Wheel Men...Drivers of the Lotus 49

[BDA]

Race engines have much more radical valve timing, if it idles, it's not a full race engine.  High compression and radical timing means there is no leeway for "floating" the valves, period.  Other components are timed: so many miles/hours before replacement.  IIRC TZ750 cranks were 300 miles between replacements.  I assume F1 would be similar.  Over revving can also stress components such that they do not make their allotted time: rods exiting the block pursued by a bear being the classic example.  Racing is a very expensive business.

You may be right that many full-race engines do not idle but I am reminded of the story from Mark Donahue's book 'Unfair Advantage' when he was working with Porsche to develop the 917 for Can Am. When he got there were no dyno charts under 5000 rpm - because it wouldn't run there! Eventually they got it to run from idle to all throttle positions so at least that race engine idled. Of course you are right about valve timing and overlap. High revving engines would have a lot of overlap so floating valves would probably be a real problem. What I don't know is at what rev the valve springs stop preventing valve float. As for the crank, I guess the counter weights and the wait of the rod, piston, etc. are a bigger component when the rpms increase but I would think that the pressure from the combustion and resistance from the rest of the car would be a bigger influence. I wondered if there was an rpm component to lubrication of the bearings but I didn't find one after a quick look at an old text book. I could easily have missed it.

I suspect but cannot substantiate that the life of many of the internal engine parts is counted in hours under load and reduced by over revving under load rather than without load. I've seen several cases where a rod went through the block but those were all under load. On the other hand, I don't ever recall anybody over revving a motor in the pits or paddock with no load so I've never had the chance to see what would happen in that circumstance. Then again, when I was racing, it was still the dark ages and most cars still had points and condensers and the points might have bounced at extreme rpm acting somewhat like a rev limiter!

If I ever get a chance to talk to Dan Gurney, Jim Hall, Mario Andretti, etc. I hope I'll remember to ask them about flying at the 'Ring. I wouldn't hold your breath but it could happen, you never know.

[jbcollier]

A snake oil salesman came to our shop one day with the usual claims of engines that had lost their oil but kept going another xyz miles "with no damage".  We grabbed an old car from outside, put in fresh oil with the additive and ran it for a while.  We then drained the oil and revved it up though not too high.  15 seconds I think before the rods started knocking.  We didn't buy the additive.

At VW bug meet we brought an engine to blow up.  We built it up with old parts and not a great deal of care but we did lube everything.  It was a fund raiser and you had to guess when it would let go.  Well, with a bare engine, no air cooling, no oil, wide open throttle no load, it lasted 3 minutes before it heated up and slowly seized.  Half hour later, it fired right up.

At my first work place, we ran a fleet of buses carrying people to the smelter in the next town.  One of the buses had to navigate a very steep hill with switchbacks.  One driver got going too fast, cooked the brakes and jammed it into first gear.  It revved so high all the rods let go and were wrapped around the crank as though they were built that way.  Didn't bother checking the valves...

[BDA]

Great stories!!! Especially the VW motor story!

Didn't bother checking the valves...

 

[Lou Drozdowski]

You guys are killing me, no disrespect... 917 rev charts, rod throwing smelting transports, and VW snake oil ?
Where did I go wrong?


 

[BDA]

Sorry Lou. We kinda got carried away! Let's talk about Lotus 49s, Jim Clark, Graham Hill, and Chunky!

[Lou Drozdowski]

Jim Clark...Selected in 2009 as the greatest formula one driver of all time. In his career with Lotus that spanned 73 races of which he earned 32 podiums, 25 wins and 33 pole positions...The only driver to win the F1 worlds championship and Indy in the same year (1965). His testament to motorsports is unrivaled...ld
 

A slight departure to the 49...I wanted to post this shot of the team and the Lotus 38, the first rear engine car to win Indy.

[BDA]

No doubt Clark was one of the best ever.

That thought led me to investigate how he compared to other drivers in the percentage of wins. I'm sure that statistic exists but I wasn't able to find it quickly. There are lots of lists that compare drivers to pick the best ever and quite often, Schumacher is on top, and just as often, Clark seems to be left out of the discussion. But as much as we feel compelled to make those comparisons, they are highly subjective. The cars change, the rules change, the tracks change. Comparing Schumacher and Clark or Senna and Clark might be fun but worthless. Schumacher raced cars that were much safer. That alone makes a huge difference in the way you approach driving.

I just came back to Clark was one of the best ever. I stand by that. (he also drove prettier cars!)

[Lou Drozdowski]

I wanted to single out some pictures of past " Lotus Champions" who drove the 49...Andretti, Clark, Hill, Rindt & Fittipaldi.

Mario grabs pole at Watkins Glen 1968

Clark at Silverstone...Destroying the field with a hat trick...Pole, laps led, win...Fastest lap.

Hill in France...The start at Rouen, great shot of the other cars in the backdrop.

Rindt,  A relaxing moment chatting with Chris Amon ...love b/w

Fittipaldi  wont fit.... he will be in the next post.  ld

[Lou Drozdowski]

Fittipaldi...Three shots of Emerson,

The novice of F1.

The transition shot, as the 49 faded away he worked with Miles and Rindt on the 72

The reunion with the forty four year old 49 at Goodwood.ld

[Lou Drozdowski]

The rivalry between Clark and Hill was never really spoken of...although it existed. The fierce respect of each  others talent, allowed both to "get on" with the task at hand. I would like to think this sentiment is pictured in the following photo.


Also dueling at Watkins Glen in 1967. ld

[Lou Drozdowski]

That smell, the whole stinking paddock ...."smells  like victory".
With acknowledgement to Francis "Ford" Copolla and Apocalypse Now...ld

[BDA]

More great pictures, Lou! Clark and Hill were the best drivers and Lotus was the best car of that era. I wonder how many appreciate the risk drivers of that day took, especially now that it's been twenty years since the last F1 driver (Senna) died in a car. 

[Lou Drozdowski]

At the other end of the racing spectrum, the privateer endured anyway he could. With few resources, such was the story of Peter Lovely. A participant in a few selective grand prix he started his racing in 1957, winning his first sports car race.
Although nine laps behind eventual winner Jacky Ickx and a number of retirements, his best result using chassis # R11 was a 7Th at Mosport in 1969. ld     

[blasterdad]

Now that is a sight, a Lotus on a VW, Love it! 

[BDA]

I thought Lotus (and maybe March) were the only teams that sold cars, but checking on Rob Walker Racing's Wikipedia page, I see they Lotus as well as Cooper, Brabham and some much less well known names as Connaught and Ferguson. Does anybody know of any others?

We often forget that race cars were not always transported in huge 18 wheelers but in those days the big teams used transporters that were probably the size of a good sized motor home - although a VW  truck is an extreme example but really shows the disparity of the teams and how much of a shoestring some were willing to run on!

More great stuff, Lou! Thanks!