Sterling Doc wrote:
This is true.
All cars on this graph made within 2 HP on the dyno. Guess which car was carrying a passenger? Pretty hard to tell! The other cars were a bit heavier to start, but the car represented by the red line was about still 150 lbs heavier than the other two.
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This again shows that the number 1 factor is driver. A fast driver will be fast even in a heavy car. You also poseted that 180lbs = 0.4 seconds on that track.
Not much overall, but in side by side race with equal drivers enough of a difference to be noticeable. After 10 laps that is about a 5 second gap (rounding the 0.4 to 0.5 for easy math).
So weight can make a difference, but only small on noticeable only to a very consistant driver.
If you believe the 180 lbs = 0.4 is linear then you could argue 100lbs = 0.2 seconds. 0.2 is enough difference to win or lose a race and will add up over time, but is also terribly small to actual see the impact over a race distance given the typical varriablity of each driver's laps.
So back figure it another. Way if 100lbs = 0.2 second and the cars are around 20lbs per rear wheel hp then that 100lbs = 5 hp. An therefore 5hp = 0.2 seconds on track? 10 hp = 0.4 seconds on track? I am not certain the physics is that simple, but it does put the impact of weight and hp in perspective.
