Open Wheel: Sprint & Midget Brakes

Circle track racing can be traced back to the late 1800s when some of the original horseless carriages were being built. Henry Ford was one of the pioneers of the new technology at the turn of the century and he introduced a primitive horseless carriage that he called a quadracycle to the public. The vehicle was new, it was innovative and it could be housed in a small storage area. Best of all, you didn’t need a horse. You would think a quadracycle would be big news, but it didn’t receive much press coverage. Henry knew he had a good idea, but he was having a difficult time marketing it, plus he needed some investors to get the money required to get the business off of the ground. Henry built several more quadracyles, now known as automobiles before he got an idea to set a speed record with a stripped down version. Henry figured that setting a speed record would get him the attention he needed. In 1903 he built a race vehicle that was basically a frame with a large engine and Barney Oldfield drove it and set a record at 60 mph, a lot faster than any horse could go.

When people started hearing about Ford’s achievement, he finally got investors to back his projects. Henry wasn’t the only fellow who was building a self-propelled vehicle so several companies decided to race against each other for circle track dominance. The race was called the Manufacturer’s Cup Challenge and it became the start of circle track racing and it led to the famous Indy 500. This basic type of racing never changed, but it expanded over time and the cars became faster and the technology became more

advanced. Today we have many forms of circle track racing starting with the midgets, the wingless sprint cars, outlaw sprint cars with wings, the local track stock cars, and the NASCAR series racecars. Racing in general is an expensive hobby at the local level but when you move up to the NASCAR level it becomes a multi-million dollar business.

Wilwood Engineering actually started building lightweight and durable brakes for circle track racecars in the ‘70s because at that time there was a void in the market. Wilwood racing brakes became very popular with the racers because they worked great and were very dependable. Today Wilwood Engineering still manufacturers the premier brakes on the race circuit and we are constantly improving the brakes on an ongoing basis. If you are entering this section you are probably involved in racing and are aware that the racecar kits are limited. Most of the chassis builders adapt our calipers and rotors to the racecars using their own installation methods. Wilwood does make one extremely lightweight left front brake kit for sprint cars. Wilwood’s GP320 Sprint Left Front Brake Kit offers increased braking torque and

thermal performance of the GP320 four-piston caliper. This brake system offers a definitive increase in braking durability over traditional aluminum and steel rotor systems. The mounts are included for the standard sprint spindle to match the included 10.50 x 0.19-inch polymetalic stainless steel rotor. Also included are composition metallic brake pads, lightweight aluminum dynamic mount 3-pin rotor adapter, and T-nut hardware kit.

Wilwood also offers a GP320 Sprint Right Rear Brake Kit that is extremely lightweight and offers the increased braking torque and thermal performance of the GP320 four-piston caliper. This system offers a definitive increase in braking and durability over traditional aluminum rotor systems. The kit includes 10.50 x 0.19-inch polymetalic stainless steel rotor, composition metallic brake pads, lightweight aluminum dynamic mount splined rotor adapter and T-nut hardware. Some of the Sprint Cars mount the brakes inboard and Wilwood offers the Dynapro Radial Sprint Inboard Brake Kit that features a fully engineered bolt-on brake system for Sprint Car quick-change differentials with 3.00 x 46 splined axles. The lightweight advantages of the super alloy rotor are fortified with the high durability, long lasting wear, and superior heat control properties of advanced polymetallic coating technology. The forged billet Dynapro radial

mount calipers with metallic pads, produce superior stopping power and consistent fade-free response. The kit includes axle clamps with dynamic mount rotor adapter assembly with T-nuts and radial mount bracket and mounting hardware. Wilwood also offers the Dynapro Radial Sprint Inboard Brake Kit and the Narrow Dynapro Lug Mount Sprint Inboard Brake Kit so you will have to see which one is the best for your application.

Also included in this section is a complete listing of the calipers, pads, hats and rotors that are available so you can design a kit that is perfect for your particular application. Wilwood also offers a wide variety of super lightweight master cylinders and pedal assemblies that can be adapted to your needs.

if you didn’t find what you were looking for or if you have questions please contact Wilwood’s tech line for assistance at (805) 388-1188 or email Sales/Tech Support.