Motorsports Trivia Thread!
- Thread starter Cap'n Jack
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Dotini
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Thanks for the hint!
Simo Lampinen, a "Flying Finn", finished with a Triumph Spitfire in 1965. His co-driverr was Jean=Jacque Thuner.
Lampinen (on the left) at the 19641000 Lakes Rally with co-driver Jyrki Ahava
Simo Lampinen, a "Flying Finn", finished with a Triumph Spitfire in 1965. His co-driverr was Jean=Jacque Thuner.
Lampinen (on the left) at the 19641000 Lakes Rally with co-driver Jyrki Ahava
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And, we've got a winner.Thanks for the hint!
Simo Lampinen, a "Flying Finn", finished with a Triumph Spitfire in 1965. His co-driverr was Jean=Jacque Thuner.
- 20,681
- TenEightyOne
- TenEightyOne
Identify this car, it's owner, and it's unusual engineering feature.
Cunningham Ferrari 3something. It has water-cooled brakes and a prototype V12 Ferrari engine. I guess the water-cooled brakes are the peculiar engineering feature? Led to a fallout between Enzo and Cunningham, I believe.
370?
EDIT: I recall he might have fitted a Ford engine after the Ferrari lump broke (post argument), is it a Ferrari with a Ford engine in the picture?
Dotini
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@TenEightyOne
The car in the question is a 1953 375MM V-12 Ferrari owned by the super wealthy American sportsman, Briggs Cunningham. During this era, racing at LeMans was dominated by the disc brake equipped Jaguars, so Cunningham went to heroic lengths to compete, including the use of gigantic 17" brake drums, and water cooling as used on this particular Ferrari. Driven at LeMans in '54 by John Fitch and Phil Walters, this car retired with engine and axle bearing problems. When Cunningham and Alfred Momo complained to the Commendatore and were rebuffed, Cunningham never did business with Ferrari again.
I don't know what became of this car, but suspect it remains in the Cunningham museum.
The 375MM of Jim Kimberly, winner of 17 of 20 races in 1954, later received a Corvette engine. Today it stands restored with the V-12, and recently sold for $9,075,000. Pinin Farina constructed the body to the specification of Kimberly. Note the cutouts behind the front wheels, intended to promote brake cooling, and adopted to subsequent successful Ferraris.
The car in the question is a 1953 375MM V-12 Ferrari owned by the super wealthy American sportsman, Briggs Cunningham. During this era, racing at LeMans was dominated by the disc brake equipped Jaguars, so Cunningham went to heroic lengths to compete, including the use of gigantic 17" brake drums, and water cooling as used on this particular Ferrari. Driven at LeMans in '54 by John Fitch and Phil Walters, this car retired with engine and axle bearing problems. When Cunningham and Alfred Momo complained to the Commendatore and were rebuffed, Cunningham never did business with Ferrari again.
I don't know what became of this car, but suspect it remains in the Cunningham museum.
The 375MM of Jim Kimberly, winner of 17 of 20 races in 1954, later received a Corvette engine. Today it stands restored with the V-12, and recently sold for $9,075,000. Pinin Farina constructed the body to the specification of Kimberly. Note the cutouts behind the front wheels, intended to promote brake cooling, and adopted to subsequent successful Ferraris.
- 29,922
- Bratvegas
- GTP_Liquid
How does a water-based brake cooling system function? I think some F1 cars dabbled with it but it's not an avenue I have a lot of information on. Is there a nozzle which drips/pours/shoots water over the calipers and discs? Seems awfully wasteful.
Dotini
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Complete data on the Cunningham system does not seem readily available. It was not a constant loss system, as you describe. The water was circulated thru heat exchangers cooled by the obvious ducts, and back to the brakes. Likely there was a small reservoir. I suspect the water was circulated through passages drilled in custom machined backing plates upon which the shoes were mounted.
Common pressed steel backing plate for drum brake
Cunningham desperately wanted the clearly superior disc brakes, but they were not available to him, so he undertook extreme but unavailing measures.
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Dotini
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I will relinquish this turn to @Jimlaad43.
Roo
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Ralf's first victory was in 2001... the San Marino GP, if I remember rightly. Definately 2001 though.
Hakkinen, Michael Schumacher and Coulthard are right, and I'd potentially add Rubens Barrichello to the list, depending on when a century is deemed to have finished/started... @Jimlaad43?
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I do believe that was only a ruse. Back in the FISA/FOCA wars of the early '80s some of the independent teams ran with reservoirs of water, ostensibly to cool the brakes. Once on track, the water would be dumped out, and the car would then be lighter (and therefore faster) than it should be. Once back in the pits they topped up oils and coolants which included the "brake cooling water" so that they were back over the weight limit.
http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/2007/07/12/ten-of-the-best-f1-scandals/
EDIT: Anyone else find it funny to talk about water cooled brakes, only to be told that @Liquid likes this?
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- 29,922
- Bratvegas
- GTP_Liquid
Ah, yes that does ring a bell. Sounds very similar to when Tyrrell were excluded in 1984 for having, amongst other things, lead shot in their water to make the car weigh enough when all its coolants were topped up!
Anyone else find it funny to talk about water cooled brakes, only to be told that @Liquid likes this?
I am always keen to take an interest in things which concern me.
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- TenEightyOne
- TenEightyOne
