Hatchback Aerodynamics part 1: Setting performance targets
A lot has been written about racecar aerodynamics, by now it must be clear to any reader that there are 5 external sources of force regulating the whole of a racecar’s behavior, the forces in the contact patches of the four tires and the aerodynamic forces that affect the car as it moves through the air. The body shape can be manipulated as a way to alter this force and vary the drag (force resisting the car’s motion through the air) and downforce (vertical force). As a rule of thumb, if you want to generate downforce, you will have to pay a price in drag. In many tracks it is preferable to have low drag levels, these are usually fast tracks where the car is operating at high speeds for most of the time or when the car is very underpowered. Drag will consume power at the cube of speed so the faster you are going the more horsepower your car is going to consume to move through the air, this can be seen in oval racing stock cars and land speed record cars amongst others. Other tracks, w...