Do these cars have a reverse?

[Marbles]

Beekhuis has stated twice during incidents on the track this season that these cars do not have a reverse. I thought I misheard him the first time but I'm guessing not. Is it solely for safety? They seemed to manage reasonably well on road courses in previous years with an Undo gear. Is it solely for safety?

[Easy Drifter]

No reverse. Would mean a total redsign of gearbox. F1 also do not have reverse. Adds weight and complications and would be rarely used.

[chuck34]

No reverse. Would mean a total redsign of gearbox. F1 also do not have reverse. Adds weight and complications and would be rarely used.

I thought F1 had reverse. On the Speed coverage, I remember Steve Matchett doing one of his RPM segments and showing us a gear cluster. Then he pulled one off that was maybe a quarter inch thick, all scalloped out, even on the teeth. I thought that was the reverse gear, but maybe not.

[Easy Drifter]

Don't think so Chuck. Difficult, but not impossible, to have a reverse with a sequential gearbox. With a 7 speed box if you were in 7th you would have to go down each gear in order to go to reverse.
With my sports racer back in the dark ages I had an 8 speed + reverse sticker on the dash. A few people believed it! :D

[DBell]

I seem to remember back in the 90's a rule coming in to force teams to have a reverse gear. I did a quick search and, according to these 3 links, F1 cars have a reverse gear.

http://formula1.india-server.com/cars/transmission-system.html

http://www.f1technical.net/articles/66

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Formula_One_car

I can't remember ever seeing an F1 car use it's reverse gear, but they apparently have them.

[chuck34]

Don't think so Chuck. Difficult, but not impossible, to have a reverse with a sequential gearbox. With a 7 speed box if you were in 7th you would have to go down each gear in order to go to reverse.
With my sports racer back in the dark ages I had an 8 speed + reverse sticker on the dash. A few people believed it! :D

The GT car that I worked on a few years ago had a sequential box with reverse. It was most certainly not "high tech", so I'm not sure how difficult it is. It just about took an act of Congress to get the thing into reverse, but it had one. You had to find neutral, not easy. Then pull a lever next to the shifter, hard to tell when you had pulled it far enough. Then shift into "1st", but most of the time it actually went into 1st. I'd think that the F1 guys could figure it out a bit better though.

[Ronan62]

F1 had and may still have a reverse. Mansell during his Ferrari days used it once during a race because he missed his pit box. He then got penalized for using it.

[Easy Drifter]

I stand corrected.
My Bad. :o
As suggested probably very difficult to engage. Also probably extremely light and weak as no one expects or intends to actually use it!

[chuck34]

Also probably extremely light and weak as no one expects or intends to actually use it!

That's what I was thinking when I saw the F1 gear. "Oh God! I hope they never have to use that because I think the teeth may just fall off as soon as any power hits that gear".

[SoCalPVguy]

The only reverse these cars have is in ratings and popularity.

[Hoop-98]

The only reverse these cars have is in ratings and popularity.

I am humbled, who would have believed an "illuminati" could top his prior posts in enlightenment, clarity, and in general making this a better place to be...i feel privileged to be graced with such...


rh

[Marbles]

With a 7 speed box if you were in 7th you would have to go down each gear in order to go to reverse.


I'm not sure how they got reverse in the sequential boxes in CART but I think there was some sort of detent involved in selecting it. Not just going 3-2-1-neutral-reverse... I think.

I know Moreno didn't know how to get there and he was driving the car. I think he was super subbing for C. Fittipaldi in Long Beach when he slid headlong into a tire barrier. "How do I get into reverse", he asked over the radio. I thought it was a strange question ar first. A professional driver not knowing how to put his car in reverse. But... then I thought: It was short notice for Moreno and if I was the guy hiring him I wouldn't have to much confidence in him if one of his first questions was, "How do I back up?"


The only reverse these cars have is in ratings and popularity.

I hate to encourage you, but that was funny!

[penske15]

I am humbled, who would have believed an "illuminati" could top his prior posts in enlightenment, clarity, and in general making this a better place to be...i feel privileged to be graced with such...


rh

how illuminating!! :s mokin: