From: "Paul Ranson" 

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IMO all worthwhile drivers can say what is happening with a car, and the =
stopwatch reveals the reality. It's easy to relate 'good turn in, mid =
understeer, oversteer on exit', hard to say 'one click off front bump = and
10mm less on the front bar', although I guess in oval racing they'll = be
looking at different things.

There's a well known story of Ronnie Petersen complaining about =
understeer, yet someone watching at trackside seeing him in lurid = slides.
He was driving round the understeer by putting the car sideways. = A race
engineer who's worked with a driver for a while will be able to = interpret
the driver's impressions (which are frequently technically =
'wrong') into useful information to guide the setup.

It takes a good race engineer to translate what the driver is saying = into
what it is necessary to do to the car to make it faster, or easier = to
drive, or preferably both....

If I were starting a NASCAR team I know I can buy all the parts to build =
competitive cars off the shelf, I know there are dozens of young =
presentable drivers with sponsorship deals in their pockets who are fast =
enough. What I really need to make the difference is a 'crew chief'.

Paul

"John Oellrich"  wrote in message =
news:3dc31074{at}w3.nls.net...
  Paul,

  I think you missed my point, that being in F1 and the like the race =
engineer (crew chief in NASCAR, I guess) gets readouts about all the =
little minutia going on in the car and is less reliant on the driver to =
tell him/her what is happening. The F1 driver doesn't have to (but very =
well may) be able to relate to the engineer what is going on with the =
car. In NASCAR it is critical that the driver can do that.

  While generally not a very good movie, "Days of Thunder" had a great =
scene where Robert Duvall (crew chief) asks Tom Cruise (driver) to tell =
him what is going on with the car. Cruise says "I can't", Duvall
asks = why, Cruise responds "I don't know anything about cars".
While not the = norm, there are drivers that aren't good at it. On the real
difficult = tracks, that becomes a very big burden.

  --=20
  john

  oellrich{at}earthlink.net
    "Paul Ranson"  wrote in message =
news:3dc27d45$1{at}w3.nls.net...
    I think the race engineer is equally important, perhaps more so. IMO =
there are quite a few good enough to win at NASCAR drivers out there, = but
rather fewer race engineers who could make it happen regularly.

    Paul

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IMO all worthwhile drivers can
say what =
is=20
happening with a car, and the stopwatch reveals the reality. It's easy = to relate=20
'good turn in, mid understeer, oversteer on exit', hard to say 'one =
click off=20
front bump and 10mm less on the front bar', although I guess in oval = racing=20
they'll be looking at different things.
 
There's a well known story of Ronnie =
Petersen=20
complaining about understeer, yet someone watching at trackside seeing = him in=20
lurid slides. He was driving round the understeer by putting the car = sideways. A=20
race engineer who's worked with a driver for a while will be able to = interpret=20
the driver's impressions (which are frequently technically 'wrong') into = useful=20
information to guide the setup.
 
It takes a good race engineer to =
translate what the=20
driver is saying into what it is necessary to do to the car to make = it=20
faster, or easier to drive, or preferably both....
 
If I were starting a NASCAR
team I know =
I can buy=20
all the parts to build competitive cars off the shelf, I know there are = dozens=20
of young presentable drivers with sponsorship deals in their pockets who = are=20
fast enough. What I really need to make the difference is a 'crew=20
chief'.
 
Paul
 
"John Oellrich" <oellrich{at}earthlink.net>">mailto:oellrich{at}earthlink.net">oellrich{at}earthlink.net>
= wrote in=20
message news:3dc31074{at}w3.nls.net...

  Paul,
   
  I think you missed my point, that being in F1 and the like the =
race=20
  engineer (crew chief in NASCAR, I guess) gets readouts about all the =
little=20
  minutia going on in the car and is less reliant on the driver to tell =
him/her=20
  what is happening. The F1 driver doesn't have to (but very well may) =
be able=20
  to relate to the engineer what is going on with the car. In NASCAR it =
is=20
  critical that the driver can do that.
   
  While generally not a very good movie, "Days of
Thunder" had a =
great=20
  scene where Robert Duvall (crew chief) asks Tom Cruise (driver) to =
tell him=20
  what is going on with the car. Cruise says "I can't", Duvall asks why, =
Cruise=20
  responds "I don't know anything about cars". While not the norm, there =
are=20
  drivers that aren't good at it. On the real difficult tracks, that =
becomes a=20
  very big burden.
  -- john
   
  oellrich{at}earthlink.net">mailto:oellrich{at}earthlink.net">oellrich{at}earthlink.net
  

    "Paul Ranson" <paul{at}barkto.com>">mailto:paul{at}barkto.com">paul{at}barkto.com>
wrote in =
message news:3dc27d45$1{at}w3.nls.net...
    I think the race engineer is =
equally important,=20
    perhaps more so. IMO there are quite a few good enough to win at =
NASCAR=20
    drivers out there, but rather fewer race engineers who could make it =
happen=20
    regularly.
     
    Paul
    

      =
 

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