Powerful stuff can come in...
Powerful stuff can come in small packages. A Super Gas roadster like Kevin McClellands doesnt offer much room for large components. Here, the QwikData box is mounted in the right side of the cockpit. The first time at the track with the QwikData installed, Kevin won the Division Super Gas race at Bakersfield.
The engine and drivetrain...
The engine and drivetrain are the focus of a majority of the sensors Kevin uses to keep track of his race cars every move. Kevin uses a 680hp, 9:1 compression 502ci Rat with production iron rectangle port heads and a Crane roller cam to power the roadster.
Once the car has made a run,...
Once the car has made a run, Kevin uses a laptop to download the information stored in the QwikData box. Using Edelbrocks software, Kevin can graph the information and use it to make tuning decisions for the next pass.
This is the rear suspension...
This is the rear suspension of Kevins roadster, which includes a complete four-link system. A speed sensor allows Kevin to compare driveshaft rpm to engine rpm so that he can track converter slippage and wheel spin. This way, he can spot a converter that may be going away. Also note Kevins slick electric jack (arrow), which raises the rear tires off the ground at the flip of a switch.
Here is the heart of any Super...
Here is the heart of any Super Gas or Super Comp bracket carthe throttle stop. Kevin uses a One-Stop Products air-actuated stop that allows the user to determine the bleed rate at which the throttle returns to wide-open-throttle (WOT). Kevin dials the stop with the delay box and uses the QwikData to track its performance.
Kevin likes to keep track...
Kevin likes to keep track of as many different variables as possible. Even though the engine is dead-reliable, a bank of thermocouples keep track of exhaust gas temperatures for all eight cylinders. If he has an engine problem, chances are it will show up on the thermocouples.
Kevin also monitors fuel pressure...
Kevin also monitors fuel pressure and carburetor inlet air temperature to track all the variables. If Kevin has a fuel delivery glitch, the QwikData records the lack of fuel pressure and he can then repair the problem.
This is Kevins office....
This is Kevins office. The cockpit of his Super Gas roadster is very confining, and its a plenty busy place. The Auto Meter gauges and tach keep track of the engine. On the far right is the Edelbrock QwikData box, the Biondo delay box, and the Crane HI-6 ignition. Between the electronics and the steering wheel is the Painless switch panel and the CO2 bottle that provides pressure for the throttle stop and the B&M air-actuated shifter thats triggered by the delay box. And you thought bracket racing was easy.
Youve heard the old wheeze that knowledge is power, but like most clichés, the statement derives its origin from truth. When it comes to performance tuning, the more you know about what your car is doing, the more intelligent tuning decisions you can make. Back in the barely dusty archives of Funny Car drag racing, Kenny Bernstein became virtually invincible overnight when he discovered the value of an onboard data logger.
Fast forward to the new millennium when the entire world revolves around digital gadgets like compact discs, digital telephones, digital TV, and more. Given all this digital access, its no surprise that a company like Edelbrock would create a digital data-logging device that is affordable and easy to use. This is the competitive edge youve been looking for.
The premise is simpleoutfit your car with a raft of sensors and then configure a black box (actually, the QwikData box is Edelbrock red) to keep a digital record of its performance. The software allows you to download and explore all the nooks and crannies of this data on your laptop computer. This is not new technology. Companies such as RacePak and Auto Meter have been building automotive racing data loggers for years. The difference is that Edelbrock introduced its system last year with the aim of producing a more affordable data logger that is easy to use and can deliver a wealth of information on one screen.
CHPs own technical guru, drag racer, and contributing editor Kevin McClelland is one of those gearheads who always needs more input than just e.t. and speed to help him dial in his 9.90-second Super Gas roadster. It took Kevin about 10 seconds to realize the advantages the Edelbrock QwikData system offered his Super Gas race car.
The Edelbrock system offers the ability to keep an accurate accounting of a multitude of variables that all contribute to any run the car makes down the trackvariables like inlet air temperature, automatic-transmission oil temperature, shift duration, and dozens of other details that all contribute to repeatable performance. Since Kevin races a Super Gas car that uses a throttle stop, it is imperative that performance be as repeatable as possible. This means that Kevin will use the QwikData system to evaluate each run to determine what, if anything, changed between runs.
Of course, QwikData can be used to help the performance of any kind of car, not just a bracket or drag race car. The QwikData can be easily configured to monitor numerous functions for a circle track car, autocross racer, or even a top speed machine. There are limits to the amount of information the QwikData can store, but the beauty of the QwikData is that it is completely conformable. The variables are the number of sensors you wish to monitor, the data capture rate, and duration. Monitoring 8 channels at 50 samples per second would give you enough data for over 20 minutes of data-logging time, which would work well for an autocross car, for example.
The Crucible
While all this potential is interesting, we wanted to see how it really worked. So Kevin installed the Advanced Bracket Racing QwikData system in his Davis Super Gas roadster to evaluate the systems effectiveness. The sample screens shown in this story are actual data recorded during an NHRA Division race at Bakersfield, California.
The graphs show several different collections of data. Kevin literally covered this car in sensors to give him plenty of data. The Edelbrock QwikData records from all of these sensors (or at least as many as the systems memory allows), and you can decide which traces you would like to display at any one time.
The QwikData also allows the user to overlay separate runs so you can compare them to see where the car ran better in one particular run versus another. It often happens that certain portions of a slow pass will be better than previous runs. You can use that information to tune the car to take advantage of that data.
Weve just brushed the surface of all you can accomplish with the QwikData system and the tuning advantages it represents. With a general trade price of around $1,500 for the Bracket Racing QwikData package, this system is not for everyone. But for racers interested in eliminating the variables and tuning for ultimate acceleration, QwikData can give you knowledge that you can turn into power on the track.