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ARPlogo_White_2013.tif ARPlogo_Black_2013.bmp Click the paper clip ARPlogo_White_2013.bmp ARPlogo_Black_2013.png to view and save them to ARPlogo_White_2013.png The leadingyour computer. motorsport technology publication since 1990 ARP CMYK Colors 3 C: 10 C: 100 C: 100 Y: 100 Y: 0 Y: 0 M: 100 M: 20 M: 0 Volume 25 Volume K: 0 K: 0 K: 0 ARP Pantone Colors Pantone 485 C Pantone Process Blue Coated Pantone Yellow Coated Updated: March 14, 2013 25YEARS OF INSIGHT March 2015 • Vol 25 No3 • www.racecar-engineering.com • UK £5.95 • US $14.50 9 7 7 0 9 6 1 1 0 9 1 Godzilla returns 0 4 Full technical analysis of 0 3 Camaro Z/28.R Camaro Nissan’s Le Mans prototype Nissan GT-R LM NISMO Nissan GT-R NASCAR engine development March 2015 Camaro Z/28.R NASCAR engines Ken Block Ford GM’s Pirelli World Challenge Optimising an American V8 Under the skin of the latest muscle car under the spotlight using the latest technology extreme Mustang pony car RCE March Cover_logos.indd 1 29/01/2015 18:03 NEW The Dry Sump Vacuum Race Hose ProPLUS Xtreme A high flowing, smooth bore, PTFE tube with external convolutions for flexibility. 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[email protected] tel 562 861 4765 fax 562 861 5503 ® EUROPE JLS Motorsport [email protected] tel 44 (0) 121 525 5800 fax 44 (0) 121 525 4833 THE XTREME IN RACECAR PLUMBING Untitled-89 1 08/10/2014 14:08 CONTENTS – MARCH 2015 – Volume 25 Number 3 COVER STORY BUSINESS NEWS & PEOPLE 8 Nissan GT-R LM 76 Industry News First look at the innovative and brave new design from Nissan New Superlicence system could hurt race teams; Audi invests heavily; engines and emerging markets a priority COLUMNS 84 Racecar People Michel Nandan talks Hyundai motorsport; Williams reshuffle 5 Ricardo Divila Getting to a race can be a trucking nightmare 88 Products Stuff from the shows that we think you should know about 7 Mike Blanchet Meeting deadlines is not just an in-season gig 90 Autosport International Show Europe’s premier racing car show in words and pictures 98 Bump Stop FEATURES 16 HPD ARX-04b First look at the new LMP2 challenger that debuted at Daytona 22 Toyota Yaris Japanese manufacturer’s weapon for WRC return 24 Cadillac ATS-V.R GT3 challenger from America’s global manufacturer 31 Camaro Z/28.R American muscle car tackling the Continental Challenge 34 Ford Mustang Ken Block’s latest Ford gets the once-over TECHNICAL 43 Consultant Anti-dive, anti-squat. Hills. Mud. 47 Databytes Pulse width modulation, what it is for and how to use it 51 Aerobytes Another instalment of our session with the BTCC Mercedes 54 NASCAR CFD Continuing NASCAR’s quest to understand its cars 61 Fuels Gemma Hatton looks at bio-fuels 67 Danny Nowlan Our setup sensation looks at dampers this month 72 Technical update Chris Eyre looks at the latest changes to the VW Polo WRC Peugeot tackled the Dakar Rally. See REV24N12 for full details of the car Mini won the event. Subscribe to Racecar Engineering – find the best offers online www.racecar-engineering.com Contact us with your comments and views on @RacecarEd or on Facebook.com/RacecarEngineering MARCH 2015 www.racecar-engineering.com 3 Contents March_01 STAC.indd 3 27/01/2015 14:18 Untitled-16 1 30/01/2015 11:18 STRAIGHT TALK – RICARDO DIVILA Keep on trucking Remembering transport troubles back in the days when racing was simpler...or was it? reparing and fettling racing cars takes a The twin-axles of the Duple gave us a very As the head was examined in a lay-by on the A6, lot of time and energy, but there is always good turn-in and good handling, which wasn’t somewhere south of Paris, we found that the piston P another facet to racing; actually getting the always the case with the purpose-built transporter and head were mashed into a fine metallic mess cars to the racing track. of Team YPF, the Argentinean team that usually with the offending valve head embedded in the Today the logistics and maintenance are travelled in convoy with us. They had a wooden- piston. The quick solution was to pull the piston and competent, with professional drivers in immaculate, framed bespoke truck chassis and featured in conrod apart and soldier on with three cylinders. low mileage state-of-the-art behemoths and many memorable incidents, such as getting stuck The small mistake we made was that the injector custom-built trailers, but not so long ago we were in the Hockenheim circuit north tunnel. The road was still connected and it produced a steady spray still running converted buses and trucks, which also sloped up going through the under circuit tunnel, of diesel as we chugged along to Germany. served as impromptu hotels and living quarters in squashed the body onto the wheels and locked it the long-haul continental races. Overcoming adversity The circus was exactly that, racing teams going As the sump level increased the thrashing of the from town to town and performing for a stipend. It was not unusual for diesel/oil mixture in the sump being thrown into Racing cars always started even if the whole rear the exhaust through the missing piston cylinder end had been plucked off. teams to help their generated a smoke screen worthy of a WW1 The transporters were usually second hand, fiercest rivals to get destroyer, which did not make us popular with and the time we weren’t maintaining the cars was the German motorists who tried to overtake us. usually dedicated to keeping them going – having them to the start line Eventually the police stopped us, berated us for at spare sets of gaskets and our own acetylene welder least half an hour and hustled us off the motorway, and tools on-board meant you ended up being very making our already long trip even longer. self reliant in in their maintenance. A rental car was duly arranged to go to Italy As we did the same rounds there was an to collect the engines, making for another race informal network between the teams to help without much sleep. And now for the tyre pressures each other out, and if there was a major mishap, mentioned before, as the truck arrived back in either caused by a terminal mechanical failure or England later than expected, and the replacement an accident, it was not unusual for teams to put of the engine at the local Ford dealer ended up their fiercest rival’s cars and spares in their trucks taking longer than expected. Being warned of this to get them to the start line, thus helping them problem only at the moment we went to collect the collect the start money. truck to load it up for the next race at Rouen, we The return home was a bit more complicated Team spirit extended beyond the the paddock. were left with having to search for a hire truck. No for the UK-based teams as you had to cross the The circus looked after its own on the road, too suitable truck was available in a 100-mile radius, and Channel, which implied earning enough to pay we had to settle for a 7-tonner without a tail lift. for the ferry ticket. Sometimes a team was stranded into place when exiting the circuit after the race. By the time all this was arranged the only quick on the other side of the Channel at the end of Only after deflating the tyres and getting a tractor way to make the other side of the Channel was to the season with no funds, but we usually sorted to extricate it was it able to continue its trip, which take the Hovercraft. As we pulled up at the port them out by having a whip-around between sadly proved to be its last, as we then headed north we discovered that the truck was too high to pass the other mechanics, as the following year it to Hamburg to catch the ferry to Sweden, as we under the goalpost that determined the maximum could be us in that position. had races at Anderstorp and Kinnekula Ring. height for the hovercraft. Lateral thinking brought While driving on a narrow Swedish road with the inspiration of letting all the air out of tyres, Flirting with disaster drop-offs on both sides, they went onto the side which enabled us to scrape into the craft with Crossing the Saint Bernardino pass into Italy was verge to allow one of the usual monster log trucks inches to spare. highly entertaining and disaster was a lady by the to pass them, only to have the soft verge crumble Incidentally Emerson Fittipaldi’s F1 side of the road with whom we flirted regularly.