Section : General

2006 Rule Change Proposals 

Posted By : Andy Vowell, 17-Oct-2005, 10:47pm

• 2006 Rule Change Proposals 

  Posted By : Nigel Gibbins, 17-Oct-2005, 11:00pm

  Don't forget were are still in the techical regulation 'freeze' until the end of next year....
  
  ...technical regs can only be changed on safety grounds.
  
  ...of course, non-technical regs can still be suggested and voted for...
  

  • 2006 Rule Change Proposals 

    Posted By : David Thompson, 18-Oct-2005, 04:16pm

    My vote goes to extend the freeze. We have a set of regulations that seem to have enabled a lot of good close racing and there has been an end to the recriminations round the paddock. I fail to see why we have to keep changing the rules - I'm sure that most championships create a rule book and then stick to it. Our rule changes always seem to come about from someone wanting to do something outside of the current rules and then coercing sufficient people into supporting the change. If you don't like the rules, race somewhere else - I think you'll find most other championships are far more controlled and limiting than ours and certainly have stricter enforcement procedures and it doesn't seem to do them any harm. Continually moving the goalposts just adds additional cost and confusion. We've enough to worry about keeping up with the Blue Book changes! That reminds me - everyone bought their plumbed in fire extinguisher, FIA dated belts, FIA dated seat, overalls in date and up to spec and what about that helmet does it still comply A/FR, latest Snell? I know some of this only applies to racing abroad but it's on its way here too.

    • 2006 Rule Change Proposals 

      Posted By : Nigel Gibbins, 18-Oct-2005, 04:47pm

      There are two things I would like to change with our regs at the moment....
      
      1. Delete the line that says brake bias should not be adjustable from within the cockpit. (can't be done until 2006).
      2. Change the way we manage our rules and regs.
      
      ... I'd like to see a system whereby any driver can submit a regulation change (new/update/delete) to the committee (Class Reps and Comp Sec) and they discuss the suggestion and decide whether it's accepted or rejected. Of course, if you want to be on that committee them you will have to stand for driver representative or take on my job when I retire
      
      In the TSSC this gives us a committee of three...
      
      I've read of other championships that used to manage their regs like we currently do, until they started to get out of hand by driver's loddying each other to support changes. Then they changed to a simialr system to this.
      
      Ideally, the committe should NOT be made up of racers or suppliers.
      
      I have other ideas too - mostly for Class A but as we can't actually change anything at the moment there's not much point discussing it?
      
      ...okay, okay... its (ahem) a weight limit, and insistance that 'some' panels must be steel (ie only Bonnet, roof and bootlid can be GRP/Alloy).
      This is in the hope of making it a easier task of building the cars and making them more comparable with HSCC speeds (ie Slow them down a bit - not much) - JT was about 1 second off the pace of our Class A cars in his ALL STEEL HSCC car.

      • 2006 Rule Change Proposals 

        Posted By : David Thompson, 18-Oct-2005, 06:32pm

        Nigel,
        
        I think that should read JT was about one second FASTER than our Class A cars in his all steel car (presumably that's excluding the crank - unless you know something we don't?)
        
        He was doing about a 1 min 15 sec in qualifying which is up with the best our Class As did this year.

        • 2006 Rule Change Proposals 

          Posted By : Nigel Gibbins, 18-Oct-2005, 07:10pm

          I was making a general assessment from all of the lap time he posted over the year.... I have been keeping an eye on them... but of course, JT is a exceptionally quick driver.
          
          At Donington he was about 2 seconds slower, at Oulton he was about the same, Silverstone a second faster, Snetterton - fractionally faster. But these are against our standing lap records from last year (2004) many of which have been broken now.
          
          But all it really points out is that you can go just as fast (and even faster) in a car that weighs 810kg !
          Then again we're only comparing 1500s here... HSCC Mk4 and earlier are much slower than that (due to carb restrictions whihc we don't have).

          • 2006 Rule Change Proposals 

            Posted By : Andy Vowell, 18-Oct-2005, 10:22pm

            "But all it really points out is that you can go just as fast (and even faster) in a car that weighs 810kg"
            
            Though I believe that HSCC rules allow big valve heads which TSSC class A rules do not (I'm open to correction on this)
            
            Andy

    • 2006 Rule Change Proposals 

      Posted By : Ralph Jane, 18-Oct-2005, 08:34pm

      An FIA dated seat, I knew about the plumbed in extinguisher and dated belts but seat as well. I can understand why we need reg,s for the two items above but how many seat related accidents/injuries have there been.
      
      How long before we need FIA dated drivers?
      
      My signature should read , retired, suspended and mothballed after the first 3 lines.

      • 2006 Rule Change Proposals 

        Posted By : Andy Vowell, 18-Oct-2005, 10:09pm

        I thought it was a two year freeze and we voted on it in Nov 2003. Must be the endless head gasket changes frizzling my brain
        
        Steady rules are good, so I guess I'll be signing up to weight watchers over the winter.
        
        What is the rules on helmets, the 2005 book says BS6658 A and A/FR helmets are still OK but a scrutineer mentioned to me this year that there "may" be a change for 2006. Normally these things have a year to come in.
        
        Plus if anybody can name an FIA seat that is narrow enought to fit a Spit I'll be gratful.
        
        Cheers
        Andy

        • 2006 Rule Change Proposals 

          Posted By : David Thompson, 18-Oct-2005, 10:16pm

          "so I guess I'll be signing up to weight watchers over the winter."
          
          Nah, you don't want to be doing that Andy, have another mince pie and help yourself to another turkey sandwich, you know you want to, go on, go on, go on, you will, you will, you will.................but not before we've thrashed that load of light weights in the Birkett!
          

          • 2006 Rule Change Proposals 

            Posted By : Barry Huffer, 19-Oct-2005, 03:28pm

            I think you should all have passengers or ballast like the Morgan 3 wheelers.
            
            Now lets think about some driver/passenger combinations.

            • 2006 Rule Change Proposals 

              Posted By : Mark Hadfield, 19-Oct-2005, 08:07pm

              "But all it really points out is that you can go just as fast (and even faster) in a car that weighs 810kg"
              
              I guess thats the weight of John thomason's car thats only 35 kg more than mine, and i weigh slightly more than him so we are quite equal i suppose ?

              • 2006 Rule Change Proposals 

                Posted By : Andy Vowell, 19-Oct-2005, 09:05pm

                Its only 15kg more than mine, so with me being marginally taller than JT, that makes us equal too
                
                

                • 2006 Rule Change Proposals 

                  Posted By : Mark Field, 20-Oct-2005, 09:00am

                  well according to my doctor i weigh as much as his car to so am i also an equal . ps ive got a nice lightweight tr7 sprint for sale ready to race, and loads of room inside for the larger driver . suits you sir