Re: US 98 2.8 A4 commercial (30v in racing???)

["andrew speer" <andrewspeer1@worldnet.att.net>]

----------
  
>  Quite the opposite actually, for the Nardo attempt anyway- Audi
>  shattered two records. In my earlier post I noted that that particular
>  200 25V averaged 203 mph for 1K km, and 202 mph for 500mi... >>
> 

O.K. I'm stumped

How do you get a "stock" bodied car to average over 200 MPH for such long
distances?

Some of you are going to consider the following questions amazingly
ignorant, but please humor me.

I don't follow CART (or whatever Indycars care called nowadays) but last
time I checked the winning speed at Indianapolis was under 200 MPH.  And we
are only talking 500 Miles there.

I understand these cars make substantially more power than the claimed 650
hp for the record breaking Audi.  As open wheeled racers I don't know what
the aerodynamic comparison would be with the stock-looking Audi...but I
assume the Audi would also have needed drag producing spoilers to generate
sufficient downforce to stay on the track at those speeds.

I also understand racing involves a lot of speed sapping maneuvres that are
not necessary on a pure speed test, but even in qualifying CART cars don't
average that much more than 200 mph...and we're talking lighter fuel loads
and qualifying tyres over a much shorter distance/time right?

So how'd they do it?  The only answer I can think of is that I'm comparing
apples and oranges.  Average speed for the Audi was calculated using a
different set of criteria than that used for oval tracked races.  Either
that, or Audi was able to use a tyres/downforce combination that exceeded
that allowed in regulated oval track races such as Indianapolis. That, or
Audi aerodynamics were substantially better than racers (which I doubt), or
the 25V Turbo I5 made substantially more power than the claimed 650 hp
(which I also doubt, not if they wanted to preserve mechanical integrity at
full blast over such a long distance).

Clearly there is a perfectly rational answer that will get me out of this
quandry (although I won't lose any sleep over it) and one of you has it.

So what is it?

Andrew Speer
89 325i (oops)
84 Coupe GT
84 4000 quattro
82 5000 s