Wheel Vents???

[fubar andy]

What are these on the front of this NME car?

I noticed that that Mr Block runs them too?

What are they for or what purpose do they offer?

Are these for cooling brakes?

 

[Gtirchris]

Yup they are there to cool the discs mate

 

[fubar andy]

I wonder, are they effective?

 

[campbellju]

I expect they work but alloy wheel design has also changed over the years to incorporate cooling features.

I was looking at brake cooling ideas the other day and their is a lot more ducting incorporated into modern race cars than I realised. I expect these external devices that will compromise aerodynamics are less necessary nowadays.

 

[Makaveli_se7en]

They are outlawed in many forms of motorsport as they are considered as an active aerodynamic feature as they move with the wheel. In Group C racing they started to develope such features to remove air from under the car to increase down force.

 

[campbellju]

That's clever

 

[PobodY]

Agreed. - Now that Ed has highlighted it, I can see they they're effectively two aerofoils attached to the wheels and always pointing in the direction you want the car to go.

Those ones that Ken Block has appear to be designed to go with those wheels, and look like they move air from the outskirts rather than around the disc.