Who has read "The Unfair Advantage" ?

[sugarwood]

What was your favorite part?

https://www.amazon.com/Unfair-Advantage-Mark-Donohue/dp/0837600693

[manbridge 74]

Don't recall if it was in the book but I thought it crazy that he and Roger Penske acid dipped a 1967 Camaro from 2920 down to 2550 lbs.

[Flieger]

917/30

It was all good though - Indy, sportscars, Trans-Am, etc.

[strupgolf]

Every page of this book is golden to me.

[on2wheels52]

It was a long time ago.

[DaveE]

The process of working through the fuel injection setup on the 917-10 to make the car drivable, working through the issues with Bosch, his frustrations in working with the language and culture barriers. That is my favorite part as I remember the book. It has been a long time since I've picked it up though.

[CMDR Perry]

I read it many years ago, interesting story about testing the 917 under the influence. Evidently alcohol was part of the factory program in the 70's in Germany.

I think Penske and Mark were the first American race team to really use a scientific approach in car set-up and testing and the results show it. DP

[David]

One of my favorite books. I reread it every few years.

For any engineer or engineering student who dreams of racing, it is mandatory reading.

I like how humble Mark is throughout the book but somehow manages great ride after great ride.

[wayner]

What amazed me was how late it was in the evolution of race car design, that real understanding of suspension dynamics began to evolve.

[URY914]

I have a paperback of it. Keep it in the bathroom. There is always something worth reading again and again.

[doug_porsche]

I love the line (something like):

When Porsche loaned him a 917:
"Thats not a race car, that spare parts that you bolted together so you dont lose any of them"

and

"If you can leave two black stripes from the exit of one corner to the braking zone of the next, you have enough horsepower. "


Strupgolf has me wondering.
Who has an autographed copy of the book?

Unfair Advantage...........

[Mark Henry]

I read it as a kid, I should get a copy someday because I admit I don't remember it well.

I saw Donahue race at the Mosport Can-am in 1973 in the 917/30, what a monster. He was blistering fast, made the other cars look like they were almost standing still. He was by far the fastest in all the heats, but didn't win the feature due to mechanical problems.
My brother took me to the race just to see him race, everyone there was talking about him and his car.
On that I'll never forget that sound.

[james marriott]

Hey Mark. Was also at the 1973 Mosport Can Am weekend. Great racing and camping in the infield. Flew to TO and hitched to the track. Hot and sunny three days, but wonderful cars. Thanks for the reminder. Will need to dig through my slides some rainy weekend !

[Mark Henry]

Originally Posted by james marriott

Hey Mark. Was also at the 1973 Mosport Can Am weekend. Great racing and camping in the infield. Flew to TO and hitched to the track. Hot and sunny three days, but wonderful cars. Thanks for the reminder. Will need to dig through my slides some rainy weekend !

Hi James, My brother used to take me to Mosport several times a year as we lived fairly close in Whitby, in 73 I was only 11-12 years old. Camped for the weekend many times.
Also saw Gilles and Jacques (sr) Villeneuve race snowmobiles there.
But seeing Donahue screaming around that track, I admit the first few times he came around it scared the poop out of me.

Last 20 years I've lived only 20 minutes from the track, still try to get out there a couple times a year with my young lad.

[bkreigsr]

- under-dash switch to activate the brake lights in the Penske/Sunoco Camaro?
- that's an Unfair Advantage.
Bill K

[ted]

Originally Posted by doug_porsche

I love the line (something like):
"If you can leave two black stripes from the exit of one corner to the braking zone of the next, you have enough horsepower. "

I wish, best I could do...
https://youtu.be/JcTHKozg244

Another part where they wrote about the advantage in the late 60s Trans Am with the elevated fuel rig with fuel on ice was said to be a diversion.
I was told that was all to hide the fact they did have an oversize gas tank.
According to someone that knew the car very well...ymmv

[strupgolf]

The elevated fuel rig worked this way. They had a smaller drum inside a bigger one. They then packed dry ice all around the inside thus cooling the gas. Cold gas takes up less space in a confined tank and they could fit 25 gallons into a 24 gallon tank. Not a larger tank. Genious back then.

[ted]

Originally Posted by strupgolf

The elevated fuel rig worked this way. They had a smaller drum inside a bigger one. They then packed dry ice all around the inside thus cooling the gas. Cold gas takes up less space in a confined tank and they could fit 25 gallons into a 24 gallon tank. Not a larger tank. Genious back then.

I liked Smokey's attempt at genius.

Another Yunick improvisation was getting around the regulations specifying a maximum size for the fuel tank, by using 11-foot (3 meter) coils of 2-inch (5-centimeter) diameter tubing for the fuel line to add about 5 gallons (19 liters) to the car's fuel capacity. Once, NASCAR officials came up with a list of nine items for Yunick to fix before the car would be allowed on the track. The suspicious NASCAR officials had removed the tank for inspection. Yunick started the car with no gas tank and said "Better make it ten,"[5] and drove it back to the pits. He used a basketball in the fuel tank which could be inflated when the car's fuel capacity was checked and deflated for the race.

[rcooled]

Originally Posted by Mark Henry

I saw Donahue race at the Mosport Can-am in 1973 in the 917/30, what a monster...I'll never forget that sound.

[greglepore]

Speaking of Smokey, his book "The Best Damn Garage in Town" is like Unfair Advantage on Adderall.