Track surface profile machine (1 Viewer)

[Doug in the woods]

Several weeks ago on a NHRA telecast Mike Dunn etc. talked about a track profile machine that is towed down each lane and produces a graph of the dips and hills in the racing surface.
My question is what team is using or was this an NHRA piece of equipment.
If just a team has this, is the information shared??
seems like a very valuable bit of info for tuning a car.
The machine itself is very simple. A sensor on each of 4 wheels. The frame should have an adjustable wheel base for car type.

 

[70AARCuda]

Profilograph

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Profilograph

state highway departments and paving contractors have and use them...

 

[flapjack]

I suspect it was Lanny Miglizzi from JFR that uses this piece of equipment.

 

[Just Paul]

DSR. It looks like a 300" bicycle.

 

[flapjack]

I imagine this helps with clutch timing, as they take a little out of it when the car goes over a bump so it doesn't break the tires loose

 

[Rajunz]

NHRA should do this before the start of each event and distribute the data to all teams.

 

[Doug in the woods]

I recall several weeks/months ago Mike Dune mentioned such a device and showed one being towed down the strip. Looked like a long trailer with 4 wheels. Not sure if one team is doing this or NHRA is doing this.
The segment showed a graph printout of the data that this device was recording.
Very interesting for sure and a great tuning tool.

 

[Speed1288]

Wasn't there a 5th wheel on one of the first racepacks that did something like this in the 80s?

 

[Butch]

I still say throughout all the dam electronics and put the driver and tuner element back into racing.

 

[Bullard Anderson]

NHRA should do this before the start of each event and distribute the data to all teams.

Great point Lance. This isn't oval or road course racing where teams have multiple practice sessions to figure this out. If it can help cars go down the track on Sunday for a better show I agree.

 

[d'kid]

I still say throughout all the dam electronics and put the driver and tuner element back into racing.

Harry, It may be easier to throw out the electronics But while you're at it, convert your phone back to dial, get rid of your TV, and only use the trolly or hire a cab

d'kid

 

[JHOLE]

I still say throughout all the dam electronics and put the driver and tuner element back into racing.

I couldn't agree more. Keep the oil down penalties and go race the cars, instead of racing computer screens. I love the tv coverage when they always show the crew chiefs sittiing in their hauler playing with their computers like 14 Y.O. kids

 

[ScojoDak]

No data required.

 

[Butch]

Harry, It may be easier to throw out the electronics But while you're at it, convert your phone back to dial, get rid of your TV, and only use the trolly or hire a cab

d'kid

Karl; If that puts me back into, as Bob Seger puts it.
Out past the cornfields where the woods got heavy Out in the back seat of my '60 ChevyWorkin' on mysteries without any clues Workin' on our night moves.
and playing with 409s & such with 4-speeds. At a time when two, three guys could pool some money and go race T/F. Spending time at Detroit Dragway. Well I'm all in. LOL

 

[Just Paul]

No data required.

Maybe for a lawn mower.

 

[Level head]

Several weeks ago on a NHRA telecast Mike Dunn etc. talked about a track profile machine that is towed down each lane and produces a graph of the dips and hills in the racing surface.
My question is what team is using or was this an NHRA piece of equipment.
If just a team has this, is the information shared??
seems like a very valuable bit of info for tuning a car.
The machine itself is very simple. A sensor on each of 4 wheels. The frame should have an adjustable wheel base for car type.

A profilograph was first use on the Pomona track by the Penhall Co.in order to know where there were bumps or dips. By knowing where these were , they were able to diamond grind the track in order to make the surface flatter. When you grind out a high on the track it brings any lows near it up. All the tracks that Penhall profiled were not distributed to any team. If you had a track that was completely flat it would take a lot out of the information a crew needs to make a great run therefore smaller bumps are part of drag racing. There were many oil downs caused by bumps that have been elimated by diamond grinding

 

[willy]

How would you tune for that anyway?? A bump at 120 ft does what? Another at 340 does what?

You can't adjust a clutch for that...when you are covering ground at 3.78 in 1000 ft. Back it down maybe...if you know it's there. But they already know that.

 

[flapjack]

How would you tune for that anyway?? A bump at 120 ft does what? Another at 340 does what?

You can't adjust a clutch for that...when you are covering ground at 3.78 in 1000 ft. Back it down maybe...if you know it's there. But they already know that.

I want to say Jeff Arend had a blog post on NHRA's website in which he discussed tuning for rough spots on the tack. But my memory may not be serving me correctly.

 

[Level head]

How would you tune for that anyway?? A bump at 120 ft does what? Another at 340 does what?

You can't adjust a clutch for that...when you are covering ground at 3.78 in 1000 ft. Back it down maybe...if you know it's there. But they already know that.

The question was what is a profilograph and how is it used? I tried to explain the use of one on a drag strip in order for a grinding company to know where to grind. The same process is used in most states after the pavement is laid to meet whatever specs that state has as to the flatness required for final inspection to be approved. A profilograph isn't used on a race track for the benefit necessarily for the competitors,but for the grinding contractor to enable them to know what area needs to be ground.As far as how crew chiefs adjust to bumps and dips they will have to explain that. I can only discuss the why to profile not how to adapt it to making a good run .

 

[Doug in the woods]

Well the NHRA show had a segment on such a machine that Mike Dunn mentioned as a tuning aide.