View source for Skidpad

{{short description|Circular area of flat pavement used for various tests of a car's handling}}
[[File:Sae skidpad.jpg|thumb|right|A [[Formula Student]] car performing a skidpad test. (2009)]]
A '''skidpad''' or '''skidpan'''<ref>{{cite web |title=Thruxton Skid Pan |url=https://thruxtonracing.co.uk/skidpan |publisher=Thruxton Racing |access-date=26 January 2023}}</ref> is a circular area of flat [[pavement (material)|pavement]] used for various tests of a [[car]]'s handling. The most common skidpad use is testing lateral [[acceleration]], measured in [[Metre per second squared|meters per second squared]] (m/s<sup>2</sup>) or the scaled unit [[g-force|''g''-force]]. This usage has similarities to that of using a kick plate.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.welltall.com/ymc/discovery/car/road_resist.html|title=Road Resistance|author1=Yee Man Chan|author2=Chi Yung Ng|website=welltall.com|date=16 December 2003|access-date=18 January 2007|archive-date=22 August 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120822121048/http://www.welltall.com/ymc/discovery/car/road_resist.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>
== Measurement of grip ==
A car's maximum ''g''-force on a skid pad says something about the grip of the car on winding roads, or how fast it can drive in corners without losing grip. Some factors which can aid in achieving higher ''g''-force are high [[Engine power|power]], wide [[tire]]s, low [[mass]], appropriate [[Car suspension|suspension]] setup and large [[downforce]].
=== Test setup ===
The test is carried out on a circular track with a defined [[radius]]. A car driving on said track is slowly [[Acceleration|accelerated]], until the outermost tires on the car begin to slip. Going any faster would cause the car to drive outside the defined radius. At this point, the speed of the car is recorded, and given the [[centripetal acceleration]] formula (by the formula ''v''²/''r'', that is velocity squared divided by radius) the car's handling in terms of the maximum of lateral ''g''s can be derived.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sportcompactcarweb.com/features/0708_sccp_lateral_g_skidpad_testing/skidpad.html|title=Lateral Acceleration Testing: Sport Compact Car Magazine|website=sportcompactcarweb.com|date=4 November 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071104102757/http://www.sportcompactcarweb.com/features/0708_sccp_lateral_g_skidpad_testing/skidpad.html|access-date=26 November 2020|archive-date=4 November 2007}}</ref>
== Other uses and Records ==
A new [[world record]] was accomplished in November 2020, when the [[Porsche Taycan]] set the ''[[Guinness World Records]]'' best mark for longest electric vehicle drift on the skidpad (measured in time). The car stayed sideways for {{cvt|26|mi|km|order=flip}} in 55 minutes.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://uk.motor1.com/news/456226/porsche-taycan-guinness-record-ev-drift/|title=Porsche Taycan sets Guinness World Record for longest EV drift|author=Christopher Smith|website=motor1.com|date=24 November 2020|access-date=27 November 2020}}</ref>
=== Formula Student ===
The [[world record]] for the fastest skidpad run in an official competition was achieved by TU Graz Racing from the Technical University of Graz. With a final time of 4.135 s at Formula Student East 2024, the team beat their old record of 4.355s, set at Formula Student Austria 2024, by 0.220s. <ref>{{cite web|url=https://fseast.eu/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Skidpad-Manual-1.2.pdf | title=Skidpad-Manual-1.2 |author=Formula Student East |access-date=5 August 2024 | date=1 August 2024 |website=fseast.eu/}}</ref>
== See also ==
* [[Slippery road training]]
* [[Roadholding]]
* [[Cornering force]]
* [[Circle of forces]]
==References==
{{Reflist}}
{{AutomotiveHandlingNav}}
[[Category:Automotive safety]]