| February 27, 2003
One year after their announced plans to build C & D Sports Racing cars, Merloy fits Al Unser Jr. for his custom seat in the prototype Merloy. Mike Merloy reports:
 The
car is nearly complete and should come together this weekend. Al Unser Jr. was fitted with a custom seat this week and we are scheduled for track testing and set up next Tuesday and Wednesday the 4th
and 5th of April. Once sorted out we will start assembling car for sale.
We already have orders and are accepting new orders. Ten chassis have been completed as will as all components stocked ready for assembly awaiting final modifications after track testing. Anyone
interested is invited to visit out production facility for a full tour and inspection of the Merloy.
We will also have a distributor in the Atlanta area who will sell and support the Merloy. They will campaign a car and market it through the Mid-West area as will as be a stocking distributor, they
will have full shop facilities to support Merloy owners.
Interested parties car also visit our Website at
www.merloy.com
Thanks,
Mike Maloy
|
July 1, 2002
Mike Maloy reports:
There has been great progress on the DSR project, at times it seems that we're spinning our wheels and getting nowhere, but when we stand back and consider
the immensity of the project we realize that we have come a long way.
 The first
rolling chassis was completed and was taken to the regional SCCA race at Pikes Peak Raceway the third week of May for showing. There was a great deal of interest in the car as well as the
overall Merloy Project. Many people were surprised by the sophistication associated with the DSR category and were especially impressed with the level of support the Merloy Racing will offer
owners of the Merloy. Because we intend to manufacturer the Merloy in numbers we maintain a complete inventory of all parts required to produce the car. The shop is equipped with CNC
machine tools as well as the newest technology pulse welders offered by one of our main sponsors "Valley Welders in Albuquerque and Lincoln Welders". (I needed to plug Valley and
Lincoln, since they were excited about the project very early when there was nothing but an idea and have been a super supporter.)
 Well,
back to the car. The body has been designed and we are in the process of creating the plug. All the body profile panels for the plug have been cut. The body will continue as a
priority although I don't have any schedule as to when it will be completed. There are just to many variables at this time.
The FEA study has been completed by the Engineering Department at the University of New Mexico and the chassis easily exceeds all structural requirements and will soon be submitted for
homologation. The report found that the max. load on any tube would be 13 Tons in2 , the UTS for normalized 4130 in 45 Tons in2.
The new manufacturing facility is nearing completion. We should start a gradual move in about 2 weeks. The new facility is next door so we can move a little at a
time so as not to disrupt progress. Everyone is excited about the move. Our existing shop is nice but cramped, the new facility is a dream shop. The heating system is in the floor
hydronic to reduce air movement and duct contamination and all air intakes and air relief's are filtered. The entire shop has floor trenches and epoxy floor coating to allow for easy cleaning
and washdown.
We have had a lot of interest and are now committed to 8 cars for delivery. We expect that number to grow rapidly and will only hold production slots if deposits are made.
One of our areas of greatest interest is the local Legends car owners. They are looking to move away from circle tracks to road racing and are looking for an affordable car with the
sophistication that the DSR (Merloy) offers. Hope to build a groundwell in that market that will spread.
We will continue to update the website as we make progress.
Thanks,
Mike Maloy
|
| February 27, 2002.
Merloy Racing of Albuquerque, New Mexico, proudly announces plans to manufacture C & D Sports Racing cars. Construction of the prototype chassis is currently
being completed, with track testing expected to take place in mid-March. The initial Merloy chassis was designed solely as a formula car for a high performance driving school. Early
considerations were made during the design of the chassis, however, to accommodate bodywork for both a formula car and a sports racer. Manufacture of the first sports racers can take place once
the commitment for school cars has been fulfilled.
Partners in Merloy Racing include:
Alan Mertens (design and engineering),
Mike Maloy (production, manufacturing, and administration), and Al Unser Jr. (design, testing, and marketing). Alan Mertens was a partner with Rick Galles in
Galmer Racing, where Mertens designed Indy cars for 15 years, with one of their cars winning the 1992 Indianapolis 500. Mike Maloy owns Maloy Construction in New Mexico. Al Unser Jr. brings his many
years of experience in Indy and CART championships to the Merloy partnership.
 The
chassis consists of TIG welded tube frame construction with a narrow roll hoop. All round tubing, brackets and suspension pieces are fabricated using 4130 steel. All aluminum parts are
fabricated using CNC machined 7075-T6. The suspension utilizes A-arms and pushrod rocker arms at the front and rear. Shared uprights that are used at both the front and rear are a feature that
was incorporated into the design not only to reduce production costs, but to reduce operating cost and spare inventory. A spare inventory of all components of the chassis, suspension, and other
machined components will be kept in stock by Merloy Racing at all times. All parts are engineered so they can be duplicated to exacting specifications. Every stage of the production
process is accomplished using precision jigs for repeatability. Damaged chassis can be returned to Merloy Racing for repairs to original specs.
The school formula car will be powered by a rear/mid mounted Kawasaki ZX-11 motorcycle engine driving a Taggart/ Taylor limited slip rear differential via chain.
DSR cars will also use the ZX-11 engine, but will be sleeved to reduce the displacement to 1000cc. In the future, other engines will be accommodated with a simple change of engine mounts, as the
engine is not designed as a structural component of the chassis. A custom final drive, featuring a belt rather than a chain, is planned for the future.
The sports racer body will consist of a three piece Audi style design made with pre-impregnated fiberglass. The car will have a diffuser (tunnel) and a rear wing
with an adjustable front splitter to balance down force. Aerodynamic testing will be carried out on the track during the prototype stage to measure the overall down force, center of pressure,
and pitch sensitivity. This testing will be accomplished using strain gauges, pushrods, and ride height lasers, and employing a PI data logging system. Wind tunnel testing will be
scheduled as necessary.
The sports racers will initially be sold only as a turnkey, ready to race. Rolling chassis are planed for the future. The actual weight of the car is unknown
at this time. No price was made available at the time of this release. |
