A Test Setup for a Small Space?

[Vitamin K]

So...now that we're in the off-season (for most of us), maybe some of y'all would care to lend a few brain cycles to this musing of mine. It is an open-ended question, so I don't expect any definitive answers. But, here it is: Given that not everybody has space for a test track, what would be a good solution for testing the performance of cars in a small space?

Obviously, there's the testing board with the center strip attached, but what I'm wondering is this: Is there any way to predict the performance of a car on a full size track that can be executed on a (much) shorter track or perhaps other testing device? Sort of akin to putting a plane in a wind tunnel before actual flight.

I don't have a physics background, but I wonder if there's a way to say, build a 10' test track, with a curve defined by some equation and then scale the performance results to a 40' track with a curve defined by another equation?

What do you guys think? Is this way out in left field?

[LightninBoy]

So...now that we're in the off-season (for most of us), maybe some of y'all would care to lend a few brain cycles to this musing of mine. It is an open-ended question, so I don't expect any definitive answers. But, here it is: Given that not everybody has space for a test track, what would be a good solution for testing the performance of cars in a small space?

Obviously, there's the testing board with the center strip attached, but what I'm wondering is this: Is there any way to predict the performance of a car on a full size track that can be executed on a (much) shorter track or perhaps other testing device? Sort of akin to putting a plane in a wind tunnel before actual flight.

I don't have a physics background, but I wonder if there's a way to say, build a 10' test track, with a curve defined by some equation and then scale the performance results to a 40' track with a curve defined by another equation?

What do you guys think? Is this way out in left field?

My advice is ... don't overcomplicate it. Your main goal is to reduce friction, and you can test the friction in the car from a variety of track configurations. In other words it doesn't need to be a small scale analog to the full size track, just something simple. I've had good success building a "friction test track" out of this ...

http://www.[no advertising for this vendor].com/practice-track.php

Ok apparently the software won't let me link to that vendor, so just bing "abc practice track".

The picture shown in that link is silly. You just need to raise one end a few inches, have a short incline and then a long flat section. Then measure the distance the car travels before stopping. If you make a change that lowers the friction (for example, try a new bore wax), then the car will travel further on the track. Simple. No PhD in physics required.

Obviously aero changes can't be tested this way. You also can't test weight placement. But it is very effective in confirming rear axle alignment if you are bending/turning the rear axles.