What I've been doing this summer.

[martyagt4]

Here's a short video of our race car on the 7 post shaker. This is at the Ohlins facility in North Carolina. The track we are reproducing is Barber Motorsports Park, just outside of Birmingham, AL. You bike fans should know this track, and if you don't, shame on you. It has the most fantastic motorcycle museum I've seen.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mBRStmZqfbQ

The wiki on a 7 poster.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/7_post_shaker

Basically, it can recreate all vertical loads seen to the car. It allows you to repeat a corner over and over, with out putting any actual miles on the expensive parts, ie; engine and gearbox.

It's a tool for tuning your ultimate available mechanical grip, such as what would be generated by the dampers, springs, tires, etc. Aero grip is of course produced from the rear wing, and the shape of the body, and various other devices on the car.