I’m in agreement with Mr. Hudgins… now. A few years ago I was not. I was one of the people Richard gave advise to with regard to realistic HP for my car. I was also one of the people who’s mind he couldn’t change. After all, I had years of experience racing motorcycles on both dirt and pavement, plus years of experience in high-perf street cars and motorcycles.
My mind finally did change when I switched from racing on two wheels to racing on four. Prior to that what I had learned on the street about car control was only enough to make me dangerous.
The racecar that I learned in, and am still learning in, has a 2.6:1 weight to power ratio and a 4:1 steering ratio (1 turn lock to lock). To say it has been a steep learning curve is a gigantic understatement. But after attending numerous chassis schools, driving schools, and most importantly a lot of seat time, I’m getting there. That said, you would think that my Cobra, with more weight and less power (4:1 weight to power ratio) would be easier to control when driven on the edge, but it is not.
IMO the increased responsiveness and higher grip afforded by modern suspensions and tires don’t necessarily make the car more stable. I think if anything, when driven at the edge they demand quicker reactions on the driver’s part.
The more seat time I get in the racecar, the more embarrassed I am of the Cobra when judged by other racers. In fact I haven’t met a racer yet who thinks it was a good idea to put that much power in it. Guys on the street are sure impressed though… whoopee.
Scott