Determining the Amount of Friction Needed to Maintain Traction on a Turn

by Jacob Meneses

Submitted : Fall 2017

To determine the coefficient of friction that is needed to safely make a turn on a racetrack, Turn 17 of the Sebring International Raceway will be used as the model because it is infamously known as one of the most difficult turns in the world, making it is crucial for race teams to know what to expect and how they should take on this challenge in a race. However, due to insufficient data on this turn, the exact numbers will be estimated using a racing simulator so that a model, applicable to any turn on a racetrack, can be created. This project aims to determine this by calculating the length of the curve, and then calculating its exact curvature. This information will be used to approximate the forces on the car and the amount of time it will be under these forces, thus allowing conclusions to be made on the minimum coefficient of friction needed to keep the car from losing control.

[ Back ]