THE FIVE TOUGHEST AUTO RACES TO FINISH

The seemingly endless laps of a race at Bristol Motor Speedway or the constant tight, winding corners of a single lap at the annual Monte Carlo stop on the Formula One calendar may seem like a tough task for drivers to endure. While they’re not easy by any stretch, they pale in comparison to some of the world’s most daunting auto races. These spectacular competitions combine grueling terrain with long distances and continuous varying challenges to create a competition that pushes both man and machine to their absolute limits. Think you’ve seen a tough race? Think again. Here are the five most difficult famous auto races to finish.

5. 4X4 RAINFOREST CHALLENGE – MALAYSIA

Held each November in the small Southeast Asian country of Malaysia, this race pits dozens of competitors against each other for the toughest off-road racing on the planet. How tough is it? It takes the competitors five days to finish the course that stretches only about 500 miles. In fact, some stretches are so difficult that it can take teams over an hour just to go a single kilometer. But that kilometer can be filled with everything from slippery slopes of mud to giant, craggy boulders, to massive forests involving careful weaving to avoid getting stuck. Bring a winch, you’re going to need it.

4. THE NURBURGRING 24

The Nurburgring is a famous (and infamous) auto circuit located just outside the German city of Nuremburg. This circuit is known for being the ultimate test of both car and driver, with the most popular Nordschliefe circuit measuring just under 13 miles in length. It’s over this circuit, which features an incredible 154 turns that one of the most testing endurance races is held every year. No race tests the limits of a car’s performance for hours at a time or a driver’s ability to remain completely focused more than lap after lap of this track for 24 hours straight.

3. ISLE OF MAN TOURIST TROPHY

The Isle of Man is a small autonomous island in the Irish Sea that’s roughly about 220 square miles in size. Every summer, some of the most daring and perhaps insane superbike riders head to the island to take a crack at the 37.7 mile Snaefell Mountain course. The annual competition that has been held for more than 100 years to this day still has the highest fatality rate of any motor race, making it easily the most dangerous motorcycle race on the planet.

2. ERZBERG RODEO

While not as fatal as the Isle of Man TT, the Erzberg Rodeo is even tougher to get from start to finish. The course? From the bottom to the top of a working quarry in the Austrian Alps. But the trick to this race isn’t the distance, it’s the sheer difficulty of making it out. The hill is extraordinarily steep and covered with loose dirt and gravel, making it a challenge for even seasoned riders to reach the finish. This enduro-style race is known for taking out competitors. The 2011 running of this race saw more than 1,000 riders qualify and only nine actually reach the final finish line.

1. THE BAJA 1000

Have you ever seen the movie Death Race? The Baja 1000 is kind of like that, minus the guns. This race that annually takes place across the desert terrain of Baja California in Mexico and features challenges you won’t find in any other event. Spectators have been known to booby trap the course for entertainment, competitors have been detained by local police, and the grueling course and difficult terrain makes for a race where it’s not uncommon for the two-wheeled motorcycles to actually beat the more-powerful and overall-faster four-wheeled entries in overall time. The teams who can claim to have finished the Baja 1000 have earned one of the most prestigious badges of honor in the world of off-road racing.

At MB2 Raceways, you and your friends can race to the finish and put your own skills to the test. Our San Fernando indoor karting facility and other great locations give you the ability to experience the high-speed thrills of go-kart racing with our fully-electric European style vehicles. We offer great parties and event packages as well as daily arrive-and-drive style races, meaning you can get behind the wheel today.

Call MB2 Raceways now at 866-986-RACE for more information or to start booking your event!

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HOW DOES A SPOILER WORK?

It seems like spoilers are all the rage in car design right now. Everywhere you go, you see cars ranging from old hatchbacks to the most modern and expensive of luxury cars driving with a spoiler on the trunk or roof.

Why is that? The easiest answer for most cars is that they give your ride an aggressive, sporty look that mirrors those of race cars. But why have they been so entrenched into car culture? To get the answer, let’s take a look at what a spoiler actually does and how they work.

MB2 Raceway offers various pricing options for your next go-karting adventure. Keep on reading for more info on spoilers and their purpose for racing enthusiasts!

THE PHYSICS BEHIND A SPOILER

Have you ever rolled your car window down and stuck your hand outside while moving? Odds are you have, and you can probably vividly remember how much harder it becomes to keep your hand in the same spot. The wind rushing past your car causes resistance against your hand, which pushes it backward. Well, this is essentially the same principle a spoiler functions on.

Air may not seem like much, but it actually has mass and substance which slows down objects that move through it. Objects with less surface area move through air easier than those with more, a principal known as “aerodynamics,” which is one of the key sciences of racing. Aerodynamic science doesn’t just try to make it so a car moves through the air easier, but in fact it tries to make the air around a car function how the driver wants, which includes providing more resistance in certain circumstances, such as with spoilers.

Back to the hand example. If you hold your hand flat and stick it out the window with your palm facing forward, you will undoubtedly have your hand pushed towards the rear of your car. In this case, your hand is acting as a spoiler that’s applying resistance to that particular side of the car, just on a very small scale. A spoiler on your trunk simply takes the air flowing over this area and redirects it so that it pushes down onto the trunk and rear wheels of a car.

This downward pressure is called “downforce,” and it is what racing teams use to keep their car tires sticking to the road when driving at high speeds. A car traveling nearly 200 miles per hour is extremely dangerous on its own; and without this downforce one small bump can cause it to spin wildly out of control, causing a serious and potentially deadly accident for the driver.

However, with a spoiler on the rear, the air around the car itself is redirected to push downward on the rear axle, adding a ton of extra weight to the rear tires of a car, which helps it remain stable at these high speeds. This allows cars to corner faster and more accurately, and even safely achieve higher speeds along straightaways.

In short, spoilers create downforce. Downforce holds your tires on the road, which makes going faster easier and safer for drivers.

SPOILERS DON’T ALWAYS WORK

A spoiler is not always a good thing because the downforce effect has a resistance-benefit tradeoff. It rarely becomes desirable to use a spoiler unless you are traveling at high speed (think 100 miles per hour, or more). Before this point, the air flowing over your spoiler does not provide enough downforce to create a positive impact on the performance of your car or justify the extra air resistance. You’re much better-off simply relying on the weight of your vehicle to hold the tires to the ground, and minimizing your air resistance to go faster.

This is why you don’t see spoilers on go-karts here at MB2 Raceway. While a spoiler may look cool, they don’t actually add any significant downforce that would improve your kart’s handling performance, which is also boosted by the fact that you as the driver sit almost directly over the rear axle, providing it with a significant amount of downforce just with your own bodyweight. As a result, by not having a spoiler, we eliminate the air resistance it would provide, and allow you to go faster, while still maintaining a kart that still turns quickly and is stable on straightaways.

For your family sedan, the spoiler on your trunk is likely not doing anything to help with your downforce either. In fact, many spoilers are designed purely for their aesthetic properties and don’t actually redirect the force downward at all. This simply means they’re just a piece of plastic or metal that provides air resistance, which actually slows you down a touch. However, because you’re not normally driving at speeds in excess of 100 miles per hour, it really doesn’t make that much of a difference.

But if you want that edgy, race-car like look, you can’t go wrong by putting a spoiler on.

At MB2 Raceway, we offer lots of great racing options at our Minneapolis indoor karting facility. We have daily arrive-and-drive format races for those who wish to stop by and get some practice laps in or race casually with friends. We also offer a host of party or event packages designed for groups as small as ten and as large as over 200, all complete with practice laps, qualifying heats, and full-speed races in our fully-electric indoor go-karts.

To learn more about MB2 Raceways’ great racing options, call today at 866-986-RACE!

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THREE ODD QUESTIONS ABOUT NASCAR RACING

The National Association of Stock Car Auto Racing, otherwise known as NASCAR, is by far the most popular racing series in the United States. But there are some parts about this sport which some people have never known but always would have liked to. On this blog, we look at just a few of these rubber-burning questions to give you the answers you have been searching for.

“Why do they always turn left?” 

One of the most common digs at NASCAR is that races just consist of a seemingly-endless cycle of left turns around an oval track. But why left? Why are there no races where the drivers take the oval turning right? Nobody really knows how the tradition started, but today the reason why NASCAR doesn’t simply adopt right-turning races is one of safety. Because drivers sit on the left side of the car when driving and cars tend to slide outward to the right when turning, this places far more armor and safety equipment between the driver and the retaining wall.

The exact opposite is true in what was Australia’s equivalent of NASCAR, otherwise known as AUSCAR. Australia drives with the wheel on the right hand side of the car, so to preserve safety, they drove in a clockwise direction, making right turns for the duration of the race. Unfortunately, AUSCAR shut down in the year 1999 and is no longer running down under.

“Why do NASCAR cars not have doors or mirrors?” 

Similar to the previous question, the answer once again has to do with safety. Doors are prone to flying open and crunching during accidents, so engineers opted to get rid of them. This means the car will hold its integrity better in a crash. Likewise, it also gave engineers the ability to install additional safety features, such as a solid roll cage along the sides of both cars, which further decreases the chance of a serious accident and allows more drivers to walk away from the high-speed crashes.

Cars don’t have mirrors simply because they race so close together all of the time. To be more accurate, cars don’t have side-view mirrors, but they do have a long rear-view mirror that allows them to see into their blind spots easier while racing. If cars came with side-view mirrors, they’d get knocked off easily nearly every race (especially in the tight conditions of restrictor-plate racing) and a loose mirror could spell disaster for another car that strikes it.

“How big is a pit crew?” 

It’s impossible for a NASCAR vehicle to go the entire duration of a 500 mile race without having to stop for fuel or new tires, so pit stops are an integral part of the race. In a pit stop, a driver’s team members, known as his pit crew, will jump over the wall, change the tires, fill the car with fuel, make adjustments to the suspension or steering, clean the windshield, and even give the driver a drink of water if necessary. And they’ll do all of this in about 12 to 14 seconds.

While a race team is composed of dozens of members, the actual pit crew is composed generally of about nine members, with up to seven being allowed over the wall to work on the car at any given time. Each crew consists of a tire carrier and changer for both the front and rear of the car, as gas man, a jack man, and on occasion, an “extra man” who does things like cleaning the windshield or making a car adjustment. Teams also have support crew members who do things such as retrieve wrenches and air hoses and hand things to the crew members working on the car, but they must remain behind the pit wall for the duration of the stop.

If you want to learn more about the experience of high-speed racing, stop by your local MB2 Raceway for a memorable motorsports experience. Our fully-electric European-style go karts offer all of the thrills of wheel-to-wheel racing in a safe and controlled environment. Each of our tracks is designed to test drivers of the highest skill levels while being simple enough for even novice drivers to navigate without difficulty, making the experience fun for everyone involved. We even provide all necessary safety equipment to help you truly enjoy your race!

Learn more about our arrive-and-drive races or book your next event today! Call MB2 Raceway at 866-986-RACE!

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WHY ARE FINNS SUCH GOOD RACECAR DRIVERS?

“If you want to win, hire a Finn.” It’s a long-time moniker in motorsports that has a remarkable amount of truth in it: despite being a small nation with a large amount of territory north of the Arctic Circle, Finland produces many exceptional racecar drivers. Despite having a population of just under 5.5 million, they currently have two drivers on this year’s Formula One circuit (Valtteri Bottas and Kimi Raikkonen). Only Germany has more drivers (3), but has a population of more than 81 million people, making Finland by far the highest ratio of F1 drivers-to-population of any country on earth.

What makes the Finns so good at auto racing? After all, Finland doesn’t have a globally-renowned automotive or motorsports manufacturer like Germany does, so why the immense interest and talent for driving? Many people have their theories but one of the most popular has to do with the requirements for obtaining a Finnish driver’s license.

Finland’s roads are frequently covered with snow and ice, and certain portions of the country see little to no sunlight during the winter months each year. As a result, drivers must be prepared for a number of challenges they might not face here in the United States. To compensate, the Finnish driver’s license test is supposedly one of the most difficult in the world to pass.

In total, the entire licensing process in Finland takes two years, starting when you reach the minimum age of 18. After a rigorous and thorough training course, which might include using a night driving simulator in a classroom, which emulates conditions that a driver could encounter, including icy roads, limited visibility, and a moose crossing the road, all at the same time.

Once you do get behind the wheel of a car, you must do so with an instructor or with a relative, but it must be done in a vehicle that has a passenger-side brake pedal. You must spend at least 18 hours behind the wheel of this vehicle, including a spell on a slippery surface, such as a frozen road, icy lake bed, or other surface. You are also required to complete a total of 19 driving theory lessons which cover everything from decision making to road laws to car maintenance. Once this is all completed, the driving candidate must pass a theory test and a 30-minute city driving test.

If you pass this test, congratulations! You’re halfway done! It’s true. This is just the test that gets you a two-year provisional driver’s license, during which point you are required to complete a range of advanced driving classes, which includes more night driving and possibly more simulator work. Once all of this has been completed and the two-year provisional license program is finished, a Finnish citizen may obtain a full driving license.

And the reasons for all of these requirements are clear: Finland also has some of the strictest driving and road laws in the world as well. Speed checkpoints and cameras are a regular occurrence in Finland, and officers can stop motorists for a number of reasons, even just to inspect your tires or make sure your signal lights are working properly. Random safety checks occur frequently, which often include a breathalyzer test to detect anyone driving while under the influence of alcohol.

However, the good news for Finnish people is that their driver’s license, once they obtain it, lasts until they are 70 years old. You won’t have to worry about renewing it or re-taking the exam every few years like you would here in America. It may seem crazy to not have to check in and have your license renewed for such a long time, but when you consider how incredibly thorough the licensing process is in the first place, you realize how skilled of a driver you must be in order to be licensed in the first place.

Perhaps, indeed, this is why so many skilled racecar drivers are Finnish: driving a night in the Arctic Circle makes for good training for the track ahead.

Ready to experience the thrill of open-wheel racing for yourself? Visit your local MB2 Raceway to get a piece of the intense racing action of real go-kart racing. Our fully-electric European-style karts are designed for drivers of all ages to drive quickly and safely while challenging even the most seasoned professionals. We offer daily arrive-and-drive races as well as birthday party and corporate event packages for all ages.

For more information about your local facility, call MB2 Raceway today at 866-986-RACE!

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SNOW RALLY – WINTER’S FAVORITE RACING

A white, snowy winter may not appear to be ideal conditions for an auto race, but snow rally drivers would beg to disagree. Snow rally is mostly popular in Northern European countries where snow and ice are a regular fixture during winter months, including Finland, Norway, and Sweden. However, the sport has recently begun to surge in the northern United States, thanks to some international success from American teams.

Snow rally is unique from other types of rally racing because snow and ice covered tracks can change so dramatically throughout the course of a race. As tracks are used, the cars compact the snow into solid chunks of ice, which offers very little in the way of traction. However, as fresh powder, snow tends to act more like sand. The result is a type of high-speed racing that’s even more on-the-edge and chaotic, traveling over powder, ice, dirt, asphalt, and other surfaces, and switching between them faster than you can adapt to the next one.

The Swedish Rally, one of the major stops on the World Rally Championship tour, is traditionally the only race in the series held on snow, and is widely known for being one of the most difficult races of the year for drivers who are not from a Nordic country. The first was run in 1950, and it took until 1981 for a driver from a different country to finally claim the crown, and until 2004 for a driver not from Sweden or Finland to do it. No American has ever even seen the podium in this event.

SNOW RALLYCROSS

Rallycross has been growing extremely popular in the United States over the last several years, due in large part to the success of the Red Bull Global Rallycross series (which our own Christian Brooks competes in). Rallycross differs from regular rally in that regular rally is a point-to-point time attack race, whereas rallycross puts drivers head-to-head on a lap track.

Snow rallycross brings a whole additional level of insanity to the sport by combining the high-speed and low-grip aspects of snow rally with cramped conditions of multiple drivers racing bumper-to-bumper. The result is a high-speed, high-contact, and action-packed style of extraordinarily entertaining racing.

You don’t have to worry about snow and ice slowing you down at MB2 Raceway. Our Minneapolis indoor go-karting facility is open year-round, providing high-speed racing action with our fully-electric European-style go karts. We offer a wide variety of packages for parties or corporate events, plus arrive-and-drive style races on a daily basis.

Have the need for speed this winter? Get to MB2 Raceway! Call us today at 866.986.RACE!

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