Race Car Software - Circle Track Racing Software

The combinations of driving lines, braking points, and throttle application are infinite with this program. You can define a track sector, which includes the braking area, the turn (including turn radius and track width), and the exit. This program allows you to pick the decision points for braking, turn-in, and throttle application. Compare the resulting lines for time and speed, with a plot of speed and g-forces for any point in the turn. The Race Driving Simulator is a teaching tool for the serious racer, not a hand-eye coordination game. The program includes substantial built-in help pages. Race Driving Simulator applies to all rear-wheel-drive racing vehicles running on paved tracks.

TirePro Computer Program
Most racers are aware of the immense value of taking tire temperatures to analyze the handling of their race cars. But many don't understand how to interpret the data that can be derived from tire temperatures. Tire temperatures are one of the most crucial diagnostic tools available to race teams at all levels.

The TirePro program quickly and easily performs a detailed analysis of the temperature data, providing information on tire pressure, wheel camber, handling balance, crossweight, weight distribution, and stagger. The built-in analysis identifies chassis problems, then suggests specific chassis changes to improve handling. In the analysis window, the user can choose from individual graphical depictions of toe-in/out, tire pressures, rear stagger, crossweight, and handling.

Each analysis suggests what settings need to be adjusted. As the racer goes through the analysis options, the recommendations include the order in which changes should be made. For example, the toe-out screen notes that camber should be adjusted prior to setting toe-out. This ordering of procedures is a valuable reminder to experienced racers and an important guide for rookies. (Do all the right things in the wrong order and you'll be chasing the setup for months.)

The screen for entering the tire temperature data has fields in which to identify the car, track, session (heats, qualifying, feature, etc.), and the weather, as well as a "tires" field where the brand, size, or hardness of the tires can be noted. TirePro allows the user to enter many sets of temperatures and save them for future reference or analysis. You can analyze current readings instantly or browse saved data sets to find previous situations similar to those you're facing, to see what did or did not help the car.

A nice feature is a searchable help section to make finding answers to questions fast and easy. The help features are accessible from virtually any part of TirePro. TirePro is useful for any race car running on a paved oval track, and for cars running on hard, dry dirt surfaces when tires build up adequate heat.

Conclusion There are many computer programs that will enhance your understanding of circle track race cars and provide critical information about your car that can help you make key decisions on chassis setup. Contact these companies and visit their Web sites to learn more about which ones are right for your racing program.

Editor's Note: This article was compiled by Bob Bolles, who founded Chassis R&D Corporation.