It is true that the duty cycle on race car engines is generally not as severe as one would find for one in aircraft use. However, it has been my experience that in amature racing, that overhauls are more an annual job than a biweekly job. Yes the pros plug in engines faster and more often than you can change your socks.
But that is for equipment operating at the very edge of the envelope. The driver (money) and I went to rotaries years ago because of cost. Forced upon us by ignorant people writing stupid rules, like, "no aftermarket rods (to keep cost down)". So we can explode 7 engines per year at $2,000.00 each instead of buying one set of real racing rods for $900.00 and running the same engine for years at a time.

If I were having problems at 6,500 RPMs, I would look to somebody for help who is succeeding at 9,400 RPMs.
As to race cars needing torque at low RPMs. You will notice that most Mazdas are towed to the false grid with an assortment of vehicles, rather than driven.
The Tilton clutches are expensive and short lived. Race cars (real race cars) have usable first gears. Usable on the track that is, good for 60 MPH or so, and useless for starting from a standstill. My engine has good power from 7,500 to 9,500 RPMs. It has nothing at all torque wise around 2,000 RPMs. In fact it idles at 2,000 RPMs. Take the Datsun out and start it off in third gear for a week and see if there is a clutch in it when you are done.

If any installation can maintain water and oil temps and lubricate the apex seals, there is little that can stop it from it's apointed rounds.

Lynn E. Hanover

 
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