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Ground effect is a term applied to a series of aerodynamic effects used in car design, which has been exploited to create downforce, particularly in racing cars. This has been the successor to the earlier dominant aerodynamic theory of streamlining. IndyCars employ ground effect to some extent, but Formula One and most other racing series worldwide currently use design constraints to heavily limit its effectiveness.
History
Jim Hall built Chaparral to both these principles. His 1961 car attempted to use the shaped underside method but there were too many other aerodynamic problems with the car for it to work properly. His 1966 cars used a dramatic high wing for their downforce. His Chaparral 2J “sucker car” of 1970 was revolutionary.
It had two fans at the rear of the car driven by a dedicated 2 stroke; it also had “skirts”, which left only a minimal gap between car and ground, to seal the cavity from the atmosphere. Although it did not win a race, some competition had lobbied for its ban, which came into place at the end of that year. Movable aerodynamic devices were banned from most branches of the sport.
