Interesting discussion about wings here and the various benefits. I am sat here loafing on Saturday morning...so here are my thoughts about the race and setups.
For this race I was split between the "obvious" Matra for the speed sections and the sweet handling Brabham. But with just 30 mins to go before qually began, I tried the Mclaren...just for something different I suppose, and found it had possibilities.
Initially I worked on the race setup through qually and although my lap times were respectable with full tanks, I was slipping down the grid. Experience of other races around Daytona has taught me that any incident will usually involve several of the following cars, especially into T1 with the heavy braking zone. So being near the front in the early laps is probably safer if you can be there. I realised that I had to break my normal practice of qualifying on race fuel and go for a true qually run and the best I managed got me up to 5th, but I could not find a convenient tow truck, so it would have to do.
I had 4 matras in front of me on the grid and some pretty quick drivers in each of them!! It was vital that I stayed with them in the early laps and took advantage of that lovely slipstream
I had gone for a compromise setup for the Mclaren with 5.5F and 8.5R wing settings and a high 5th gear to protect the engine in the slipstream. This gave me some very predictable handling around the infield and respectable speed on the banking. I was unsure if I had actually used too much wing because I had not been able to really test my top speed in the slipstream behind a fast Matra in qually. So the first laps would show me if I was wise or foolish
.
The start was OK and I held the inside line around the all important T1, sweating about being collected by someone from behind. The infield section gave me confidence as I easily stayed with the Matras through the twisty bits and we exited on to the banking for the first time. Although I lost a little ground ( I was too far back to get the full tow) I closed up easily under braking at T1.............. ;)That was a huge relief!!
Lap 2 ( I think) and two cars tangled (Ronnie and AA?) on the banking. As they discovered the lack of stability with low wing settings. Incidentally I found that raising the ride height slightly stopped the car bottoming out around the banking and made it much more compliant.
That left me behind Axel's Matra with Tristan setting a cracking pace in the lead. Tris steadily pulled away and I tucked in behind Axel hoping that he would pull us clear of the chasing pack. I reckoned that we needed at least 250mtrs to get clear of the slipstream and prevent cars drafting up behind us, so I did not challenge Axel and let him pull us clear.
During this phase I was pleased to find that if I was correctly placed behind the Matra as we entered the banking, my high 5th gear gave me some potential for a pass as we approached the S/F line......maybe useful info for the final laps
. Each time I backed off and allowed Axel to continue to lead us around and extend our safety cushion.
Then with about 12 laps to go? Tris was suddenly just ahead again..looked like he had gone off and was recovering, so it was a 3 way fight again. A lap later it seems that Tris was making a SnG and that let Axel and myself into 1st/2nd.
With 8 laps to go and a reasonable gap back to a recovering Tris ( who now had full tanks of fuel) I decided to apply some pressure to Axel as I had given him a hassle free race until then
. and I thought he ought to have something to think about for the final laps.
I used the slipstream again to get right under his wing approaching T1 and might have distracted him enough to cause him to go wide. I was through and knew I had half a lap before the banking, and the advantage of my extra wing, to ensure that I had a defendable gap when we got to the fast bit....so I blitzed that section and arrived on the banking with 300mtrs lead....phew!!! Now it was a case of making sure that I had the same gap for the last 6 laps each time I started the fast bit, which meant nailing the infield section without mistakes. This was where I was glad I had given myself the extra wing angles as it made the car very sure footed.
I think I maintained the "safe gap" until the flag and was quite chuffed to have taken on the Matras on a speed circuit in a slower car and stolen the win.
Grats to Axel for the tow
and to Tris for some stunning pace as he pulled away.
Bridgehampton will be a different challenge which will probably need slightly more wing??? lol.
Back to the debate about wings. My thoughts are always that I need a car that is comfortable and predictable first, which usually means I can drive it at 100% if I need to, without getting bitten in the a** by a sudden snap.
For the 69's I tend to setup the handling WITHOUT wings first...looking for mechanical grip ( if there is such a thing!!). A few laps will set a benchmark time for a wing free car.. Then I make a guess about the max wing angles that a circuit might need and do a few more laps, adjusting the balance of wing angles front/rear to preserve the handling balance. Once I feel I have the ratio front/rear of wing angle about right to dial out under/oversteer and give plenty of traction out of the turns, I then save that setup so that I can go back to that baseline if I need to.
I save a second setup where I knock a couple of degrees off both front and rear wings to see if it gains me anything on overall laptimes..especailly at somewhere like Daytona where there are long fast sections. I am not concerned with the max top speed ( although that will help make a pass) but with outright lap times as this will dictate overall race time and position. During each phase I tweak gears to ensure that I am using all of that lovely torque without over revving the engine. Unless I have made some really bizarre guesses en route, I normally have a car that goes well and is driveable.
This method might help some get a handle on the setup of these beasts or it might confuse things even more. I guess everyone has their own methods of achieving their setup but of all the mods I think the 69's repay a methodical setup handsomely because of the extra grip/drag factor of the wings and how they relate to each circuit.