His front left wheel is locked, which is how he manages to make one perfect circle over and over again. If you watch the end of your typical F1 race, the winner almost always does donuts...but every one has to go forward a bit before they start breaking the rear loose.
Not that I blame him for being safe in that thing, at that height!
I think it's not simply that the brake is locked, but pretty likely that it is in fact bolted down somehow. There is ZERO variance in the location, shape, and diameter of the two darkies laid down by the two rear tires, rotation after rotation after rotation. No way that happens with a free-floating front tire, I'm thinking, Coulthard or no.
I noted that this is the Red Bull 'show' car not a race car. It may be tricked out with a 'line lock' that allows the application of pressure to just one front brake which would make doughnuts easy. Drag racers use a line lock to disconnect the rear brakes via a solenoid valve so they can lock the front brakes while spinning the rear tires to get them warmed up.
"I noted that this is the Red Bull 'show' car not a race car. It may be tricked out with a 'line lock' that allows the application of pressure to just one front brake which would make doughnuts easy."
I once sat in the grandstands at Brands Hatch raceway and watched Nigell Mansel do burnouts in a Williams turbo F1 car. He had pulled up in front of the stands after a high speed run, facing the stands. Then he stood on the loud pedal, cranked the wheels over and did many circles- till the front staight was cloaked in smoke, while waving. Great stuff.
Well, he doesn't have to worry about another racer hitting him while he's burning rubber and making smoke, in THAT location!
Ramp or chopper to move the car?
I lost most of my enjoyment of a post race racer melting rubber, in 1989. I was at Laguna Seca USGP when a frustrated racer stopped part way around the track after the checkered flag and spun up his tire right in the middle. Two racers congratulating each other saw him too late. Eddie Lawson missed, Bubba Shobert hit. Shobert never raced again.
The first thing to strike me the very first time I saw an F-1 car IRL was how TINY it was...not much more than a glorified go-cart. Given that he was doing this on the helipad, I'm betting chopper.
I'm also betting there were LOTS of people on the ground wonder just WTH that NOISE was...
Inertia- if he hooks up he just takes his foot off the gas and stays within a few feet of his point of origin. Sure, the engine and tires are rotating very fast, but they are low mass relative to the car. Same reason Kit could drive into the back of that semi-trailer.
His front left wheel is locked, which is how he manages to make one perfect circle over and over again. If you watch the end of your typical F1 race, the winner almost always does donuts...but every one has to go forward a bit before they start breaking the rear loose.
ReplyDeleteNot that I blame him for being safe in that thing, at that height!
I think it's not simply that the brake is locked, but pretty likely that it is in fact bolted down somehow. There is ZERO variance in the location, shape, and diameter of the two darkies laid down by the two rear tires, rotation after rotation after rotation. No way that happens with a free-floating front tire, I'm thinking, Coulthard or no.
ReplyDeleteI see a lot of stupid $#!+ on the internet that tempts me to give it a try, but I can honestly say that I have no desire whatsoever to do that. Ever.
ReplyDeletePretty appropriate for Dubai too. Whole lotta flash, lots of money, dangereous as he'll and no real purpose.
ReplyDeleteEr, Tam, I can't see you up there peeking over the edge of that, standing upright to get a view of the place. I get sweaty palms just thinking of it.
ReplyDeleteYou can see the car moving in a couple of shots.
ReplyDeleteWhere the trick is is that I think a lot of splicing is going on; I don't think the car does more than one or two 360s per take...
I noted that this is the Red Bull 'show' car not a race car. It may be tricked out with a 'line lock' that allows the application of pressure to just one front brake which would make doughnuts easy. Drag racers use a line lock to disconnect the rear brakes via a solenoid valve so they can lock the front brakes while spinning the rear tires to get them warmed up.
ReplyDeleteAl_in_Ottawa
Either that thing is tethered like my old Cox P-51 or that dude is one crazy mofo.
ReplyDeleteAl,
ReplyDelete"I noted that this is the Red Bull 'show' car not a race car. It may be tricked out with a 'line lock' that allows the application of pressure to just one front brake which would make doughnuts easy."
Very likely, I think. :)
I once sat in the grandstands at Brands Hatch raceway and watched Nigell Mansel do burnouts in a Williams turbo F1 car. He had pulled up in front of the stands after a high speed run, facing the stands. Then he stood on the loud pedal, cranked the wheels over and did many circles- till the front staight was cloaked in smoke, while waving. Great stuff.
ReplyDeleteWell, he doesn't have to worry about another racer hitting him while he's burning rubber and making smoke, in THAT location!
ReplyDeleteRamp or chopper to move the car?
I lost most of my enjoyment of a post race racer melting rubber, in 1989. I was at Laguna Seca USGP when a frustrated racer stopped part way around the track after the checkered flag and spun up his tire right in the middle. Two racers congratulating each other saw him too late. Eddie Lawson missed, Bubba Shobert hit. Shobert never raced again.
Major dickmove on Kevin Magee's part. Seeing Bubba lying there sucked all the joy out of that day.
Delete"Ramp or chopper to move the car?"
ReplyDeleteThe first thing to strike me the very first time I saw an F-1 car IRL was how TINY it was...not much more than a glorified go-cart. Given that he was doing this on the helipad, I'm betting chopper.
I'm also betting there were LOTS of people on the ground wonder just WTH that NOISE was...
Inertia- if he hooks up he just takes his foot off the gas and stays within a few feet of his point of origin. Sure, the engine and tires are rotating very fast, but they are low mass relative to the car. Same reason Kit could drive into the back of that semi-trailer.
ReplyDeleteToo weird. Took a shower after my post. Grabbed a long sleeve tee, due to the house being open to dry out the carpet. It was my '89 USGP shirt.
ReplyDeleteSuddenly: traction.
ReplyDelete