Chat Board: Are Your Electrical Systems Keeping Up With Your Race Car? Part 1

**2009 Champions**
Hughes Performance Pro Street--Randy Walker
Accufab Racing Outlaw 10.5--Doug Sikora
MagnaFual Xtreeme Drag Radial--Roger Holder Jr.
Edelbrock Hot Street--Gypsy Mike
Mickey Thompson Tires Wild Street--Dee Pfnister
K&N Filters Limited Street-- Russ Delia Jr.
Probe Industries Super Street--Steve Faller
Brandt Racing Ent. Quick Street--Chris Biggerstaff
Mean Street--Mike Nordahl
Orme Bros Open Comp--Dan Marciano
Calvert Racing Bracket1--Steve Cox
Ford Racing Mustang Maddness--Dan Marciano
Symbolic Auto Body Street Challenge--Mark Washington

Are Your Electrical Systems Keeping Up With Your Race Car? Part 1
Posted by Deborah-WFO on October 27, 2009, 10:32 pm
Part 1

We are now a dealer for Automated Racing Technologies. I wrote this article. See part 2 for my Interview with the Inventor Chris Patrick

Deborah-WFO prostreet@cox.net
http://www.worldsfastestorganization.com

Are Your Electrical Systems Keeping Up With Your Race Car? ;An Interview with Automated Racing Technologies

By Deborah WFO, Bluebaugh Racing- October 2009

Why are the world’s fastest Nitrous Pro Mod Racers so fast? The bottom line is that a consistent race car using 100% of its potential wins races. The question is how do you make a race car more consistent and know that you are maximizing potential with so much going on? I met with Chris Patrick of Automated Racing Technologies to get some answers. Patrick is the inventor of the Total Function Control (TFC-5) automated race car management system. The TFC-5 is a light weight digital processor that can give you total programmable control of all the electronics and electrical components in your race car at the touch of a screen. This system just may be one of Jim Halsey and Pat Stoken’s little secrets to success.

What we are really talking about here is the precision and speed of electricity applied in race car technology. Patrick’s digital system runs more than 23 times faster than conventional analog systems with out absorbing an abundance of electricity. There are three basic parameters the system addresses.

The primary function has to do with making a race car repeat exactly from run to run. Tuners set many functions in a race car to go on and off at certain times. This however is not happening with conventional analog systems, relays, and the abundance of wiring running up and down a car. These analog systems can have a fairly significant variance. They can also severely hinder all electrical operations because they spike voltage, build heat, and slow down. It would be impossible to get anywhere on time, if your clock moved forward or backward an unknown amount each day. It’s the same with a race car. If you can not depend on a system to turn a parameter on and off at exactly the same time each run, there is no way the tuner can ever know what is happening. It’s also impossible to be consistent. If the tuner can rest assure that all systems are working with precision accuracy, only then can a race car really be tuned to 100% of its potential.

The second function has to do with reducing the error rate of the driver. To simply fire up a race car and get to the starting line, there are many things the driver has to remember to do. Missing even one simple step can lose the race and in the worst case cause significant damage to the race car. The TFC-5 automates all of these processes. A small touch screen computer monitor is mounted in the car. All the driver has to do is touch the screen in a sequence that is as easy as ready, set, go. The digital processor does the rest by turning multiple systems on and off at the exact preset times and automatically sequences the process of steps. This allows the driver to concentrate on the most important task, which is driving the car. When the driver is able to be comfortable and assured that nothing has been forgotten, the outcome is a sharper driver. The system also allows an override, just in case the driver wants to make some last minute changes to the preset.

The last function is about durability. If you have ever searched for the break down in an electrical system, it can quickly turn into a frustrating nightmare. The reality is that our race cars currently have hundreds of feet of wire, relays, sensors, switches, and solenoids that are all subject to break down through heat, high voltage spikes, voltage variance, can be just plain slow or worse, intermittent. Even a variation in the voltage output of your battery can cause a problem with these analog systems. The TFC-5 digital system flows the electricity through your components and uses very low voltage to do it. This is in comparison to analog systems that absorb electricity and use high amounts of voltage. Once installed, the TFC-5 will eliminate massive amounts of heavy copper wiring installed in most cars along with any number of analog components. The result is a system that is more reliable and durable. In case you were wondering about the impact of acceleration and bumpy rides, the TFC-5 has survived the hardest accelerating Pro Nitrous cars in the world, it has been in crashes, and it is still working.

Message Thread:

Are Your Electrical Systems Keeping Up With Your Race Car? Part 1 - Deborah-WFO October 27, 2009, 10:32 pm

Are Your Electrical Systems Keeping Up With Your Race Car? Part 2 - Deborah-WFO October 27, 2009, 10:51 pm

Commentary - Deborah-WFO October 27, 2009, 11:05 pm

« Back to thread

Post a Response

Subject:

Message:

--Previous Message-- : Part 1 : : We are now a dealer for Automated Racing : Technologies. I wrote this article. See part : 2 for my Interview with the Inventor Chris : Patrick : : Deborah-WFO prostreet@cox.net : http://www.worldsfastestorganization.com : : : Are Your Electrical Systems Keeping Up With : Your Race Car? ;An Interview with Automated : Racing Technologies : : By Deborah WFO, Bluebaugh Racing- October : 2009 : : Why are the world’s fastest Nitrous Pro Mod : Racers so fast? The bottom line is that a : consistent race car using 100% of its : potential wins races. The question is how do : you make a race car more consistent and know : that you are maximizing potential with so : much going on? I met with Chris Patrick of : Automated Racing Technologies to get some : answers. Patrick is the inventor of the : Total Function Control (TFC-5) automated : race car management system. The TFC-5 is a : light weight digital processor that can give : you total programmable control of all the : electronics and electrical components in : your race car at the touch of a screen. This : system just may be one of Jim Halsey and Pat : Stoken’s little secrets to success. : : What we are really talking about here is the : precision and speed of electricity applied : in race car technology. Patrick’s digital : system runs more than 23 times faster than : conventional analog systems with out : absorbing an abundance of electricity. There : are three basic parameters the system : addresses. : : The primary function has to do with making a : race car repeat exactly from run to run. : Tuners set many functions in a race car to : go on and off at certain times. This however : is not happening with conventional analog : systems, relays, and the abundance of wiring : running up and down a car. These analog : systems can have a fairly significant : variance. They can also severely hinder all : electrical operations because they spike : voltage, build heat, and slow down. It would : be impossible to get anywhere on time, if : your clock moved forward or backward an : unknown amount each day. It’s the same with : a race car. If you can not depend on a : system to turn a parameter on and off at : exactly the same time each run, there is no : way the tuner can ever know what is : happening. It’s also impossible to be : consistent. If the tuner can rest assure : that all systems are working with precision : accuracy, only then can a race car really be : tuned to 100% of its potential. : : The second function has to do with reducing : the error rate of the driver. To simply fire : up a race car and get to the starting line, : there are many things the driver has to : remember to do. Missing even one simple step : can lose the race and in the worst case : cause significant damage to the race car. : The TFC-5 automates all of these processes. : A small touch screen computer monitor is : mounted in the car. All the driver has to do : is touch the screen in a sequence that is as : easy as ready, set, go. The digital : processor does the rest by turning multiple : systems on and off at the exact preset times : and automatically sequences the process of : steps. This allows the driver to concentrate : on the most important task, which is driving : the car. When the driver is able to be : comfortable and assured that nothing has : been forgotten, the outcome is a sharper : driver. The system also allows an override, : just in case the driver wants to make some : last minute changes to the preset. : : The last function is about durability. If : you have ever searched for the break down in : an electrical system, it can quickly turn : into a frustrating nightmare. The reality is : that our race cars currently have hundreds : of feet of wire, relays, sensors, switches, : and solenoids that are all subject to break : down through heat, high voltage spikes, : voltage variance, can be just plain slow or : worse, intermittent. Even a variation in the : voltage output of your battery can cause a : problem with these analog systems. The TFC-5 : digital system flows the electricity through : your components and uses very low voltage to : do it. This is in comparison to analog : systems that absorb electricity and use high : amounts of voltage. Once installed, the : TFC-5 will eliminate massive amounts of : heavy copper wiring installed in most cars : along with any number of analog components. : The result is a system that is more reliable : and durable. In case you were wondering : about the impact of acceleration and bumpy : rides, the TFC-5 has survived the hardest : accelerating Pro Nitrous cars in the world, : it has been in crashes, and it is still : working. : : : : :

http://www.pscaracing.com/images/novwf2002.jpg

Optional Link Title:
Optional Link URL:

By posting, you confirm that you have read and agreed to be bound by the board's usage terms.

***NEXT EVENT***

S T R E E T - C A R - S U P E R - N A T I O N A L S - V
November 19th - 22nd, 2009
Las Vegas Motor Speedway
www.streetcarsupernationals.com

1st PSCA Event of 2010
Hughes Performance "Record Breaker Nationals"
January 29th - 31st / Las Vegas, NV. / Las Vegas Motor Speedway