In fact, if you are looking for a small factor HD cam with CCD, there's actually only one perfect cam for these kind of job: JVC GY-HM100!

More expensive than a HV20 or a HC3, but cheap for a pro cam.

If you don't need the XDCAM format, the HM100 can record too in a compatible HDV mode (but on SD card): can be usefull to inter-cut other HDV footages (from your actual HV20 for exmaple) with the footages of this JVC cam.

Thanks for the info, but this is unfortunately waaaaay out of my price range. I bought the HV20 as a factory refurb for about $450. My budget was about $500, so that worked out nicely. However, since the HV20's Rolling Shuttle wobble did NOT work out nicely, I guess I can look at spending a bit more on one of the Sonys, if they will do the job w/o excessive wobble. But $3500 for the JVC is a factor of 7 outside my goal pricepoint...would be nice, but...

FT

The wooble effect seems less effective on the Sony HD cams (HDV & AVCHD) but it's still there: for a use onboard a race car, all the actual CMOS non pro cameras produce useless footages.

Have you ever thought of a bullet or lipstick hd camera with a fixed lens? We have the same problem with came shaking and rolling. It is the lens that is your problem. Switch to a fixed lens that records to a HD camcorder. We picked up the whole unit brand new for 500.00 dollars. The difference is amazing. Here are two examples of our cameras without a fixed lens and with a fixed lens. We bought our cameras through helmetcams.com

Without notice camera roll and screen jarring.

YouTube - 100+ MPH RACE BOAT going downriver.

And with a fixed bullet cam.

YouTube - 100 MPH Upriver w/ Team Bohhica #309