the SKF is available with either steel or ceramic. Ceramic bearings came in to existence to solve some very specific engineering problems, mainly high rotational speeds in high temperature applications. The rear axle in a kart is not a gas turbine engine and I really believe that ceramic balls don’t offer any appreciable advantage in this application. I would rather have a quality bearing that is kept clean and properly lubricated and spend the money I save on other things. And with a Retail cost of $70, you will have saved a bunch of money.

Thanks to Michael at Laukaitis Racing and Scott at FYH!

Cryogenics - fact or fiction

2011-01-29T14:17:00Z

Roger Penske made ‘The Unfair Advantage’ famous but I suspect that from day one racers have been looking for that little extra that gave them a perceived advantage, either real or imagined. I am going to start a series of articles that look at products and processes that are used by racers that might or might not offer an appreciable advantage. Some of it is black magic that needs to be appreciated for what it is and may make sense for some applications. The first we are going to investigate is cryogenics.

A cryogenic treatment utilizes liquid nitrogen to bring the temperature of the parts down to -300°F. The parts are then kept at this temperature for 24 hours. This relieves the residual stresses and produces a more consistent and uniform material. The benefits of this process are increased part life, less wear, and potentially improved performance. One area where it has provided a significant increase in life is in cutting tools and bits. The increase in life for these parts is documented and impressive. Another area it is used in with great success is on brake rotors in police cars, buses, fire trucks and yes race cars and karts. It has also been used in the past for a variety of parts including non-ferrous engine parts and complete ignition systems.

Frankly, I question how it can offer an advantage when used on non-ferrous parts as there can be no resulting realignment at the molecular level. However, there are proponents within the karting industry that claim it offers some advantages. It is currently being used on cylinders, heads, cranks and other parts. However, I am not convinced this doesn’t fall into the imaginary benefit category.

The use of cryogenic treatment of ignition systems and spark plugs is an area on which I will reserve judgment. There are kart and motorcycle racing teams treating entire ignition systems and are claiming a noticeable increase in hp but I am having trouble understanding why/how. It is possible that the treatment reduces the resistance in the cables and connections within the ignition module but I am not sure how that would equate to an increase in power output. A major motorcycle drag racing team is looking at doing some actual comparative dyno testing and if this happens in the summer, I will try and share that information.

Where there is extensive and documented proof of cryogenic treatments offering some help is in brake rotors. As I mentioned, it is used by police forces and fire departments where they see a significant and cost-effective increase in the life of the brake rotors. Does that translate into any kind of advantage for us? Notice that no where did I say that a cryogenic treatment of a brake rotor for a race car would offer a performance advantage as defined as a lower lap time. What it may offer is longer rotor life and durability in endurance races. We have experienced cracked rotors in the Robo Pong 200 for example. While I don’t expect the treatment to make us faster, I hope to show that the treatment, which isn’t very expensive, will be cost effective by providing a longer life plus provide a more reliable part for longer races. The cost is in the $35 range for a rotor. Given that a rotor runs in the $150 range and we normally use 2 per year, if we can extend the life so we can go the entire season on one disk, it will prove to be very cost effective.

We normally replace a disk when we see significant cracking which occurs around the drilled ventilation holes. These will extend out to the edges of the disk and will eventually result in a failure. This is particularly an issue at an endurance event where we have seen catastrophic disk failures. We are having two disks; both used but neither showing cracks, treated. Our goal is to run one disk all year and save the other for the Robo Pong race. We will monitor the disk closely and see if any cracks begin. Do we expect any miracles from the treatment? No but it will be interesting to see if we detect any difference from past seasons.

I haven’t talked to anyone who believes this treatment offers a lap time advantage or impacts the short-term durability of rotors including the person I am about to reference. That person was a team manger for a major CART team whose team owner mandated that they treat the rotors for each car prior to every race. The thing was that they replaced the rotors every race so they never saw the real advantage offered by the treatment but ‘it wasn’t very expensive so why not..’. There are a lot of ways to spend money in racing that don’t translate into wins but sometimes spending a little more upfront saves a bunch later on. The trick is to figure out where it makes sense to spend that little extra and where it doesn’t.

Coming shortly will be a look at REM Microfinishing, something that is used by virtually every major race team in the country along with some major kart shops plus a look at a new, exciting rear axle bearing.

IndyCar Meeting for 2011

2011-01-12T17:47:00Z

It was very well done and they had a great turnout. Nearly everybody is in town since they are holding drivers, owners and manufacturers meetings thstarting yesterday and through the week. Great turnout of media, so I am sure we will begin seeing more news beginning in today's papers etc.

Yesterday it leaked they opened a Los Angeles office. Hired the lady that got much of the programming aired for NASCAR and was the executive producer for Talledega Nights to run it so they are expecting big things to get more entertaintment type programming on air with Indycars as the centerpiece.

They have started a new theme, the fastest most versatile drivers on the planet and understand they have to make drivers heros in order to grow the audience. They are also mking a huge effort to attract the kids and will begin allowing children 9 and older into the garage areas at all tracks except Texas (they did not specifically mention Indy, so I don't know about that one). More on this stuff later.

Competition:
Yesterday the media picked up they would have double file restarts on the ovals, but they would retain the running order, in other words lapped cars hold their track position they will not be moved to the back. They made it clear this is kind of an experiment and may be modified as they go. In addition, the acceleration point for restarts will be moved closer to the start/finish line. They will not accelerate until a point after they have excited the fourth turn on an oval.

There is a new pit selection procedure. Now you will select pits based on the qualifying order of the last "like" race. In other words at an oval the teams will pick their pit box based on their qualifying position at the last oval race. So the pole setter gets first choice etc. Teams will not have the option to "average" their entries, they will have to choose separately. The first race for each type of track road course or oval pit selection will be based on last year's owners points. The only exception is the pit selection process will not change at the Indy 500.

On road courses, there will be a new rule regarding the use of tires during the knockout qualifying sessions. A driver will only be allowed one set of tires per knockout session, they can be either red or black, but once they start a session on the set they can not change during that session. There is also a new tire allocation system for all races, but it was pretty complicated and I can not explain it well enough here. Will wait for the published rules to see how they handle that one.

Engine displacement for the new for 2012 engines has been reduced from 2.4 liters to 2.2 liters after meetings with the manufacturers that have committed. Barnhart said rules have been given to the manufacturers who have committed, but will not be made public at this time. My guess is they want to have a big announcement at Indy where they expect to have samples on display.

Aero kit rules have been given to the manufacturers who have made a reasonable commitment to review. Sounded like there would be 4 manufacturers for 2012. Aero kit manufacturers have to make a minimum commitment for 2 years to be allowed in. They expect to have two show cars on display at Indy in May.

Firestone Indy Lights wil be back on TV this year. Their races will be shown the Wednesday after the race at 6:00 pm on Versus. Indy Lights will have a stand alone race this year at Trois Riveres in Canada. That race will be televised on Versus.

Edmonton is back on the schedule in its original slot.

They have initiated a "Centennial Tour" for ten days going out to ten American Forces bases throughout the world. They are taking the two-seater team plus Mario Andretti, Al Unser Jr. Johnny Rutherford, Sarah Fisher and a host of others to build awareness. Watch Thursday's morning shows for a sneak preview.

Starwood Resorts is a new sponsor of the Indycar series. (The Westin in downtown Indy is a part of that.) Look for opportunities to book rooms for races at their multiple propoerties around the world.

They explained the Indycar ladder system and how kids from karts, Formula 2000, Formula Mazda, and Firestone Indy Lights will earn scholarships for the next rung on the ladder. They will also provide a new emphasis in USAC's National series with a scholarship to run the ovals in Indy Lights to the National Sprint Car champion.

For karters there are something like 5 national organizations controlling karting. They are going to take the top ten from each series and invite them to New Castle Motorsports Park (Mark Dismore's place) and give them a school with their favorite Indycar drivers.

In addition to the being called the "Greatest Spectacle in Racing" this year's Indy 500 will also be known as "The Most Important Race in History." A tag line the track and media will be using for the race.

ABC will televise the first race and last race of the season. The Indy 500, Milwaukee and Loudon. Versus will televise all others, plus Indy qualifications. They said the merger between Comcast and NBC will happen by the end of March and they have been advised not to sign contracts with on-air talent until after the announcement and the expected changes. I did not realize that even though Versus shows the racs IMS productions actually produces them, with Terry Lingner as the producer. IMS hires the on-air talent.

In 2011 every living driver who is a vetern of an Indy 500 has been invited to the track in May. Something like 270 living drivers. On the Saturday before the race in addition to the drivers for this years race they will all be invited to participate in an autograph session, the largest autograph session in history.

They said to also expect a special treat with the 24 original manufacturers from the first 500.

They talked about how they are consolidating all the records so it will be a comprehensive record book which begins in 1905 to present day and will include the achiements and stats from all sanctioning bodies including AAA, USAC, CART, Indycar etc.

70 of the 74 surviving winning cars from Indy will be on display at the museum during the month of May.

Sports Illustrated will be doing a comemorative issue on the 100th anniversary of the Indy 500. So will a number of other publications.

Kids 12 accompanied by an adult will be admitted free to all activities at Indy in May including the race (general admission ticket, still need a ticket to sit in the stands I suppose).

They did a nice job of allowing each department present their plans for the new year and it was nearly seemless between the sanctioning body, now known as Indycar and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Indiana Motorsports Directory

2010-11-20T21:25:00Z

I have been involved in motorsports since 1970 and have witnessed many organizations, some still with us and some long gone, who claimed that their main objective was the promotion of Indiana based motorsports companies. The problem I have seen with most is that they tend to gravitate toward the larger companies; those with the most money. While I appreciate the need to make money, I believe that many of these organizations have lost track of the needs and resources of their potential partners. They speak of the ‘hundreds’ of Hoosier companies involved in motorsports without realizing that most are 5 persons or less operations. Many are even one-person shops who have gone out on their own and desperately need a way of not only letting the potential client in North Carolina or California know they exist but wanting to make sure the shop down the street knows their capabilities.

What we hope to accomplish is to provide a place where shops can go and find potential partners in Indiana, maybe down the street so everyone can best utilize local providers. If someone from North Carolina or California finds one of our clients, so much the better!

To get things rolling, we are providing free listings for those who have web sites and a free one-page directory site for those who don’t. That offer does require that they purchase a domain name (if they need one) and a Basic host package from www.racetoadomain.com. The yearly cost of that is less than $60.00.

Our hope is that within a year, we will have grown to the point where a $200 per year listing fee sounds reasonable to our clients plus we are offering a variety of other marketing services including full web sites, ecommerce and social media such as Facebook and blogs. We are committed to helping the Indiana Motorsports Community ensure that we at least look and see if there are local providers with which we can partner.

Future plans include an AdWords campaign on Google to help drive more potential clients to the site. We will continue to look at ways of making the site more visible and helpful for our clients.

Let us know who you are and we will get you listed. Please make sure you let your friends and customers know about us.

Robo Pong - Lasting 200 miles

2010-11-16T20:08:00Z

It didn’t end like we had wanted but the Top Kart, Leopard sponsored by www.racewtoadomain.com and Rapid Racing (got to get the plugs in!) had a good race ended by a failed top-end bearing. I could talk about the issues we had or how the race went (we were dicing with the eventual 4th place kart and were on the lead lap on lap 135 when it went wrong) but this is about what it takes to run over 200 miles!

This was our 4th Robo Pong and I keep learning and just when I think I have it down, the racing gods remind me that I don’t! But we have come a long way in making our Top Kart last the distance. This is the first year that we didn’t finish and we had a 7th place to our credit in 2009. So what does it take?

What I love about this race is that it is far more than a 12 lap sprint race. It requires making a kart handle for two or three different drivers. You have to be fast and finish. Someone is going to run very quickly and finish. However, a conservative run can result in a top 10 if you don’t have any problems. That includes both mechanical and on-track problems. Last year we had two on-track incidents that prevented a run at the top 3 but that is just part of the race. The biggest obstacle to overcome is that most components are not built for 4 hours and 200 miles of continuous competition. You have to identify what needs help and re-engineer those parts. That process is going to be different with each brand and I will discuss several general areas along with Top Kart specific ones.

In general, our Top Kart chassis has experienced very few problems lasting the distance. We have not experienced any broken frames as some manufacturers have. If fact, we have not seen any chassis specific problems at all. The ones we have seen have tended to be common to all chassis. Areas that generally need attention:

1. All bumpers and bodywork needs to have failsafe mounting. Wherever there are springs, we add tie wraps. Ask yourself, what happens if that fastener fails? What is the backup?

2. Floorpans – We use longer bolts and then double-nut the bolts. That allows us to retain the proper ‘tightness’ of the pan but prevents loosing bolts. But, we also drill holes in several places and add tie wraps so that if the bolts did fail, the pan would not drop down.

3. We replace most of the hardware on the kart, use blue or red Locktite (as appropriate) and double-nut just about everything.

4. Add an aftermarket radiator bracket or add bracing. Some part of the stock IAME bracket will fail.

5. Frames, bumpers and radiator brackets can and will break either due to fatigue or collision damage so we add liberal amounts of duct tape. We tape the entire real metal bumper and tape up the radiator mounting brackets. If one brace breaks, we don’t want it falling down creating more problems.

6. We have had the most problems with engine related issues and have a check list of things we do there as well. Most of these pertain to the Leopard engine. Headers have been a problem so we start with a new one for the race that has been reinforced. The engine side has been fixed by IAME but they made the pipe side worse so we weld tabs on that end to prevent it from breaking.

7. On Saturday night, prior to the race we replace the engine drive gear, axle drive gear and put on a new o-ring chain. We also replace the throttle cable. The carburetor return spring should be new for the weekend as that is a common failure. We also add a redundant return spring.

8. Brakes are often a problem. We put on new pads prior to warm-up on Sunday morning and then do a final adjustment after break-in. We ask the drivers to lift 5-10 feet earlier than normal for most of the race as this has a major impact on brake life and not a very big impact on lap times.

I can’t wait until next year and maybe we can inch a little closer to a win! Let me know if you have any questions about running Robo Pong, it is a great event!

Robo Pong 200 Presented By Bridgestone

2010-09-10T20:11:00Z

The Robo Pong 200 presented by Bridgestone is scheduled for Oct 10^th. For those of you not familiar with the race, it is a 200 mile endurance kart race at Mark Dismore’s fabulous facility in New Castle, Indiana. I have been around the sport since 1970 and have participated in a lot of great events. Sitting on the grid at a packed Milwaukee Mile is cool! Places like Trenton, Pocono and the Night Before the 500 at IRP all hold special meaning to me but this event is right up there in the cool factor.

Maybe it means more with my son racing or the fact that Mark is working so hard to make this the Indianapolis 500 of karting and I wish him success but the atmosphere is tremendous. Two years ago, he had Mary Hulman George giving the command to start engine. Winners include Dan Weldon, Ricky Rudd and Ed Carpenter. The karts are TaG karts which Mark Dismore has termed possible the most physically demanding race cars he has ever drive.

Why bring this race up here and now? Frankly with the economy hurting, entries have suffered and I would like to encourage any kart team to enter. But I would also like to appeal to the other racers out there to consider putting a team together. It isn’t too late! We have a lot of formula drivers either transitioning from karts into formula cars or from formula cars to karts. The path seems to go both ways. The up side is that for around $4k, you can arrange a ride for you and a teammate. The winner makes $5,000 so you might make a profit! Ok, that might be a stretch but you are going to budget about that amount for an SCCA Pro race of any kind. Here, you get to race against at least a dozen Indy car drivers, an experience you may never get any where else!

Please, I don’t have any rides to rent so I am not doing this for myself but I can help get you with people who do. I just want to help Mark make this a successful event and I guarantee you will have a blast! For more info, go to http://www.newcastleraceway.com/enduro.shtml or drop me a note.

Karting Flag Procedures

2010-08-21T21:01:00Z

Recently, tragedy struck a Colorado family and they lost their 9 year old daughter in a karting accident involving a track pick-up vehicle. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family; I can not image what they are experiencing. As a parent, I certainly look at things differently than I did as an indestructible teenager.

Greg Wright of Rapid Racing took the opportunity to host an industry forum on karting safety on www.racefanradio.com where three industry experts, including a race director, discussed how safety issues should be handled by the track and sanctioning organizations. It is well worth listening to but I felt that it left out discussing an important area, the driver’s needs and responsibilities. There are items you need to discuss with your driver and questions that might require answers from the track officials. Never be afraid to ask questions!!!

It is very important to discuss these safety issues with your driver as when the time comes to make these decisions, they will be under significant stress and should quickly react correctly and not have to ponder the decision.

Number one is to know where the flag stations are located. Your driver has to have situational awareness and this must include knowing where the flag stations are located. Most drivers will walk a new track. Besides looking at lines, they should be looking at points of possible danger (blind turns or elevation changes that make visibility a problem). During the first practice session, corner workers should make their presence known to the drivers so the drivers know where they are.

In the event that your driver’s kart breaks down or is involved in an accident where the kart can no longer move:

If able, what side of the track should they exit to help ensure a safe and quick recovery? Track personnel should be able to answer this question.

Once stopped, what should the driver do? Most probably, they are in some danger from the other karts. Should they remain in the kart? Should they exit the kart and quickly move to a safer area? Should they try and move the kart to a safer area or leave the kart where it is?

What means of recovery does THIS track use? Some use the back of a gator while some use a rope tow or a trailer. It a rope tow is used, is your driver familiar with how that works? In SCCA schools, we always went over the rules for a rope tow which included how the rope is attached and the importance to keep your gloves and helmet on.

When is recovery done? After each practice? Is recover done during races? This is often done to help racers get back into the race but can be too dangerous at some tracks because of visibility problems. Find out what are THIS track’s policies.

What are the Yellow Flag rules? Corner workers are in place for one purpose, to help make the racing safer for your driver. One issue raised in the industry forum was the training of corner workers which they did a great job covering so I will not discuss. But there are questions you need to ask about the Yellow Flag procedures.

What does my driver do when they see a local Yellow Flag? It sounds simple but it isn’t. At most formula car events, the rule is that you decrease your speed to the point where you can quickly and safely move your car to ANY part of the track. At most kart tracks, the rule is not so exact and varies by track. One reason is that the tracks are shorter and visibility tends to be better.

Over what part of the track does the local Yellow Flag cover? Normally in road racing there are two possible answers, depending upon the track. Some tracks allow racing once the area of the incident is past while others dictate that it goes from one flag station to the next flag station. The rational being that the driver may see the first incident but not the second.

What are the Red Flag rules? Most tracks show a waving yellow at all stations and a Red Flag at Start/Finish.

Most tracks ask that all competitors slow drastically and proceed to the pits or some designated area.

Some tracks will show a Red Flag at all flag stations and ask that competitors safely but quickly come to a complete stop.

The key is to ask the questions of the race director so you and your driver know what is expected at THIS track.

These questions should be answered by the race director or safety director. Do not be afraid to ask questions! If the race officials do not have answers, there is reason for concern and if it is your local track; ask for better training of the track workers.
If your driver is young or inexperienced, these discussions are even more important. Make them listen and have a safe race!

Karting Safety Gear

2010-08-21T20:58:00Z

I have spend almost 40 years in racing, 25 of those years behind the wheel. A lot has changed but probable nothing more that the safety of both the equipment and the gear we wear.

Karting poses a specific challenge in that there is no enclosed cockpit and the driver is not restrained. The idea is that the driver will leave the kart in a serious crash and this concept has generally served us well. However that means there are different priorities for karting safety equipment verses formula cars, for example.

Most sprint kart accidents fall into one of three categories:
1. The kart hits a relatively immovable object such as a wall, haybales or one of the new kart track barriers.
2. The kart goes off-track or hits a competitor's wheel just right and is launched into the air.
3. Another kart hits and is launched over the second kart, often landing on top of the second kart and its driver.

To best avoid injuries in any of these scenarios, the driver needs a suit much like a motorcycle racer where abrasion resistance is key. Note that fire retardant driving suits required by most forms of racing are not designed to provide much in the way of abrasion resistance. A three-layer fire-resistant suit might provide some abrasion resistance but is very costly and hot! A suit designed specifically for karting will be cooler, less expensive and generally offer better protection from the challenges facing a kart driver.

Helmets - I can not emphasize enough the importance of purchasing a quality helmet designed for auto racing. The Snell SA rating is a minimum requirement! All three scenarios described above involve a high probability of the driver's head impacting something with significant force. The other important point is to make sure it fits properly. I see too many young drivers with helmets that are too large. The parent is trying to save money but I strongly believe that is not a good compromise!

The other important piece of equipment is the neck collar. Most drivers my age all have neck problems as we raced prior to things like the HANS device. Most karting organizations require a neck support and many drivers use a foam doughnut. I don't believe these are particularly effective and while the HANS device can not be used in a kart, there are two devices available that I believe are far superior to the foam collars.
Valhalla 360 and the Leatt braces are similar in concept to the HANS but are constructed to work without belts.

Race safe!

Welcome

2009-03-23T18:25:00Z

Welcome to the Race To A Domain blog. Race To A Domain is brought to you by Kevin and David Martz with consulting provided by Mike Martz. Mike has been involved in racing since 1968 and has competed in karts along with the USAC Super Vee series which was the feeder series for Indy cars at the time. After his professional career ended on the oval at the Minneapolis Fair Grounds, he joined SCCA and began an amateur career driving Formula Fords and Formula Continentals. Mike managed to win several Regional Championships along with numerous race wins and track records.
He also worked as a driving instructor for several schools and was chief instructor for Track Attack. Among the students he was fortunate enough to work with were Walter Payton, John Rutherford and several Indy car drivers. Mike has stayed involved in racing after he left the cockpit and now is helping his son Kevin as he begins his venture into the world of motorsports.

This year, Martz Racing will be competing in a Top Kart / Leopard at New Castle, Indiana and the Route 66 series which runs in Illinois, Iowa and Indiana.

The blog will cover a variety of topics including the progress of Martz Racing along with commentary from Mike covering a variety of motorsports topics and maybe a little automotive spice thrown in.