| OCR Text |
Show LARGE FACTOR IN SPEEDWAY RACING Drivers Strive for Split-Second Difference in Running Run-ning Time. By EARL COOPER. Noted Race Driver. The most variable factor in speedway speed-way racing today is the driver. The which the cars themselves are capable ca-pable can be de-, de-, termined before each race almost in terms of exact science. T o illu strato how scientifically exact the profes- i sion of speedway ! racing has be- come, it might be I Earl Cooper. pointed out that drivers are striving striv-ing continually for such a small difference differ-ence in time as a tenth of a second per . lap on the li-mlle ovals. They realize j that their ability .or Inability to, achieve this may mean the difference between winning or losing a race. Engines Are Identical. The engines, in fact the entire race cars of today, are practically identical. To achiere this split-second difference In speed, therefore, it is necessary that the race driver give vital consideration considera-tion to factors which would be considered con-sidered negligible even In most experimental experi-mental work. Every detail pertaining to the car must be exactly correct, as near as human ability can make It, if the car Is to perform to the standard of which It is capable. It is a fact that a difference of a small fraction of a second in lap time may be traced to a slight difference In the spark plugs, or oven In one spark plug. That they may secure the maximum performance from their cars, practically practical-ly every driver Insists on a new set of plugs for each race, even though they may have been driven. In some cases, j not to exceed 100 or 150 miles. They j realize that the terrific strains imposed im-posed on spark plugs under racing conditions con-ditions are so great that they must have undergone some deterioration, even In the short distance they have ! been run. In fact, they consider that ' 500 miles on the speedway Is pquiv- j alent to from 5,000 to 10,000 miles in j a passentrer car. j Spark Plugs Deteriorate. Instances have been many where, I after a set of plugs has been through : one severe race, the car, in lis trhds i for the following race, arp.iaily was ; incapable of performing wlihin a tenth ; of a second per lap at what it prevl- ', ously did. Sometimes this loss of speed h".s I n even greater. This hriii2 ilie case, it Is evident lhat there is deterioration to spark plugs in ordinary passenger car service. serv-ice. If racing r'ugs are changed a! least every 500 miles, the spark plugs in passenger cars certainly should not he run more than 10,000 miles without changing them for new ones. That applies to every spark plug I have ever used, whether in racing or for ordinary passenger car driving. |
