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Snow Week future is in ovals
Well here we are smack dab in the middle of the dog days of summer. With nothing else to do but look at the forums and ponder the future of Snow Week, I again couldnt help but see the numbers. Based on the continuing trend that Ovals and Enduros are so popular with Snow Week (just look at the number of posts), is Snow Week going to put more emphasis into covering what your readers really want ie. Oval and enduro articles? Yes there are other racing venues but Oval posts out number the next most popular form of racing (watercross) by 4-1 and Sno cross by over 10-1. You must have your heads in the sand (or elsewhere) if you think that Sno Cross gives a $hit about Snow Week. By now it should be clear that Ovals are the future of Snow Week and to stay alive you have to stroke the hand that feeds you.
If I sound cynical it is because I recently pulled out some old (treasured) copies of Snow Week magazine from late 80s and early 90s and realized that ovals is what built your magazine to what it is (was). I hope that you realize this and bring back more indepth coverage of all the oval and enduro events. Snow Week is ovals!!!
Howard Gifford,
Retired oval driver turned team owner,
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Flatout
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08/20/08 01:41pm |
Dear Snow Week
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RE: Hooper 440 Pipe Improvements
Building a race engine package is like baking a cake. You can buy a mix out of a box that works (tastes) good but to really make a good cake takes a special recipe that has all the right ingredients in the right amounts. Pipes are just one of the ingredients and must be combined with everything else in just the right amounts to truly make a winning combination. John Hooper has worked for years to get the recipe right. We have our own recipe that works for us and may not work on a Hooper motor and vice versa. The best advice is to find an engine builder you trust and do a lot of dyno tests with a lot of different recipes. You may find that you already have a good mix. Adding another ingredient may just make your cake go flat!
Howard...
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Flatout
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08/11/08 01:18pm |
Ovals & Enduros
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RE: champ motor
Gates is the manufacturer of Poly Chain belts and holds the licence for the Poly Chain tooth profile. Poly Chain belts will not work on HTD or RPP profile pulleys. I know one of the engineers in R&D there and he helped me design our setup and machined our pulleys for us. We can't devulge any of our testing results due to a contractual agreement but I can tell you that Gates is a great company to deal with and they have helped us a lot. We are proud to have them as one of our sponsors. I see good things happening with this technology in the future.
go to http://www.gates.com/brochure.cfm?brochure=7468&location_id=11347
to see info on their latest Carbon Fibre Poly Chain belts
HG
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Flatout
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08/11/08 08:24am |
Ovals & Enduros
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RE: champ motor
36MM
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Flatout
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08/07/08 07:10pm |
Ovals & Enduros
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RE: champ motor
The new poly-Chain GT Carbon belt is stronger and will take more shock loading than an 11 wide chain and is easier on the shafts. It will wrap around a 22 tooth pulley.
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Flatout
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08/07/08 07:03am |
Ovals & Enduros
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RE: champ motor
What about a polychain belt drive?
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Flatout
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08/05/08 07:14am |
Ovals & Enduros
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RE: champ motor
Tuner78 that is interesting....:h I wonder if anyone has thought of "tuning for maximum output" (lets say at 11,000 rpm) and incorporating a reduction drive that slows the clutches down to the more efficient 7,500 rpm. The new belts would surely handle the increased torque and the engines could now sing up where they make the most power. Now all we need is a reliable lightweight gearbox that doesn't rob any power!:S
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Flatout
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08/01/08 12:07pm |
Ovals & Enduros
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RE: champ motor
Torque without rpm will not do anything. You can have 5000 ft lb torque at zero rpm = 0 hp. Rpm without torque will have the same result. HP is the rate at which work is being be done and is a calculation based on torque in ft lb X rpm divided by 5250. You need both rpm and torque to produce horsepower.
What you are asking I think is it better (ie faster) to go with a lower peak rpm setup to gain some torque. Example is 10500 rpm with 60 ft lb better than 9500 rpm with 65 ft lb. Lets calculate and see.
10500rpm X 60 ft lb \5250 = 120 hp.
9500rpm X 65 ft lb \ 5250 = 117 hp.
The fact that you have 3 more hp seems to be the better choice. It now boils down to clutch efficiency and to test this you need a clutch dyno or some good field testing to see which is more efficient. Clutches lose efficiency at higher rpm. If you lose 5% efficiency at 9500 rpm and 10% at 10500 rpm then the lower rpm setup will be faster
(117 hp X .95 = 111.15 net hp versus 120 hp X .9 = 108net hp
All of this said it is not the peak power that I look for, it is the area under the curve within the most efficient clutchable rpm range. There are many more variables such as clutch efficiency at different shift rations, inertia, pipe heat rate etc that all tend to vary the transfer and production of power to the track. Best advice is test,test, test,
HG
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Flatout
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07/29/08 09:29am |
Ovals & Enduros
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RE: The Eastern Pro Tour Mötley Crüe comes to Sarnia
LMFAO. Dont tell me Jeff made it through qualifying without crashing.
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Flatout
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07/13/08 06:58am |
Ovals & Enduros
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RE: Utilize your Winter race tools in Summer
A champ sled doubles as a lawn aerator too! Just remember to replace any divots!
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Flatout
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06/13/08 11:23am |
Ovals & Enduros
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RE: Sincere condolences to Jacques Villeneuve
On behalf of the entire Gifford family I would like to offer our sincerest condolences to you and your family at this very sad time.
Your friend,
Howard Gifford...
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Flatout
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06/01/08 09:25pm |
Ovals & Enduros
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RE: Jerry How About a low down on ISR Rules Meeting
Too late Brian we already have it in our champ!
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Flatout
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05/16/08 06:43am |
Ovals & Enduros
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RE: Snowweek Issue
Now kids,,,Am I gonna have ta get out the big stick again?
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Flatout
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04/18/08 12:53pm |
Ovals & Enduros
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RE: Wanted: 778-79 rotax 440 nikasil cylinders
Its ok Dan I found a set that I traded for a new set of pipes! The guy I traded the pipes to plans on kicking your ass!!!!
Howard...
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Flatout
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04/13/08 11:06am |
Ovals & Enduros
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RE: 1st Annual EPT F1 Kart Race
The first annual race was a success. There was more rubber flying than a prom night. Everyone survived relativly unhurt. Howie and Killer are sore from a wicked crash near the end of the race. The karts are definetly a little worse for wear. In the end Howie,Curtis,Paul,Jeff,Killer (twice)all got black flagged and pulled off for a penalty stop...Scroggy did it voluntarily.
In the end Jeff came back and won the race with Howie second ,Brad was third, Curtis was forth and Paul was fifth. Jeff also had the fastest lap time.
A second Race between just Jeff, Paul, Scroggy, Curtis and Killer saw Curtis win, Paul second, Jeff Third, Killer forth and Scroggy fifth. Jeff also had the fastest lap time.
Speaking of lap times, Jamie had the best "lap time" at the bar both before and after the races.
Another great time had, and we sure will have another tomorrow night.
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Flatout
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04/11/08 11:10pm |
Ovals & Enduros
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Wanted: 778-79 rotax 440 nikasil cylinders
Im looking to buy a couple of 440 78-79 nikasil race cylinders any condition. send me a private message if you have any for sale or if you know where some are!
Thanks
Howard Gifford
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Flatout
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04/06/08 01:05pm |
Ovals & Enduros
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RE: Champ Chassis FOR SALE!!!
Ok lets see!! We got "Too Tall" Smith, "Scarey Larry", "Happy Howie", "The Schnopp" "Soggy Scroggy", "Hit the wall Paul",The Panty Hose Kid aka Jeff, Killer aka Shawn, and the ringer, Martini Marci. Heres the deal! A 10 lap qualifier to see whos on pole followed by some refreshments and then a 70 lap bumpfest to see whos "KingKart".
Some more refreshments and some open fuel, bar stool racing.
Anyone else want in?
HG
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Flatout
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03/31/08 01:26pm |
Ovals & Enduros
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RE: ER Vintage 440 IFS X QUESTION
Hey Jerry I agree with you. Computers and programmable ignitions should not be alowed in vintage nor should any suspension parts that are not the same dimensions as the original. The bulkhead shock mounts trailing arm mounts and 4 bar mounts sway bar locatoin and chaincase location should all be original unless racing in the x class. What screwed it up was allowing this stuff for a couple of years and then changing the rules. I am rebuilding my battered sled back to original so that I can race both IFS and X classes. Im not a ringer by any means but I have raced this sled for years even when vintage was non existent and the sled was considered "current". My sled has all the original front end components and even has the original rear suspension rails. The shocks are even vintage Morazocci units off an 83 twintrack. Even my motor is a trail sled motor with steel bore cylinders and the old Bosch ignition.
BTW Yes i can set the timing on a breaker point magneto. I havent had to until this year when I raced a 1970 olympic in Eganville. I flipped it in hotlapping 50 yards from the gate. Man those things are a handful!!!
Im one of the "old guys"
HG
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Flatout
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03/27/08 10:29pm |
Ovals & Enduros
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RE: ER Vintage 440 IFS X QUESTION
Phil I know in ER they are picky in the IFS class but the X class is a little more open. In the EPT there is only one IFS class and as long as the sled is a trailing arm sled and the bulkhead is the same dimensions as the original they will let you race. I know that Devin Fackrel has a 78 and it has either 79 or replica trailing arms and he was allowed to race in both the IFS and X classes. I was disallowed in the IFS class because my stabilizer was not in the original position. Go to www.vintagesleds.com for some heated debates about this.
Good luck...
HG
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Flatout
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03/27/08 06:12am |
Ovals & Enduros
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RE: 2009 and Beyond Class Proposal
If thats the case then we should put a claim rule on junior sleds to keep the 20K+ sleds out of there. Some junior teams are better funded than some champ teams. Like in karting the rich teams with the latest equipment will do most of the winning. Unfortunately there are rich parents that will spend what it takes to make their "golden boy" win. I think that the Junior class should be limited to F500 chassis with 380 0r 440 fan cooled stock motors. Next step is to put in a 500 motor and race F500. No champ style chassis until you graduate out of junior. Hell some of those Junior sleds are full blown champ sleds with fancooled motors. Way too fast in my opinion.
Phil I agree the cost has to come down but I think this is the best way and the safer way.
HG
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Flatout
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03/19/08 07:52pm |
Ovals & Enduros
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