The V8 technical edge
2/10/2004 22:08 (Press Release) -
Like every V8 Supercar team, Shell Helix Racing is looking for a technical edge that will set it apart from, and help defeat, its rivals. Improving the Ford's speed by as little as one-10th of a second can be the difference between making the crucial top ten shootout and finishing in 15th.
Currently there are five men at Shell Helix Racing who spend hours of their time sifting through complicated technical data hoping to find that hard to find advancement that will propel the team up the championship grid.
Development Director Roger Higgins; Technical Director Greg Wheeler, Head Engineer Mark Woolfrey and Race Engineers Leigh Geyer and David Stuart all have years of experience making everything on four wheels go faster, and perform better.
The Development Manager primarily looks at engines. It is his responsibility to develop current engines and work towards improving future engines. He works very closely with the Technical Director who concentrates on the chassis.
The Technical Director looks at how the cars are developing. He tries new ideas and looks at ways of improving the overall set-up of all Shell Helix Falcons. He also looks at future chassis innovations and inventions.
The Head Race Engineer looks at data from both car 17 and 18. He wants to know how the Fords are performing and what the drivers are doing? How are the cars responding to the changes recommended by the Development and Technical Managers? Are they improving, staying idle or going backwards? What are his recommendations?
The Head Race Engineer spends most of his time with the drivers and with each driver's race engineer, together they go through every line of data from every session, searching for answers to problems and improving driver and car performance.
Telemetry data looks at what the car is doing, what the driver is doing and how each is responding to one another. There are two forms of data that the team's technical department focuses on. Real time telemetry tells the team what is happening as it is happening and downloadable post session data enables the team to go through critical information in more detail.
Some of the telemetry information available to the team includes wheel speed, RPM, engine, oil and water temperatures and fuel and water pressures, to name a few.
The data also allows the team to develop strategy. As an example, when are the optimum times for fuel stops? The fuel tank holds 120 litres of petrol. The telemetry tells the team how much fuel a car is using per lap and from this the team works out when to pit for fuel.
The on-board data logger also tracks the Ford through real time telemetry so the team knows exactly where the car is on the track. The team also uses the data logger programme to find out what is happening in the car.
When you see a team member at the Shell Ford with his lap top, he is downloading all of this interesting information.
When Shell Helix Racing race engineers sit down with the drivers following a track session they go through that session in detail so the drivers understand where they made mistakes and how they can improve their driving. Engineers also listen to the drivers so that they understand what the driver was experiencing while on-track. From here engineers decide upon set-up adjustment, which is carried out by the mechanics.
The technical expertise of key personnel, and the technology available to the team, means that massive improvements can be made to a car over the course of an event weekend.
With the V8 Supercar championship being so competitive a tiny improvement can mean success, and that's exactly what Shell Helix Racing will be aiming for this coming weekend in Bathurst.
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