Since its beginning, the Corvette Racing Program by Pratt Miller has racked up an impressive number of accolades with over 128 wins in the International Motorsports Association (IMSA), nine wins in the GT category with the 24 hours of Le Mans, among countless others. But what makes Pratt Miller unique is that the company is more than just a race team: it is an engineering powerhouse committed to continuous improvement.

Not only does the team race cars, they actually design them in-house. They are capable of designing a new system or developing a new tool and then building and implementing the new device into their own race teams or their customer race teams. When working with outside companies, an accelerated feedback loop is crucial to improve future performance outcomes—especially when taking on the challenging task of adapting production cars to the motorsport environment. 

This was the case when the company needed to gain better control and position targeting of the electronic clutch system in the GT3 racing car. That’s when they looked to The Lee Company for an off-the-shelf solution that could help improve overall performance.

Precision Technology

Precision is paramount to the outcome of any road race. This means that even the smallest amount of air in the clutch’s hydraulics system can negatively impact vehicle performance. Air pockets interfere with system startup and often cause issues with cavitation or noise, vibration, and harshness (NVH). On the track, the Pratt Miller team found that air caused major performance issues in the race vehicles and needed to find a solution that would enable them to achieve more consistent and lasting performance, lap after lap.

When Pratt Miller reached out to inquire about an off-the-shelf offering from The Lee Company that could help remove the air in the clutch, they did not have to wait long. Degreed Sales Engineers provided the company with an innovative technical solution, as well as parts that could be tested immediately. In less than one week from the initial cold call email, The Lee Company was able to provide parts in hand to the whole Pratt Miller team. 

Vent valves—also known as bleeder valves—provide a more efficient way to prime a system and minimize the effects of trapped air. They are normally closed valves that start by prohibiting air from being drawn back into a system during shutdown. Then during startup, the system pressure increases and opens the valve, allowing any trapped air to vent out of the system. The valve closes as the system approaches its operating pressure, eliminating further hydraulic losses.

Vent valves have proven to be a winning addition to Pratt Miller’s race vehicles, directly leading to increased performance and endurance. The most significant benefit to the use of the vent valve has been the improved consistency of the hydraulic system due to the fact that there is no more entrained air. This gives each vehicle better position targeting and control, which is pretty critical to the systems. It has also resulted in more reliable clutch performance, even in 24 hours of racing. 

Outside of technical performance benefits for the GT3 racing car, the Pratt Miller team also gained the support of a partner similarly committed to constant innovation. Due to their experience in the automotive industry and extensive catalog of proven COTS products, Pratt Miller could easily trust The Lee Company’s engineered solution. The responsiveness and lead times—working specifically with the Sales Engineers—turned out to be a big benefit and helped the Pratt Miller team get solutions into the field and into the fleet within quick turnaround times.

*Lead image from Depositphotos.com.

For information: 

The Lee Company

Pratt Miller Motorsports

Vent Valves

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