WRC, was Flow rates for nozzles

[Aaron Willis]

James Montebello wrote:

> I'm stunned by the general lack of knowledge on this list about
> motorsports outside the US. :-) (Ozzies excluded, of course ;-).
>
> WRC is "World Rally Championship", a series that's run just
> about everywhere except the US.  Races are run over several
> days in a series of point-to-point timed runs over dirt and
> gravel roads; sometimes muddy, sometimes snow-covered.  The
> cars are typically Japanese and European "specials" built by
> the factory on production FWD & 4WD hatchback chassis.  Once
> upon a time (a few years ago), in the days of Group B, there
> were 4WD cars with engines in strange places (lots of
> mid-engined cars that looked like plain FWD hatchbacks) running turbos,
> superchargers, or both (Lancia Delta).  500hp was a
> typical power figure.  Now the top cars probably run about half
> that. Top speeds are low, so the engines are tuned for gobs of
> torque.  The drivers in this series (mostly Finns, for some
> reason) are the best in the world for sheer car control, and
> every last one of them is utterly barking mad.
>
>
> > >Spraying the intercooler is a great idea IMO.  Some WRC cars
> > come with I/C
> > >sprayers right from the factory, or used to.
>

WRC is absolutely THE MOST entertaining motorsport available (barely
available) on TV! I also wish it were a factor in the U.S., but...at any
rate, it is simply fantastic driving. I would like to see more room in the
rules for things like Group B cars (Metro 6R4 fan, always rooting for the
underdog) in the future as I think it would add some much-needed color to a
fairly homogenous group of racing cars.
   More to the point: Subaru use an IC water spray on their Impreza Turbo
models, including the 350bhp (er, I meant 280 brake, wink, nudge) 22B
homologation special. 350bhp from a 2.2 liter engine impresses the heck out
of locals like me, but if they are using it, either it works very well or
looks cool enough to impress buyers.
   A bit of trivia is that Subaru mount their IC under a hood scoop instead
of in the front bumper, and perhaps the water spray is needed to counter
the lack of airflow fast the core.
   Some ideas I have kicked around with others include a simple winshield
washer pump on a hobbs switch, spraying through standard windshield washer
nozzles across the IC core - many domestic cars have wide spray patterns
and could cover a good bit of area each - or the previously mentioned
boost-pressurized container. Nozzles from a garden (Hudson) sprayer also
produce a fine mist under little pressure.  Food for thought.

Aaron Willis
Redding, Ca USA