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Friday, July 23, 2010

Nitro-powered

Last year was a thriller and this year we’ve to make it even more exciting. As we countdown to the second edition of the Monsoon Ride, let’s elaborate on its newness.

To begin with, let’s provide for the greatest invention – the wheel. I dedicate this post to our partners IRA who are bringing Nitropower to us. IRA is setting up Nitrogen inflators for the participating vehicles. And, it’s on the house!

You might ask “why nitrogen?” The experts from IRA answer:

"The incredibly rough terrain of the track, corrosive air, rain and high temperatures are not going to be easy on the tyres. You can use normal air if you wish. But you need to take into account the fact that about one-fifth of air is oxygen, and oxygen predictably, at high temperatures and pressures (which we should remind you that you are going to encounter), is a very reactive element. The moisture in the air also absorbs and holds heat. So you now have a tyre that’s inflated with wet air which is going to get really hot as the rally progresses and also fluctuates more with the pressure.

Now, if you were to fill that same tyre with nitrogen you would have a tyre that responds amazingly well to pressure because nitrogen is "dry" and expands at a consistent, predictable rate so your tyre pressure is consistent. Also, the absence of moisture ensures that your tyres remain cooler. Science says that a tyre filled with naturally dry nitrogen will run cooler than a tyre filled with normal air. So using nitrogen is the best way to combat one of the most dangerous and eventful occurrence in motorsports; tyre bursts due to the buildup of heat and increased tyre pressure.

Apart from that, when you and your machine are racing against time, the last thing you want to do is stop at every station to check your tyre pressure and lose those precious seconds. Proper tyre pressure helps you keep the recommended ‘contact patch’ on the road way longer and reduces rolling resistances and you get a better grip on the road. Don’t forget that the rain is also going to make the track really wet and slippery so pump up on nitrogen so you can corner better on those tricky turns.

The Monsoon ride will be covering a really long distance hence we are providing nitrogen to ensure that tyres are at their best efficiency. Better handling and safety should be a strong enough reason to get Nitro-powered!”