Aaron. The other drivers are blown away by the effort that Simon has gone to to build it. No other Formula Vee of Simon's competitors has one. There have been a few attempts at diffusers over the years, (nothing like as large as Simon's) but they seem to fade away over time. Great video. Simon gives a great impression of what it is like to drive a Vee, and the work involved to keep it racing.
There are lots of reasons (and I am sure Simon would agree).Engine power (our cars a carburetted, so power can change from hour to hour). Very few people know how to tune carburetted racing engines these days to keep them at optimum every raceChassis set up (to optimise the undertray) - spring/damper settings, ride height and rake settings, tyre condition, driver adaption. This was Simon's first race meeting with the undertray, so had not done any serious chassis optimising, and maybe a different driving style could be faster again. Downforce to drag ratio - The undertray must increase drag, so the undertray will be better for slower tracks with more corners. His undertray may still be producing too much drag for this track.Finally, note that Simon said his engine temperatures were around 120C. This is extremely high, and will reduce power. The undertray could be the major cause of the high temperatures because it could be blocking the heated cooling air from escaping from around the underside of the engine. I have found this years ago with small versions of an undertray.
Hi mate, great report, very professional. Great effort with the under trail. I race a Subaru Liberty rs turbo with the Impreza Wrx club of Victoria and I know how rewarding it is to analise results after any change made in the car. In regarding to the overheating issue, you might want to have a look at the Formula Vee cars raced in Brasil. Over there, they run an oil cooler over the engine cover, similar to a "duck wing" used in some VW beetles. They also run 2 carbs with 2 small intake manifolds in each side of the engine, similar to the set up used in the VW type 2. Some cars run a scoop on each side of the cockpit directing air into the carbs and engine bay. If you type "formula Vee interlagos" on UA-cam you will see few set ups. Although its a different language, you will be able to get the idea but, if you need any help with the translation, Im more than happy to help you out. I shared this video with the racers in Brasil and Im pretty sure you will get requests for the under trails. Good Luck
Are you allowed to use active aero in Formula Vee? You could open some flaps in the undertray to reduce drag in the straights. Possibly connected to the brake pedal so it engages full downforce when braking.
Great on board cameras! I mean, really cool angles, 360, foot cam... better than the F1 broadcast man! Good to hear you're happy with the undertray, though it seems to really hurt you on the straight,...but as you said, you just have to keep developing the car =)
I've read something about it being mounted in front of the halo, so despite being 360 there might still a big dead zone when it's pointing backwards. I hope we get to see the driver or something... F1 has still a lot to learn from NASCAR and IndyCar broadcasts I think...
I really enjoy your series, thanks for all the effort you've gone to! I race in the Toyota 86 racing series, not particularly well. I had some thoughts for you. Looking at those speed/distance graphs, you might find that your technique changes to take advantage of the mid corner grip, your braking, lines and throttle application can all be subtly different, it may take a while to come to understand how to drive the car. Pick three corners (the whole circuit is usually too much all at once) and carefully assess them both with vision and data, make a plan for a trial of just one change of technique for each corner and give it a try during a session. Come back, review the data and try and assess the changes. You should be able to affect the delta fairly easily, and learn from the changes. Sometimes it takes a few sessions to really be able with a change in technique and for the data to be meaning full. I have found driver training to be massively valuable, it might seem expensive without something tangible, but the the nut that makes the biggest difference to performance of the car, is you! There's lots really useful information out there, and lots of stuff that seems to be bs. Enjoy my friend! Hopefully catch you out there one day!
Was thinking the same thing. Improvement can be seen in the corners, but is struggling on the straights with too much drag. Possibly a bit of drag reduction to get a middle ground.
Enjoyed watching your season unfold. Hope you give us some off-season car updates even though you aren't racing. Also, did you sort out the overheating motor issue?
What sort of mass do you come in at with the undertray in race condition (but without ballast)? Looks great dude- can't wait for the next seasons videos.
The tray was... I think about 20 kg from memory. I had to remove all the ballast to be 515kg (minimum race weight) but I was right on the correct weight so it was good. I'm not racing this year I'm afraid, I'm working overseas in Europe. Another driver is racing the car though, so if you're in NSW you could still see it race.
I'm actually in Ireland at the moment. The formula Vee rules over here have a minimum weight (with driver) of 485kg (385 for the wet chassis without driver). Like Australia, there is a tiny bit of wiggle room for aero, although no-one I know of runs an undertray (yet ;-) ). It may be a bit of a squeeze to fit it in and stay on the minimum, but it should be do-able. Best of luck with the job. Are you working with a racing team?
Yeah I worked to the mass limit, I could have cut it down if it were necessary. I had a quick look at the UK Formula Vee rules to see whether my car would comply, but there were some fundamental differences that I couldn't overcome. If it complied I'd have brought it across with me. I'm living in London at the moment but will move across to the continent before brexit. I'm working for an Australian technology company that has some projects over in Europe related to carbon capture and energy storage. I enjoyed making this car and racing it but it's more of a hobby for me, my professional interests are elsewhere.
The drag wasn't the whole story, my engine has done one and a half seasons while most of my competitors had a fresh engine for the National Challenge which was last weekend. I think with equal power the advantage of the tray would be much more clear cut.
I think that the fact you were 2nd in free air qualification proves the effectiveness of your aerodynamic work. Your laps behind other vehicles is more hampered by the driver of the car than losing aero efficency behind them. You see this in all motor sport, a quicker car being held back by a good driver using all the road, especially in racing where engine power is restricted. You're on the right track and maybe just need to adjust your style to the new aero package. Great work. I love this series. Please keep reporting over your off season.
Thanks. The engine is being checked at the moment and I'm told it is VERY tired, I'm quietly confident that with a fresh engine the tray could come into its own.
Fantastic channel just stumbled upon it looking for homemade cars . . I feel the vehicle would have been faster if it were designed out of aluminum and was built using a different power-train. If you could have had access to two 500cc two-stroke engines (or any big two stroke for that matter ) ran a smaller wheel, and worked more on the aerodynamic design you would have blown past all these guys in a heartbeat. This is of course if it is allowed to use a two stroke, aluminum chassied car. .
If you want to see something like what your describing its called f500/600 here in the USA. Run by the SCCA they use 500-600cc snowmobile and motorcycle engines and can run with limited aero, I'm working on designing my own and running an older car for my first season to see how it feels.
Absolutely love the 360 degree camera and the heel and two cam too. Really add to the videos
Great analysis of the tradeoffs when you choose to run aero like you're doing. Keep it up and I think this approach could really pay off!
Yes! I have been waiting to hear how the floor worked out.
Keep it up bud. Best Matt.
YEEEEES!! omg never stop making these!!! ;D
What do the other drivers think of the under-tray? Are you the only person who uses one?
Aaron. The other drivers are blown away by the effort that Simon has gone to to build it. No other Formula Vee of Simon's competitors has one. There have been a few attempts at diffusers over the years, (nothing like as large as Simon's) but they seem to fade away over time. Great video. Simon gives a great impression of what it is like to drive a Vee, and the work involved to keep it racing.
Ray Filetti so why isn't he the fastest with so much downforce?
There are lots of reasons (and I am sure Simon would agree).Engine power (our cars a carburetted, so power can change from hour to hour). Very few people know how to tune carburetted racing engines these days to keep them at optimum every raceChassis set up (to optimise the undertray) - spring/damper settings, ride height and rake settings, tyre condition, driver adaption. This was Simon's first race meeting with the undertray, so had not done any serious chassis optimising, and maybe a different driving style could be faster again. Downforce to drag ratio - The undertray must increase drag, so the undertray will be better for slower tracks with more corners. His undertray may still be producing too much drag for this track.Finally, note that Simon said his engine temperatures were around 120C. This is extremely high, and will reduce power. The undertray could be the major cause of the high temperatures because it could be blocking the heated cooling air from escaping from around the underside of the engine. I have found this years ago with small versions of an undertray.
I need more of your videosssssss!!!
Hi mate, great report, very professional. Great effort with the under trail. I race a Subaru Liberty rs turbo with the Impreza Wrx club of Victoria and I know how rewarding it is to analise results after any change made in the car. In regarding to the overheating issue, you might want to have a look at the Formula Vee cars raced in Brasil. Over there, they run an oil cooler over the engine cover, similar to a "duck wing" used in some VW beetles. They also run 2 carbs with 2 small intake manifolds in each side of the engine, similar to the set up used in the VW type 2. Some cars run a scoop on each side of the cockpit directing air into the carbs and engine bay. If you type "formula Vee interlagos" on UA-cam you will see few set ups. Although its a different language, you will be able to get the idea but, if you need any help with the translation, Im more than happy to help you out. I shared this video with the racers in Brasil and Im pretty sure you will get requests for the under trails. Good Luck
The car looks so awesome now :3 well done
Are you allowed to use active aero in Formula Vee? You could open some flaps in the undertray to reduce drag in the straights. Possibly connected to the brake pedal so it engages full downforce when braking.
No actively moveable aerodynamic items are allowed. Just like in F1. (Except DRS)
iLaurock kind of like drs ;)
Awesome video, car, and undercut!!!
Great videos! I'd like to see the delta trace in the data analysis though.
honestly it doesn't matter how well it works or how effective it is, because in the end it looks absolutely incredible.
Love these videos, can't wait for the next season of races :)
Love your commentary. Very informative .
how are those racing videos nsfw? !!! gotta love that effort, and this channel. big up simon once again! i hope to see some next season races :)
NSW not nsfw
Nsw stands for New South Wales
congrats on front row! great video
Great on board cameras! I mean, really cool angles, 360, foot cam... better than the F1 broadcast man!
Good to hear you're happy with the undertray, though it seems to really hurt you on the straight,...but as you said, you just have to keep developing the car =)
Thanks. I heard recently they are going to be attaching 360 cams to the cars next year. Perhaps they will try something similar?
I've read something about it being mounted in front of the halo, so despite being 360 there might still a big dead zone when it's pointing backwards. I hope we get to see the driver or something... F1 has still a lot to learn from NASCAR and IndyCar broadcasts I think...
I really enjoy your series, thanks for all the effort you've gone to! I race in the Toyota 86 racing series, not particularly well. I had some thoughts for you. Looking at those speed/distance graphs, you might find that your technique changes to take advantage of the mid corner grip, your braking, lines and throttle application can all be subtly different, it may take a while to come to understand how to drive the car. Pick three corners (the whole circuit is usually too much all at once) and carefully assess them both with vision and data, make a plan for a trial of just one change of technique for each corner and give it a try during a session. Come back, review the data and try and assess the changes. You should be able to affect the delta fairly easily, and learn from the changes. Sometimes it takes a few sessions to really be able with a change in technique and for the data to be meaning full. I have found driver training to be massively valuable, it might seem expensive without something tangible, but the the nut that makes the biggest difference to performance of the car, is you! There's lots really useful information out there, and lots of stuff that seems to be bs. Enjoy my friend! Hopefully catch you out there one day!
The 360deg camera is awesome
Just found this. What kind of race car is this?
Australian Formula Vee.
congrats on the double 4th.
In the US, SCCA has flat floor regs to prevent this kind of aero development.
Great update! What is your plan for the car during the inter-season?
What's next for the car? Engine upgrade?
Not happening
Regulations
keep wrenching on that thing, i'm sure you'll be on top of that podium sooner rather than later
I guess now something that you can do is develop a drs so that youll be able to pass people in the straits.
Was thinking the same thing. Improvement can be seen in the corners, but is struggling on the straights with too much drag. Possibly a bit of drag reduction to get a middle ground.
Enjoyed watching your season unfold. Hope you give us some off-season car updates even though you aren't racing.
Also, did you sort out the overheating motor issue?
under tray is not finished...u still need the front wheel fenders
What sort of mass do you come in at with the undertray in race condition (but without ballast)? Looks great dude- can't wait for the next seasons videos.
The tray was... I think about 20 kg from memory. I had to remove all the ballast to be 515kg (minimum race weight) but I was right on the correct weight so it was good. I'm not racing this year I'm afraid, I'm working overseas in Europe. Another driver is racing the car though, so if you're in NSW you could still see it race.
I'm actually in Ireland at the moment. The formula Vee rules over here have a minimum weight (with driver) of 485kg (385 for the wet chassis without driver). Like Australia, there is a tiny bit of wiggle room for aero, although no-one I know of runs an undertray (yet ;-) ). It may be a bit of a squeeze to fit it in and stay on the minimum, but it should be do-able.
Best of luck with the job. Are you working with a racing team?
Yeah I worked to the mass limit, I could have cut it down if it were necessary. I had a quick look at the UK Formula Vee rules to see whether my car would comply, but there were some fundamental differences that I couldn't overcome. If it complied I'd have brought it across with me. I'm living in London at the moment but will move across to the continent before brexit. I'm working for an Australian technology company that has some projects over in Europe related to carbon capture and energy storage. I enjoyed making this car and racing it but it's more of a hobby for me, my professional interests are elsewhere.
How much would you say racing has cost you so far?
Enjoyed watching your videos.. I really need to master Solidworks! Are you able to share what you estimate the build price being?
~20k for the car, ~35k (AUD) overall including tools and trailer.
ThomsenMotorsport thanks for your reply! Good luck racing.
I thought the rules in formula vee prohibited the use of aerodymanics?
Not in Australia, unless things have changed since I raced
"They disappeared by themselves pretty quickly" 🤣
Wich master cylinders are you using?
How much does it cost for THe build
Roughly 25k AUD.
Add a double-diffuser. 2009 world champion team Brawn GP used that for more downforce
what telemetri do you use amazin job amazing car
Thanks. I've got an AIM Mychron on the car and use race studio to review the data.
Why you are losing so hard on straight line? Undertray alone shouldnt make this difference I think since drag wasnt that huge
The drag wasn't the whole story, my engine has done one and a half seasons while most of my competitors had a fresh engine for the National Challenge which was last weekend. I think with equal power the advantage of the tray would be much more clear cut.
What happened to the engine? Why did it overheat? Does it point to an engine problem, or was it just too hot that day?
Love the videos by the way, keep em comming!
I think that the fact you were 2nd in free air qualification proves the effectiveness of your aerodynamic work. Your laps behind other vehicles is more hampered by the driver of the car than losing aero efficency behind them. You see this in all motor sport, a quicker car being held back by a good driver using all the road, especially in racing where engine power is restricted. You're on the right track and maybe just need to adjust your style to the new aero package. Great work. I love this series. Please keep reporting over your off season.
Thanks. The engine is being checked at the moment and I'm told it is VERY tired, I'm quietly confident that with a fresh engine the tray could come into its own.
I feel you just need to add the airo in-front of the front wheels and you need a brand new engine
Gud luck
Rebuild the engine would make a nice series
does your car have traction control?
이동오 I'm guessing, no.
Now you have to make it more efficiënt with drag
It looks like if you could get free air in qualifying and set a pole position, no one would catch you.
Please restart your serie! Obviously when it's safe for you
Much more tight and interesting than f1
Get some engine tuning done that may help a lot and get you on podium
Fantastic channel just stumbled upon it looking for homemade cars . . I feel the vehicle would have been faster if it were designed out of aluminum and was built using a different power-train. If you could have had access to two 500cc two-stroke engines (or any big two stroke for that matter ) ran a smaller wheel, and worked more on the aerodynamic design you would have blown past all these guys in a heartbeat. This is of course if it is allowed to use a two stroke, aluminum chassied car. .
It wouldn't comply with Formula Vee regulations, which would have defeated the purpose for me.
ThomsenMotorsport wow that sucks xD.
Well again, it would defeat the purpose if the car didn't comply with a categories regulations. I wanted to race, not just have a fast car.
@@thomsenmotorsport7201 I know, just blows they would limit it to a certain type of engine
If you want to see something like what your describing its called f500/600 here in the USA. Run by the SCCA they use 500-600cc snowmobile and motorcycle engines and can run with limited aero, I'm working on designing my own and running an older car for my first season to see how it feels.