Uh, it's a big trike.  Since a fundamental factor in handling is the
relationship of the height of the center of gravity in relation to the track
width, my not-very-humble prediction is that just about the first modification
to result from the first test would be to go to a conventional front end.
Since the back end has all the track width and just about all the
downforce, a  reasonable question might be: How do you get the front tires to work?

The original concept and intention behind the six-wheel Tyrell (with the
very small front tires) was to increase top speed by reducing frontal area,
but it didn't reduce the frontal area because the rear tires were just as
big as  before -- frontal area is not the cross-sectional area of the front of
the car,  but the area of the hypothetical shadow the entire car might cast
on a  wall behind it from a big light in front of it.  So the six-wheeler
didn't  have an advantage in top speed, but it did have an advantage in
front-end grip  because it had more rubber on the pavement at that end of the car.

During about that same time-frame McLaren also built a six-wheeler, but it
had the four tires in the rear and used the "front" tire size all around.
So it actually did have a smaller frontal area (and four-wheel drive, at
that!),  but never was successful.  Probably had some real developmental
problems in  making the drivetrain work, and might also have been heavy.

So, somewhat similarly to the Tyrell, this proposed IRL thing has roughly
the same frontal area of a more conventional car (although it doesn't have
the  drag of the front tires sticking out in the breeze), but dis-similarly
to the  Tyrell, it couldn't be expected to have a benefit in front-end grip
because the front track is so narrow and there is also very little
plan-form  area with which to generate aerodynamic downforce.

Maybe some guy with a computer program can show different but, until then,
I ain't convinced.  But, then, I don't watch the open-wheelers anymore
anyway so, ultimately, I really don't give a shit.

My most memorable moment from watching a fairly recent open-wheel  race was
when Dario Franchitti won at Indy in the rain and his charming  wife took
off her stiletto heels and, carrying them by their straps with a  couple of
her fingers, walked barefoot and wonderfully soaking wet down the  length of
pit lane, in a pouring rainstorm, her little summer dress clinging to  her
magnificent self.

Now that was an open-wheel moment.

Over and out --

Uncle Don Fuller


Sounds like my early 1970's student Don Fuller. You get an A Don :)

BTW Csaba, congratulations on your new TV gig. Looks like you have
an uphill battle on your hands :)

http://www.cnbc.com/id/15840232?video=1409924763&play=1


Paul Lamar


Is that the new Batmobile? I heard he got rid of Robin, so all he
needs is a single seater.

Brian Trube