Page 2 - Combined_177_OCR

PAGE 2 COMPETITION PRESS & AUTOWEEK OCT. 11, 1969
Drivers Suffer Pogo Phenomenon’

By Jeff Scott be created, or duplicated. In the informed Ford representatives
NEW YORK, Sept. 23 - A case at Talladega, the collective Talladega of the information he
totally new dimension in conditions were bumps in the gathered.
automobile racing, known to NASA corners to create amplitude, high With this development, plus
space physicians as the “Pogo speed and the track angle provided excessive tire wear at the rp
Phenomenon,” was discovered the excessive G forces and the track, Ford elected to back
during high speed practice for the frequency resulted ^from the spring PDA boycott.
Sept. 14 NASCAR Grand National rates. Wright said smoothing the ro
500-mile race at Talladega, Ala. and The phenomenon was first and bumpy areas of the ti
was recognized when Charlie reported by Bobby Isaac during tire would eliminate the problem si
Glotzbach complained of testing and testing of the new all three conditions must exisl
temporary blindness and confusion. Dodge Daytona in August. the correct ratio to produce
Shortly after Glotzbach made his During practice, Glotzbach pogo effect.
problems known, it was discovered pulled into his pits and complained Long term effects on the driv
other GN drivers were suffering to his crew he did not know where if any, will be studied, possibly
from physical discomforts after and he was going on the track and that NASA medical personr.
during high speed laps, often he could not see. He said he seemed According to Wright, astrona
exceeding 200mph on the straights to go blind for a few seconds when were only exposed to the p<
of the new 2.66-mile Talladega he was going through certain effect for short periods of tii
oval. bumpy turns and that he had providing little information. 1
TS5-Chevy driver Trevor Taylor fought off the challenges of Peter Gethin and The discovery of the pogo effect trouble focusing. He told his crew some NASCAR drivers have b<
Mike Hailwood to win the two 15-lap heat races at Hockenheim—the first . is noted as a major contributing he could only restore his vision by* exposed to the condition for up
appearance of F/5000 machines in West Germany. (John W. Kelly photo)
factor of Ford backing the boycott looking back and forth quickly. six seconds a lap. Yarbrough .
of members of the Professional Wright spoke with astronaut recorded more than 800 laps on
Taylor Wins At 153901 / Glotzbach were first recognized by opinion of the pogo effect. Stafford Richard Brickhouse, the winn
\ Tom Stafford about the symptoms track with many at speed.
, Drivers Assn. (PDA).
/ The physical complaints of and Stafford confirmed Wright’s
Following the Sept. 14 ra
Bill Wright, an aerospace engineer then said, “If I were those guys, I complained of chest pains althoc
By John W. Kelly disappointment with 18 cars with Chrysler. White had worked wouldn’t try to race tomorrow.” racing speeds were well below 1
HOCKENHEIM, Germany, Sept. entered, 13 showing up and 12 \ with NASA in the development of/ Following confirmation, Wright faster qualifying speeds.
14 — Trevor Taylor driving a Team starting with six of these engines for the Gemini space
Surtees TS5-Chevrolet won both competitive. project and during that period,
15-lap heats of the Prize of the In the F/5000 events, Taylor astronauts had suffered similar
Nation Race for Formula 5000 cars dominated, but he didn’t go effects during testing. They
at the Hockenheim Motordrom without opposition. In the first complained of temporary loss of
today 15-lap heat, Peter Gethin, in a sight, chest pains, nausea and loss
This was the first appearance for McLaren M10A, either ran in front of consciousness. In the Gemini
the* new F/5000 class in West of or on the tail of the TS5-Chevy project the problem was traced to a
Germany and a bit of a until the 13 th lap when he broke a combination of low frequency and
rocker arm. a high amplitude type of cyclic
Gethin didn’t seem to have it in vibration under high G forces and
FLEX-O-KOOL the second heat and Mike was blamed on pulsations from’the
Hailwood, Lola T142-Chevy driver, engine coming through the space
took over hounding at Taylor’s capsule.
STOPS heels. COMPLAINTS
In the overall standings,
Hailwood followed Taylor with two In checking with other NASCAR
. DAMAGING second-place finishes and Ulf drivers, Wright found various
Norinder, Lola-Chevy, third, with a unique physical discomfort
ENGINE & fifth and. a third finish. complaints voiced by all the GN
drivers except three—Richard Petty,
David Pearson and Cale
TRANSMISSION OKs Fireproof Cloth Yarborough. The complaints
included chest pains, nausea, and in
ST. LOUIS, Mo. - Monsanto some cases shortness of breath after
HEAT Co.’s new fireproof cloth, Durette, very fast laps.
has been officially approved by the So far the pogo effect, as
(The cause for 90% of automatic Sports Car Club of America. reported by the NASCAR drivers,
The fabric, second to receive has occurred only at Talladega.
transmission failures)
approval from the organization, will According to Wright, three
not bum or lose its strength after conditions—the correct frequency. .. /
r CPVProl — - 1 ’