Written by Mark Mcalary
Track Day 08th July 2024
The UOW Motorsport team arrived early, ready to start the day’s testing. After a quick setup and a safety brief, the main objectives were outlined. The goal of the track day was to collect pressure tap data from different parts of the car to determine whether specific areas were generating lift (upward force) or downforce (downward force), which is vital information in order to improve the vehicles overall performance.
As a result of the damp conditions on the track, the team started on wet tires. The driver was instructed to maintain a steady speed and performed a series of runs while the team applied pressure taps to key areas of the car. This process was crucial for validating the car’s simulation models and collecting valuable data.
Later in the day, to better visualize the airflow, the team employed an effective method of using tape and yarn to capture the photos of wind’s movement around the car. This method is an oldie but a goodie and provided some useful data for our team to use.
Additionally, they applied a substantial amount of flow vis to the car’s surface, this is another method that provides real-time visual of how air interacts with the vehicle.
Despite the challenging weather, the day was a success. The data collected will play a key role in refining the car’s aerodynamic performance as the team prepares for upcoming competitions.
