Open wheel car
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Open wheel car is a term for cars with the wheels located outside the car's main body. Open wheel cars contrast with street cars, stock cars, or touring cars which have their wheels below the body or fenders. Open wheel cars are usually purpose-built for racing, and as such often involve a degree of sophistication unknown in other forms of motorsport.
[edit] Design
A typical open-wheeler has a minimal cockpit sufficient only to enclose the driver's body, with the head exposed to the air. In modern cars, the engine is often located directly behind the driver, and drives the rear wheels. Depending on the rules of the class, many types of open-wheeler have wings at the front and rear of the vehicle, as well as a very low and virtually flat undertray that helps achieve additional aerodynamic downforce pushing the car on to the road.
Most open-wheeler races are on dedicated road race circuits. Some major races are held on temporary street circuits, and in the US many are held on oval "superspeedways" — most notably the famous Indianapolis 500 in Indianapolis, Indiana; speeds on these ovals can range in constant excess of 210-220 mph (335-350 km/h), and at Indianapolis in excess of 230 mph (370 km/h).
Open-wheel vehicles, due to their light weight, aerodynamic capabilities, and powerful engines, are often considered the fastest racing vehicles available, and the best way for aspiring racers to learn their craft[citation needed]. Virtually all Formula One drivers spent some time in various open-wheel categories before joining the F1 ranks.
Driving an open wheel car is substantially different from driving a car with fenders. The lower weight of an open wheel racecar allows for better performance, while the exposure of the wheels to the airstream causes a very high aerodynamic drag at high speeds, but allows improved cooling of the brakes (important on road courses with their frequent changes of pace). The visibility of the wheels to the driver makes a high degree of precision possible in their placement; on the other hand, wheel-to-wheel contact is dangerous, particularly when the forward edge of one tire contacts the rear of another tire, and is suddenly and powerfully flung upwards.
