New vs Old times

[Hawke]

Having just moved house, I have had the pleasure of finding some old magazines.

One in particular had an article from 1976 on a Formula Ford race at Oran Park (Australia). The best time was 1:23 and was set Richard Carter who went on to be Australian Champion. One of the other cars (Mawer 004) did a 1:24.

Today, I have done a 1:18 (in my 1974 Hawke) and that same Mawer has done a 1:15, both with drivers who are older than the cars.

I dont think the track has got any shorter, and today we use Dunlops, and the engines havent changed. Up to 8 seconds a lap is some improvement.

Anyone else seen things like this?

[R. Pare]

Pretty standard fare across the board in racing. The improvements are primarily shocks and tires, coupled with everyone now having a better understanding about setups.

[s800racer]

The tracks get faster as well. New paving with better, smoother surfaces offer more grips. Repaved tracks are often a bit wider, have more friendly curbing at apex and exit.

[Roger Eade]

They are better prepared than back in the old days as well.
Roger

[Roger Eade]

Mr Hawke you should bring you and your car across the ditch for the Southern Festival Of Speed in Feb next year.
Roger

[Jonathan Hirst]

At Mosport, the fastest Fromula Fords in the late 70's were doing 1:30's. By the late nineties/2000's, the best time has only dropped about 2.5 seconds to a mid 1:27.

This is after track repaving and widening. They were on slicks in the 70's and now we are running Dunlops but I think the slick shod Fords of a few years back (SCCA National guys) weren't much faster than that. Brian Graham might have a better recollection.

It makes sense that for the higher speed tracks the tire / chassis improvements have less influence, but I would have thought the aero development would have resulted in more?


Jonathan