Every year when the temp drops this crosses my mind, but then the left side & the right side of my brain start to fight, I never figure out the answer, the winter season comes to an end, & I am left wondering ... am I crazy?
Sooooo, my car runs better during the colder months, doesn't it?
I swear that puppy is much peppier & I notice it the most when I am driving very hard & very fast.
I'm thinking that the lower temps improve conditions & allow my engine to preform better ... HOWEVER ... this is where the left & right side of my brain start arguing ... because if that was indeed the case .... wouldn't NHRA & NASCAR, & really all racing in general, take place in the colder months instead of the warmer months?
I'm really confused ... so who can alleviate my upcoming winter of confusion & break this down for me?
Originally Posted by Brooke Wilde
Brooke, cars perform better in the colder months. For example I have a supercharged car that runs 10.9s in the cooler months, but would run 11.2 during the warmer months. This is why I never go to the drag strip between April and October.
I agree with everything Big Lou (real world buddies) posted about performance. Both of us race our cars, so we know exactly what you're talking about. The weather (DA=density altitude) affects all cars. Forced induction or non forced induction, Ford, GM, Dodge, doesn't matter.
There are 3 types of DA. One is exact DA, which is .000, one is positive DA which is posted like 3,000, then there is negative DA which is posted as -3,000. DA can change from one minute to another dependent on temperature or humidity. The one fixed part of the DA equation is the altitude of the drag strip, which is always fixed. Can great DA be negated? Yes, if you have a DA of -200, however have a 20 mph head wind is how. Having a -400 DA, however the humidity is 90% also partially negates a great DA. Give me a sunny 45 degree day with 30% humidity, and I'm one happy camper.
Look at it like this. Take two buckets, fill one with water, one with used peanut shells, and put a quarter at the bottom of the bucket. The one with water has 100% resistance, while the one with the peanut shells has far less resistance, so the quarter would be easier to reach in the peanut shell bucket.
https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...post1578281096
So yes Brooke, your car runs better right now as compared to the summer months.