Click
& Clack Talk Cars
By Tom and Ray MagliozziDear Tom and Ray:
I know that lugging the engine
is bad, and I know how to avoid it. But what IS
it, really? What causes that pinging or clunking
noise? Is the crankshaft bouncing up and down? Is
there detonation in the combustion chambers? -
Randy
RAY: Good question, Randy. Most
of the noise comes from mistimed explosions in
the cylinders - which is called
"detonation" or "pinging."
TOM: When you lug the engine -
when you try to accelerate in too high a gear -
you make the engine work harder than its
supposed to. Just like you would work harder than
youre supposed to if you rode your bicycle
up a steep hill in 21st gear - as opposed to
first gear.
RAY: When the engine is
overworked, it overheats. The way it overheats is
that the temperature inside the engines gets too
high. When that happens, the gasoline-and-air
mixture - which is supposed to detonate when the
spark plug fires - detonates unpredictably at
other times, too. Thats called pinging -
when those extra detonations make a sound like
marbles rolling around in a coffee can.
TOM: And under the worst of
circumstances, you can also get piston slap,
which is a "clunky" noise. Because you
are getting uneven combustion inside the cylinder
(the detonation doesnt necessarily happen
at the right time or in the right spot), the
explosion can force the piston off to one side
when it descends during the power stroke. When
that happens repeatedly, the cylinder walls get
all scraped up, and over time, your car turns
into the proverbial oil-burning heap.
RAY: Also see: "Any car
ever owned by my brother."
RACING
By Greg Zyla
A Look Ahead at
2006 from ARCA to Outlaws
As we move into
the 2006 season, lets look at some of the
major series:
ARCA Stock Cars:
Ive always respected the efforts of ARCA,
which is one of the countrys oldest
sanctioning bodies. Youll see drivers
competing on everything from superspeedways to
3/8-mile bullrings. Big races at Talladega,
Pocono and Daytona give spectators a chance to
see ARCA regulars run with up-and-coming NASCAR
racers.
Hooters Pro Cup:
Theres no better place to start your
stock-car career. With the likes of Rusty
Wallaces son and other big-name drivers
running in Hooters, this series continues to grow
and now replaces the defunct ASA as the best
short-track stock-car series in America.
NASCAR: If
its not broke, dont fix it. I know
there are detractors out there, but Im sure
glad NASCAR has run things the way it has and
continues to do so. Its the biggest sport
out there, with lots of big-money sponsors, great
crowds, tremendous TV ratings, great drivers and
exciting racing. Take a bow, NASCAR, for all of
the classes of racing your organization presents,
from Nextel Cup to the Dodge Weekly Series.
NHRA Drag Racing:
Another great year to look forward to, with full
fields of pro drivers at each event. The
television is better than ever, attendance is
good, and corporate America knows its one
of the best buys out there. For $3 million to $4
million a year, you can have a Top Fuel or Funny
Car team. Thats about $10 million less than
Nextel Cup. To all those readers who have yet to
see a 4-second, 330-mph fuel run, you wont
soon forget it, as television does it no justice.
Youve got to see it to believe it.
As for Pro Mod,
Id still like to see them run at every
event as a full-fledged Pro attraction. But
dont hold your breath.
USAC: USAC
continues to field some of the best non-winged
open-wheel racing anywhere, especially the
Midgets, Sprints and Silver Crown (big cars). I
remember when they had a national Indy car and
stock-car series, but those days are long gone.
Still, USAC open-wheel racing is top class.
World Of Outlaws:
Thank goodness the takeover by the now-defunct
National Sprint Car League failed. The 2006
season will feature lots of races, but where will
some of the racers who supposedly aligned with
NLS go now? Well wait and see, but if it
were me and I was running the Outlaws, Id
welcome all the defectors back into the fold with
open arms and come to some sort of agreement on
tow money and things like that for the overall
good of the sport.
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