10 replies to this topic

[HistoryFan]

In Boss GP there is one old Panoz ChampCar driving.

 

But are there more races with old IndyCar race cars?

What happens to them?

[Thundersports]

Cars running Methanol fuel have been banned by the FIA in Europe circuit racing.

[sblick]

They are raced a lot in vintage races here in the states

[racinggeek]

How "old?" If you want "really, really old," the annual Millers at Milwaukee event is great (although this year, it's the same weekend as IndyCar at Road America, an hour up the highway -- sheesh  ). Held at the Milwaukee Mile on the Wisconsin State Fair grounds, t's mainly meant to celebrate and honor the Miller Indy cars of the 1920s and '30s, along with front-engine Offy-powered dirt cars and roadsters of the 1940s-60s, but a handful of racers from the 1910s usually show up with some midgets and sprint cars of the aforementioned periods. A few years ago, the gentleman with the Blitzen Benz re-creation showed up and took laps, for example.

 

Now, it's not a race; the cars just lap at whatever speeds they dare in appropriate groups; some of them won't hit the track; and many of the cars are re-creations instead of originals. But you usually aren't going to see a variety of Millers and Offies like this. Plus, there usually are a few knockout vintage street or race cars prowling the paddock.

 

At the July vintage shindig at Road America, a couple of Indy Cars from the 1970s to today usually show up each year. The more recent, Cosworth-powered ones usually still have their Cosworths in back, but quite a few seem to run with stock blocks in place of whatever they had before, especially the older ones. 

 

Hope that helps.

[HistoryFan]

cars from the 90s and 00s for example

[Thundersports]

Take a look here http://www.canamcarsltd.com/ big choice of cars!

[Eaglenindy]

cars from the 90s and 00s for example

There are few 90's CART Lolas and Reynards with Buicks, Menard, Cosworth XB and Chevy Ilmore 265A engines.  The engine companies (Honda, Ilmore, Toyota and Cosworth) kept the later versions of motors and didn't release them to collectors.  In the IRL, the Menards, Buicks and Oldsmobile engines are available as are the cars.  The 2nd Gen IRL  engines were kept by the factories.  Some were destroyed by the factories so their technology wouldn't get out.  At least that's their excuse for not selling the old motors

 

Cosworth owned all the engines for the CCWS Panos and only a few have been sold.   

 

So basically, you don't see many 90's and 2000+ era cars in the historics

Edited by Eaglenindy, 12 June 2016 - 01:40.

[Peter Morley]

In Boss GP there is one old Panoz ChampCar driving.

 

But are there more races with old IndyCar race cars?

What happens to them?

 

There are a few in France that are raced or demonstrated occasionally - not sure in what events but presumably things like Formula XL (or whatever the series is called).

Someone worked out that they offer considerably better value for money than DFV F1 cars and imported a few from the States.

 

 

Cars running Methanol fuel have been banned by the FIA in Europe circuit racing.

 

Is this just for more recent cars? We haven't had a problem running the 1955 Connaught on methanol.

 

Banning methanol is pretty daft, given it is apparently marginally better for the environment and much easier to deal with fires (bucket of water) and if they are worried about invisible flames they just have to add a drop of petrol or something else to colour them.

It is a pain cleaning it out of the fuel system after races though!!

[Charlieman]

Banning methanol is pretty daft, given it is apparently marginally better for the environment and much easier to deal with fires (bucket of water) and if they are worried about invisible flames they just have to add a drop of petrol or something else to colour them.

It is a pain cleaning it out of the fuel system after races though!!

Who would have thought it was more difficult than placing an orange spot on the side of the car if it uses methanol or dope.

[Patrick Morgan]

I'm sure you could race a 1990's spec car but it would require serious dedication. One of the problems with running these cars for example is heat / heat soak. Contrary to popular belief Indycars of the era are much tighter packaged than their F1 counterparts due to the ducting of the coolers and the drive to get the underwing centre section as high as possible, something that's not a factor in an F1 car until the last foot or so of the floor. The gap between the underwing and sidepod in this area is about 8" though which you have to run the exhausts, wastegates, wastegate control lines, clutch cooling ducts (on some cars), gearbox oil lines and the wiring loom. There also tends to be the odd bit of suspension in there too! It's all very tight. 

 

As a result, once you start the engine with the bodywork fitted the water temp climbs very quickly. I can't see standing starts with any sizeable grid being an option for example. The added problem is vapor locking in the fuel rail once the engine is switched off and goes into heat soak. You can easily get into the situation where the engine won't restart until the rail has cooled down. So any sort of fumble with say an aborted start can cause all sorts of issues if you can't get cooling fans etc. on fast enough.

 

Methanol is fine to work with provided you are disciplined with it, as Peter pointed out you have to flush the fuel system at the end of every weekend as it does have a voracious appetite for o'rings, injectors and any aluminium that's not been anodised. It also forms a white gunk that's good for blocking fuel pressure regulators, injectors and anything else. 

Edited by Patrick Morgan, 17 June 2016 - 09:23.

[Tom Glowacki]

Ryan Falconer has some old Ilmor Chevies, supposedly tamed for the street:

 

http://falconerengin...l_street_v8.php