Quote:
Originally Posted by Nick Koske  Good point...I suppose without knowing whether or not there's a negative pressure in the air box it's hard to make the determination whether or not there's an advantage. I would have to say that at WOT (wide open throttle) with the car's velocity at zero there has to be a negative pressure in the air box (that's just physics, air/fluid flow happens across a pressure differentials). Now it's possible that at some time during acceleration there becomes a switch to positive pressure, due to the velocity of the air entering the restrictor. If the Air box pressure was ever positive then a leak would be detrimental from the power aspect. I would have to guess there would be an advantage on slow corners when the velocity of the air stream presented to the restrictor are lowest and the air box most likely has a negative pressure. Whether or not the air box pressure becomes positive and at what speed it may or may not occur is unknown, at least to me.
But when you hear stories like the C6.R could make 900ish HP to try and compete with a LMP1, I've got to think these engines are choked down quite a bit and always have a negative air box pressure.
By no means do I think Fernandez racing tried to cheat...they knew they'd have to pass the test after the race. Just an unfortunate casualty of the track know as Sebring.  |
Even with the massive power that can be developed with the LS7 at full song when the engine is restricted to meet the rules you want to have as positive a charge on the air inlet as possible within said rules to create the best air fuel mix you can get to optimize the combustion burn. Everything is optimized to the max cfm that can be had through the restrictor in mapping the ecu.