I've got some problems to be worked thru in the next few months.

In the meantime, I've kinda stopped spending and planning directly with respect to my ITR. I DO have plans to keep it and play very seriously with many aspects of its operation.

BUT, I've been daydreaming again.

When I was in college I did my fair share of daydreaming and sketching, and it was usually some kind of elemental race car. My more current temptation by D-Sports Racing Stohr's and imported Mallock Clubman's have been motivated in part by those same drives.

Well, in the course of my recent online meanderings and reflections on my goals and purposes in motorsports I came to a new mental landing place.

It happened like this: I was looking at the latest issue of SportsCar - the one with the annual race car buying guide. I don't know why but the FV's caught my attention - I got to looking at the tires in particular.

Then later I was reading the latest on the DSR board, and somehow a couple of threads about 2-Stroke motors grabbed my attention. They probably grabbed my attention because I've been reading alot about both 2 and 4 Stroke engines and exhaust over the last month.

All of the sudden a 3/4 baked idea appeared in my mind: 500cc single 2-stroke motor in an ultralighweight chassis using FV tires.

Sort of a modern version of 50's vintage 500cc F3 cars:

http://www.coopercars.org/Cooper_Car...s_history.html

executed to look more like this:

http://www.stohr.com/page4.html


I have in mind the Honda CR500 motor, requiring adaptation of an electric starter. I see such a car as being extremely light and having an exceptionally low center of gravity, and extremely low polar moment. With the FV tires being both adequate and relatively narrow, allowing a wide track without too much aero concern.

I can forsee using basic kart chassis techniques to mitigate against the effects of the spool used to save weight. Would it even need suspension? It would make a great rolling lab.

I'd be able to run it only as Formula Libre in Conference - there would be no place for it in SCCA (the Sports Racer rules require all mechanical components to be covered by bodywork when viewed from above - which would mean too much frontal area - so it's gotta be open wheel).

Scott, who doesn't know if this one will pass...it'll be years before I can tell...



[Modified by RR98ITR, 11:52 AM 2/24/2003]

 

hmm... sounds interesting.
Makes me think about my spare RZ350 motor I have lying around.

 

hmm - wouldn't that be a twin though? I would think, for simplicity's sake that a good old-fashioned single cylinder, air cooled oldie 500cc would be "da bomb"...
I've long had fantasies about 2-stroke dirt bike powered go-karts... yum!
I wish they could have kept the 2-strokers on the streets in the states like we did in Europe. I love a good 2-stroke. I used to have a KMX 125 back in france (think KX125 with license plates) and that thing was a total blast. Sure beat the pants of my later, US-approved XT350... but I digress...

Sebastien, jealously thinking of your RZ350 (Kenny Roberts edition?)