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Old 12-24-2012, 06:18 AM   #20
Topless
Track rat
 
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Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Southern ID
Posts: 3,701
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Steve Tinker View Post
You're probably right, but a race car has totally different requirements to a roadcar.
I'll bet the ALMS / Rolex GT3's don't have A/C rads fitted and they probably don't have electrical cooling fans installed either. The screens are only there to protect them from flying debris.
The amount of air passing over the radiator surfaces @ 150mph is more than enough to cool the engine - running @ slower road speeds with many stop / start requirements will load up the cooling system far higher than on the track.
Day to day street driving and racing on a track are certainly different, and put different demands on the car. I see 180-210F from the on-board diagnostic tool in typical traffic with A/C on. Hot track days are a different story with temps hitting 240F when the car is fully heat soaked. Track driving generates a lot more heat so I think intake screens are a well tested and proven improvement.
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