What technologies have been 'supressed' in motorsport for being too successful?

[VIVA GT]

Originally Posted by graham bahr

i guess the real problem came when you applied opposite lock, the back end would try to cancel it out!

They were bizzarre to drive. At slow speeds the rear wheels steered 'with' you in fork lift truck style. This made you think the car was oversteering as you accelerated out of junctions (even though it was front wheel drive). At higher speed, (supposedly as a stability aid) the rear wheels steered 'against' you, tucking the back of the car in slightly, giving the impression of understeer!

[Al Weyman]

And an obvious one from F1, never bigger diameter wheels than 13" what is that all about? Only the smallest lowliest little cars have 13" wheels these days.

[Clive Brown]

Again from NASCAR, the main fuel pump is still mechanical.

[Adam43]

Originally Posted by Al Weyman

And an obvious one from F1, never bigger diameter wheels than 13" what is that all about? Only the smallest lowliest little cars have 13" wheels these days.

I'm for this. Road cars are ruined by idiotic low profile rubbish. Also I find cars with proper rubber more enjoyable on track.

[DX20VT]

I know they have data telemetry from the car to the pit,

but isn't it banned that the car can be adjusted on the run from the pit,

I mean why should the team radio the driver to adjust the knob to position 3
when the technology exists for the team to do it from the pit garage without the driver even knowing?

[morninggents]

I mean why should the team radio the driver to adjust the knob to position 3
when the technology exists for the team to do it from the pit garage without the driver even knowing?[/QUOTE]


Probably for that very reason. I wouldn't get in to a car that could have the handling/braking/aerodynamics adjusted from the pits without my knowledge.
Recipe for disaster.

[wolfhound]

I stand to be corrected but I think that pits to car control was banned along with driver aids by Max a few years back to prevent the boffins in the pits driving the cars by radio control.

[GORDON STREETER]

Originally Posted by Adam43

I'm for this. Road cars are ruined by idiotic low profile rubbish. Also I find cars with proper rubber more enjoyable on track.

My sentiment entirely !
The amount of cars that I drive in the course of my work now have 18/19 inch wheels with rubber band tyres that steer all over the road/ wreck silly priced alloy wheels and (tyres that also cost stupid money) and give an uncomfortable ride.
These might be OK on "billiard table " motorways but a disaster on the roads littered with potholes in my neck of the woods !

[Spen Again]

Originally Posted by Alan Raine

Current LMP1 Sports Car car racing Mike Newton developed a four wheel steering system on his Formula Ford Hawke in the 80's. He's in the white car behind me in this photo at Oulton Park, around about 1987. The gold coloured bars above the rear suspension are the steering arms which were activated by actuators linked to the steering wheel. Rob Wilson tested it and I believe was quite impressed, but I think the RACMSA deemed the system illegal before Mike could develop it further.

That's awesome! Good to hear about someone trying such a thing in an FF and as a privateer, as usual such innovation gets you a slap.

The innovations I always think off that made the cars faster and got banned as a consequence are;
Moveable aero devices, the rear wings in Can-Am and later F1 that acted directly onto the suspension instead of via the rear bodywork like rear wings do now. I think this was a case of certain F1 designers (you can enter the name I am thinking of here) making such a device too weak, and getting in banned on safety grounds, when the sportscar boys had twigged this would be an issue and were making them good in strong with wide oval-section struts. All the better to stick a huge DC9-wing on with foot-peddle controlled variable downforce control!
The fans on the Chap 2J and Brabham F1 sucker cars were banned as being "moveable aero devices" because they "blew dirt onto following driver's visors". The 2J also had two motors, which got it into trouble, but as there was a previous Can-Am entry entry with four motors I cannot see why they would suddently object to 2. Anyone who has been around the 2J when that infernal fan engine is running will know why it really got banned....half the paddock must have had headaches most of that season.