the importance of aerodynamics and down force design in race cars....
Porsche GT1 at Road Atlanta.... (petit Le Mans series)
two porsches (i believe these are the factory team -Mobile 1 Porsches) following each other.... the car in front breaks all air/wind resistance... creating a vacuum that allows the car behind to be able to pass the car in front, due to the elimination of such resistance...
the problem with modern cars, and to a degree the use of wind-tunnels in their design is that they make the car so efficiently aerodynamically, that it creates a significant turbulence right behind the car as it goes and breaks the air resistance...
the wings, ailerons, fins, skirts, and so on... allow air to flow around the car in the most effective way... but again... it creates a significant turbulence right behind it as the different air-flows above, around and, even underneath the car that all converge in the rear part of the car....
so when another competitor, trying to take advantage of the vacuum (and literarily sucking effect) that the car behind experiences... the driver has to be extremely careful and mindful of how the turbulence explained above (and even elimination of air resistance) will affect the handling of his car....
watch this as an example......... :)
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