Front Wheel Drive, Rear Wheel, or All Wheel Drive, the age old question which is the best way of quickly getting around a track.
FWD fans tout predictability and overall consistency as hallmarks of the drive train. Many claim that properly set up front wheel drive vehicle is just as fast any one else.
RWD advocates on the other hand tend to focus on intangible balance and control factors of the vehicle, and the ability to place the rear drive wheels exactly at the appropriate angle to maximize power to the wheels upon acceleration. Sounds good in theory at least.
AWD zealots throw all arguments out of the window and claim that with all 4 wheels driving, maximum power and traction go to the ground at all times. While parasitic drive train drag is a factor, many times it is made up be deteriorating track conditions.
There are countless one off tests showing the strong points of all of these formats but due to rules classification they rarely meet on the track in an all out test of prowess. Great for the theories, but short on factual proof. However if you look a bit closer, the melting pot of all racing the SCCA Speed World Challenge Touring Car Series does just that.
With displacement limited to 2.8-liters and power ranging from 225 to 275 bhp, the vehicles can be FWD, RWD, or AWD. But the most important part, is that all of the formats fall into this category under very controlled circumstances. FWD Acuras and Mazdas, RWD BMWs and Lexus, and even AWD Audi’s all tangle in a fiercely competitive racing series.
So who comes out top in a series where consistency and handling are at a paramount? Oddly enough to many, the FWD Acuras and Mazdas typically dominate the crowd, followed very closely by the AWD Audi’s and RWD BMW teams nipping at the heels.
But surprising to me, is the drive trains mostly associated by enthusiast everywhere for true handling performance the RWD and maybe even the AWD consistently fall in the middle of the pack. Actually save one victory this season by a BMW and another by an Audi these supposedly superior forms of transport are routinely regulated to being bridesmaids, not the bride.
The morale to the story for those of you wanting to know, is that we can all bicker back and forth about who is the best. But every dog has his day, and in rare classes where everyone meets, the outcomes are not always as expected.
Top Ten Drivers
1. Randy Pobst - TriPoint Motorsports – Mazda6
2. Jeff Altenburg - TriPoint Motorsports – Mazda6
3. Pierre Kleinubing - RealTime Racing – Acura TSX
4. James Sofronas - GMG/Greek Bros. Racing BMW 325i
5. Peter Cunningham - RealTime Racing – Acura TSX
6. Kuno Wittmer RealTime Racing – Acura RSX
7. Chip Herr - STaSIS Engineering –Audi A4
8. Charles Espenlaub - Tindol Motorsports- Mazda6
9. Michael Galati - Tindol Motorsports- Mazda6
10. Brandon Davis - RealTime Racing – Acura TSX
* 25. Andrew Wojteczko(R)- Auto Analyzer Racing- Lexus IS (only two races this season)
Manufacturer Points
Mazda 47 Points
Acura 32 Points
Audi 19 Points
BMW 17 Points
*Lexus 0 Points (only two races this season)
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