The Role Of Weather In Drag Racing – High-powered Funnycar drag cars create a burnout at the Texas Motorplex Funnycar Chaol World Finals in 2022. Pre-run preparation involves coating fresh rubber on the track surface that is still dry from accumulated atmospheric moisture.
When the competition is intense and it’s only a matter of seconds. Considering all aspects of the environment can help increase speed or faster times. Air humidity is one of the environmental factors to consider. It affects both the power of a race car’s engine and its traction.
The Role Of Weather In Drag Racing
Humidity in the air not only affects engine performance. But it also affects how the setup for the race track is managed. Below are some examples of how humidity can affect a racer’s engine and setup.
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Years ago, many motorsports overlooked humidity. Popular air density meters at the time measured only temperature and atmospheric pressure. To determine the air tightness value for adjustment. Now, with the latest weather data sources such as the Kestrel Weather Meter, CrewChiefPro and Air Density Online, humidity data can be more accurately integrated into motorsport tuning.
The burnout of straight racing has resulted in new rubber strips on the track surface that are free from moisture and offer better traction for racing.
Humidity is an indicator of the humidity in the atmosphere. The percentages given in weather reports are influenced by many factors. And it is not always possible to reliably measure the actual humidity in the air. Percentage is not the only measure of atmospheric humidity. But it also fluctuates in temperature and pressure.
Water seeds are another indicator of air humidity. Measuring the number of water beads which is a small mass of water that can float in the air Another indication of humidity is that there are 7,000 pellets in 1 gallon, although ambient temperature and humidity may vary throughout the day of the competition. But water beads tend to remain more stable. That is, the number of water pellets remains more constant from:
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Many tuners rely on water beads to guide tuning decisions. Sometimes instead of percentage humidity, however, air density and altitude density values are used in racing. and is generally derived mathematically using percentage humidity. As a result, humidity is a constant value in various weather sources. for motorsport
Humidity expressed as a percentage gives a good idea of how much moisture in the atmosphere replaces oxygen and other gases. How much is in the atmosphere? As a general rule:
• The higher the percentage of moisture. Less oxygen in the air is burned and there is less horsepower in a racing engine.
• The lower the percentage of moisture. The more oxygen in the atmosphere for combustion and the more horsepower in the engine.
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The actual horsepower effects of humidity changes are quite complex. It depends on whether the racing engine is normally aspirated or supercharged. This depends on the type of fuel used in the race, however, an illustration is provided here assuming a linear relationship with air density. As you can see from the chart above. Humidity affects the density of air and its altitude. This results in an impact on the air/fuel ratio. and engine performance
Density altitude is another tuning tip along with air density that is frequently used by motorsport participants. It is worth noting how much the density altitude is affected by changes in humidity. Horsepower is affected more by changes in humidity at higher temperatures than at lower temperatures. At 80 degrees F, a large change in humidity results in a 2% change in power at lower temperatures. Energy changes only 1% due to changes in humidity.
The effects of moisture on racetrack pavement are not always visible on the surface. Their presence or absence can make a huge difference in a tire’s grip.
Although increased humidity reduces horsepower, But it also affects the adhesion of tires in various ways. Depends on the type of racetrack Increased humidity reduces traction on pavements. However, dirt roads become stickier with increased humidity – traction increases.
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In circle racing Increased humidity can cause a clay race track. Resulting in more adhesion. Less moisture may cause the soil surface to dry out faster. If there is no humidity Dry paths are dusty. and road adhesion will decrease. This often requires water spray from the track crew to keep the track tough. Especially when there is a lot of clay in it.
As a result, maximum performance from a motorsport sports car is complicated by a combination of horsepower management and traction management.
In general, Less humidity results in more traction on the pavement. Humidity is usually lower during the hot part of the day. Usually higher in the morning and evening. Traction is more of an issue in the morning and, in some cases, evening. At many events, the drag strip surface is prepared by a combination of spray-on traction compound and drag stripping. Tires over the race track Recent spray-on adhesive compounds appear to be more resistant to moisture buildup than in the recent past.
This is a 4,000+ horsepower ProMod drag racer that needs all the traction that a track surface can provide from start to finish.
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It has been reported that ProMod drag cars of this type are often able to run on blacktop (tire rotation) throughout the quarter-mile track. If the power level increases beyond 4,500 horsepower, that is possible with the latest blower and fuel system developments. It’s a distinctive feature of a front-heavy engine like this. As a result, most races are reduced to 1/8 mile to maintain top speeds of no more than 200 mph in 1/8 mile. This seems more manageable than the higher speeds that would occur in ¼ distance races. longer miles Even so That’s an incredible feat and a real tuning challenge. Racing morning and night requires consideration of loss of traction from moisture with this level of power and performance.
For example, until recently Sacramento Raceway had good traction on cooler evenings. With track surface temperatures in the low 70s (degrees F), that’s about 10 degrees Fahrenheit higher than the ambient air temperature, which is in the low 60s (degrees F). Humidity in the area began to increase around 40% in the event. A major race where high-powered drag cars run in continuous laps. The vehicle’s strong traction is maintained. This is despite the temperature of the track surface dropping to the low 60 degrees Fahrenheit. The ambient temperature will be 50 degrees Fahrenheit. Continuous laps by consecutive race cars will keep the track dry and provide better traction.
However, if the lap is delayed by more than a few minutes, for example due to the occasional race car being broken/cleaned. Traction is lost when the race returns. Humidity accumulated from the evening helps.
The temperature between the rotating tires and the track surface is hundreds of degrees F, which reduces the moisture on the track surface from the spinning tires that increase traction. That is only possible if the cars are lined up on a rubber track and remain in that track while running.
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The two types of circular tracks are pavement and dirt track. Moreover, track length is also a secondary category. The short ¼ mile circular route has tight turns. Traction is the key to passing the track. Sprint cars float in corners with the outside rear end pushed in by the engine’s power. Tire rotation may be excessive or moderate. Depends on the overall situation That would include the sprint car setup and track conditions as well. The dirt track will be kept moist throughout the race. To make the surface free of dust and more sticky Better traction is the result. Higher humidity results in less engine power but makes the runway surface more sticky. Which is a strange combination.
The oversized rear tires on this World of Outlaws short track car are designed for maximum traction on the dirt at Placerville Speedway, Placerville, CA. The overall combo includes two different tire sizes. Two sides to set the bias to help with turns. Tire pressure is adjusted frequently. The tread grooves have undergone many changes. Stir to create adhesion. The amount of moisture in the clay/dirt affects all of these settings and adjustments. More tire spin may occur as the final race progresses into the evening. This may be a result of the increased power from the cooler temperatures in which the tires spin. It can also be caused by reduced traction from the dusty track surface or moisture on the hard rubber coated grooves that develop around them. Tracks from all rounds of racing cars
The dirt surface builds up a layer of rubber in racing tracks from cars after cars racing around the track on the seasoned surface where a lot of rubber has accumulated. Higher humidity may not be good for that portion of the track surface. Although it might help the surrounding clay/dirt, however, due to the combination of roughness, ruts and bumps that occur during the race. This difference may not be noticeable to anyone other than an experienced racer.
Longer routes such as 1/3 mile and 1/3 mile