|
As early as 1994, the soon to be ClearTrack group, unveiled it's all new Molded Sprintcar Body System.
On February 26, the world's first successful Clear-Body Sprintcar made it's debue at an El Centro, California ½ Mile Clay Oval Track race event. Additionally, a new "pit starter" design was developed for the sprint quick-change rear-end and sold. Later that year, the Pacific Bell sponsored "911 Car" set the 3 Lap track record by winning the SCRA sanctioned Trophy Dash at the Ventura State Fairgrounds. The record still stands.
In November of 1995, work began on a new power-train design for sprintcars. This effort produced the first articulating drivetrain which retains use of all major components normally found in a racing sprintcar. This innovative approach allows an actual competitive sprintcar after modification to be easily started, driven, and safely demonstrated as required, both on and off the track, for promotional/exhibition use. The completely reversible upgrade includes, amongst other things, adding an entirely new version of transmission which is employed as a drivetrain stressed member through use of carbon fiber and kevlar technology.
ClearTrack was formed in March 1997, after which Motor Trend Magazine requested to evaluate, and later publishing in July, the performance results of the design at their Camarillo test facility. Much to their surprise, it garnered the notoriety of becoming the quickest California street licensed car yet documented. At the session with the car configured conservatively, it easily achieves a 2.88 second 0 to 60 MPH performance run. Later that year, additional upgrades followed, with completion occurring in November of 1999. New advances that were realized add additional reliability, durability and combine to provide a unique platform for research and development.
In late 2000, research begins on a new racing engine that does not use traditional coil wire valve springs. First seen in 1944 and later developed and then embraced by Formula 1 beginning in 1986, pneumatic powered valve 'return' springs were found to be vastly superior to their coiled counterparts. Yet further details of their use have been largely protected by the twelve European F1 Race Teams each of whom spend upwards of $100-200 Million a year to campaign their cars.
By summer of 2001, a first design was arrived at with the first static test occurring in late August. November of 2001 saw the first high speed "Proof-of-concept" testing of the P-Springy retrofit for American V8 engines. Additional design refinements later resulted in producing the first 11,000 RPM rollercam test run in February of 2002, while demonstrating no valve control deficiencies at speed. On June 8, 2004, the U.S. Patent Office issued a Utility Patent the P-Springy product and related technology. As of Spring 2006, final parts qualification is underway with shipments expected mid to late summer.
|
|