I just watched the Aussi Grand Prix practice on the
Speed Channel.
That is the dumbest rear wing ever mounted on a race car.
It is near pure drag. A total waste of fuel. Really stupid.
They should of used a piece of plywood mounted perpendicular
to the air stream. It would have done as well.
Paul Lamar
I agree...the whole car is an excercise in ugly...
Ron
Congratulations to the Honda engineers for wining the Australian
Gran Prix first and second. Now called the Brawn team. Congratulations
to the drivers as well.
The Mercedes engine must have been the key as they did so poorly last year
with the Honda engine. I always thought Honda was very good when it came
to engines. Either that or the 2009 Honda car is a great leap forward.
The only passing that I saw was when the mandatory extra soft tires
went away after a couple of hot laps. That also led to a crash or
two IMHO. Time will tell if the rear wing will help passing. I doubt
it.
The low wide front wing is too vulnerable so they
need to mount one up high on the front of the car feeding the loads
directly into the hub carriers like we did on Ron Grable's car
at Mid Ohio. That would allow a conventional, more streamlined and better
looking nose. I had no trouble designing, manufacturing and making suspension
mounted wings work on dozens of race cars back in the early 1970's. The current
Formula 1 engineers can do it too. I'll help if they ask. The car will ride
and corner better over the bumps with softer springs. They have got to get
rid of that silly rear wing.
The first two pictures are of Ron's car after we were forced to mount
the wings on the chassis. The third picture is of Ron sitting on the left front
tire with the high mounted front wing to his right. Sorry Ron about your
head being cut off but the picture was damaged somehow. These are all
I have. Do you have any better pictures you can scan and send me?
Paul Lamar
Dear Paul:
I am worried when I see photographs of the high-mounted front wing on Ron's car.
Especially if the front wing changed its angle of attack (a planned, not unplanned,
change), would it not block the driver's view forward? Even though that might
have shielded the drivers in the Australian Grand Prix from the setting sun,
it might block their view of Andrea De Caeseris Jr., crashing his car right
in front of them (a little Formula 1 humor there). :-)
Does the high-mounted wing block the driver's view?
Les Nordman :-)
No worries mate. He could see under it fine. It is about 2 feet above the body.
No problem. Right Ron? :) Ron qualified 2nd behind Sam Posey in a field
of 33 cars as I recall. Most of the Lola's, which was about half the field,
had my rear wings on them. Sam had the latest 13 inch dia. wheel Surtees TS8
and everyone else was running 15". David Hobbs was in this race with a McLaren.
Here is a picture of me adjusting one of my wings taken by Pete Lyons.
The program cover picture is of John Cannon talking to Stirling Moss.
John died in a VariEze crash after departing SZP.
This appears to be the over all results for several years and Ron
won his share of races.
http://jpgleize.club.fr/gp/us5mod.htm
I think there may be a mistake or two as it shows Ron in a Lola
and he may have been driving the American at the time.
Here is a movie of a Formula A race In St. Jovite 1969 with
a lot of my suspension mounted rear wings.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-xiuXp1UwSM&feature=related
Paul Lamar
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