SPEEDWAY, FABULOUS SPEEDWAY

[johnny comelately]

FIM World Championships kicking off in Croatia right nowish.
All sprints, no aero, no tyre challenges, 90% the rider, = better racing (and relatively cheap)
What is one of the main tuning changes for different tracks? NO googling
Would they be quicker if they stood the engines up? and why?

[johnny comelately]

Reason/excuse of the year for jump start goes to Anders Thomsen:
Interviewer: Did you forget we are on the computer system (tapes start)
Anders: I didnt forget, I was just faster than the new system
Fall off my chair

[Stu]

I grew up watching Speedway, loved it. Pestered my mum & dad for speedway wallpaper (yes, there was such a thing!).
Michael Lee was my hero.
I had two posters up on my door (not allowed them in the wall after I got the wallpaper ), him and the Williams FW07.

I met him a few times & later worked with his mechanic.

As far as I can recall, tuning was done in two ways…
Fuel mix (dope), which I think is a methanol based fuel (you don’t want to overpower the track surface) - the smell stays with you
Clutch, just enough tyre slip to get good bite out of the gate, not so much that the tyre is shocked into spinning up.
Gearing was only ever really changed for long track (1/2 mile).

[johnny comelately]

I grew up watching Speedway, loved it. Pestered my mum & dad for speedway wallpaper (yes, there was such a thing!).
Michael Lee was my hero.
I had two posters up on my door (not allowed them in the wall after I got the wallpaper ), him and the Williams FW07.

I met him a few times & later worked with his mechanic.

As far as I can recall, tuning was done in two ways…
Fuel mix (dope), which I think is a methanol based fuel (you don’t want to overpower the track surface) - the smell stays with you
Clutch, just enough tyre slip to get good bite out of the gate, not so much that the tyre is shocked into spinning up.
Gearing was only ever really changed for long track (1/2 mile).

Very interesting, some say men have a defective gene, like when a bonnet/hood goes up they must look
My fault there I should have said engine tuning, sorry.
Compression ratio is one of the main methods, wet track etc
How about the engine position question??

[Stu]

As regards the engine position, there are upright engines and ‘flat’ engines. From an engineering perspective I would say that for short-track racing the flat engine would probably make for a more ‘adjustable’ bike through the turns having a lower moment of inertia (in relation to the ground axis), they also tend to a longer wheelbase (which has an advantage off the line (no rear suspension) and improves stability at speed.

An upright engine would lend itself to getting the bike over as it enters the turns, the shorter wheelbase would also help here. At most other parts of the track it would be disadvantaged. The upright design may be better suited to grass-track racing, which tends to take place on a ‘long’ track and has significant track evolution making the theoretically more manoeuvrable bike advantageous.

[johnny comelately]

C of G is an interesting thing on bikes.
Higher gives more contact pressure = traction, drive.
how much do you want on dirt.
but speedway being a different animal the flickability is very important, I always thought that with a bit more traction the drive would be better.
The front wheel doesnt need the load as much
So in the end its about balance and compromise, as always ideal to find the sweet spot.
It is a consideration in road racing.
Quite the opposite of cars and the quest for low C of G.
be interesting to get some more chassis' peoples input
Thanks Stu.

[johnny comelately]

Then there is the close cousin, The Mile
But thats a story for another day

[Airshifter]

They sure are a blast to watch in person. Being in southern California as a youngster, they had anything and everything on two wheels. I thought I had seen it all until the first Speedway races we went to. As for tuning them and setting them up, I have no idea. I just want to know how hard it is to keep that throttle pinned and toss it into that first corner!

[johnny comelately]

Cousin Longtrack
100 MPH

[johnny comelately]

A bit more modern, sprint racing at its best

[Stu]

I’ve just relapsed to my 8 year old self and am thoroughly enjoying Speedway again, TV at the moment, but nothing beats in the flesh!!

[johnny comelately]

[Stu]

Chapeau!!