Jump to content

Why does the exhaust have to exit behind the driver?


Cobra4B

Recommended Posts

Curious the rationale behind this rule? The Mercedes SLR street car has fender exit side exhaust.

 

7059058423_e9da4c0678.jpg

 

Rebuilding the Panoz right now and having the exhaust exit behind the front wheel would cut down on a whole bunch of exhaust piping and reduce cabin heat.

 

482998_3870582174273_1459855379_n.jpg

 

~Brian

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Unofficial educated guess is that it has to do with fumes and/or other things that can exit through exhaust pipes (smoke, fire.)

 

ps- the Mercedes in question is not technically state-inspectable in Virginia for that reason. Although the only one I've ever seen at a dealership got a sticker on it anyway

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Unofficial educated guess is that it has to do with fumes and/or other things that can exit through exhaust pipes (smoke, fire.)

 

 

Right, carbon monoxide. Exit the exhaust in front of the driver, and you will be breathing it. Which in the right concentrations will make you light headed or pass out. Not a good thing to do at 100 mph.

 

The SLR doesn't normally run around with its window down, and I bet its aero was extensively tested and tweaked to keep the exhaust flow out of the cockpit.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Unofficial educated guess is that it has to do with fumes and/or other things that can exit through exhaust pipes (smoke, fire.)

 

 

Right, carbon monoxide. Exit the exhaust in front of the driver, and you will be breathing it. Which in the right concentrations will make you light headed or pass out. Not a good thing to do at 100 mph.

 

The SLR doesn't normally run around with its window down, and I bet its aero was extensively tested and tweaked to keep the exhaust flow out of the cockpit.

sort of like the exhaust of all those cars in front of you, or if you have an exhaust leak, or.....

 

This may be a good time to revisit the rule, how about exits behind the driver or out the side?

 

how about this

35532c15.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Right, carbon monoxide. Exit the exhaust in front of the driver, and you will be breathing it. Which in the right concentrations will make you light headed or pass out. Not a good thing to do at 100 mph.

 

One of the few things I can say I have experienced on track that has also been experienced by a certain pro racer named Tom Long is... carbon monoxide poisoning. Granted he's in way better shape and his happened in a $300k+ Mazda RX-8 during a 24hrs of Daytona while mine happened in a $500 Volkswagen during a crapcan race, but the experience and effects were very similar.

 

I'm not someone who pits in early. And I pitted in early, before passing out. It made me as ill as I have ever felt in my adult life, and I still wasn't right the next day. I wouldn't wish that on anyone. Which may be part of why we have this exhaust rule?

 

Thinking out loud,

 

Jon

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It made me as ill as I have ever felt in my adult life, and I still wasn't right the next day. I wouldn't wish that on anyone.

So true. Happened to me last June in the Thunder race at Rd Atl and I spent some time in the infield care center after the race. It took a couple of days before it was completely out of my system.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Right, carbon monoxide. Exit the exhaust in front of the driver, and you will be breathing it. Which in the right concentrations will make you light headed or pass out. Not a good thing to do at 100 mph.

 

One of the few things I can say I have experienced on track that has also been experienced by a certain pro racer named Tom Long is... carbon monoxide poisoning. Granted he's in way better shape and his happened in a $300k+ Mazda RX-8 during a 24hrs of Daytona while mine happened in a $500 Volkswagen during a crapcan race, but the experience and effects were very similar.

 

I'm not someone who pits in early. And I pitted in early, before passing out. It made me as ill as I have ever felt in my adult life, and I still wasn't right the next day. I wouldn't wish that on anyone. Which may be part of why we have this exhaust rule?

 

Thinking out loud,

 

Jon

 

Where was the exhaust exit on that car?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...