Hoping to return to COM, Classing and other odd questions

[jlwhorf]

If you read the rules, FP is the only class that brake lights are not required. The rules may need an ammendment to clarify the special case cars in the other P classes. Take it from someone has run a very small car on track with COM, brake light are a nice courtesy for the people with rull sized cars.

[breakaway500]

XII. Prepared

B. Window nets or arm restraints are required.

VI. Car Requirements


2. All exposed headlights and glass lenses must be completely covered with tape. Plastic lenses need not be taped.
Clear tape is allowed. All cars must have operative and exposed brake lights, except Formula Prepared cars. F/P
cars must have rain lights.

The way the brake light rule is written,technically..you could get away with running a FP classed car in another class and not be required to have stop lights...although I would not advise it for the reasons Johnathan stated.

[Georgethefierce]

understood, with my tremendous attention span I must have skipped over that part. Thanks for the help, see you on the 25th!

[nateh]

VI.E.2. 2. ... All cars must have operative and exposed brake lights, except Formula Prepared cars. F/P
cars must have rain lights.

In PC, you need brake lights.

[breakaway500]

^Nate,you should consider tweaking the current "stop light rule" wording to exclude FP class participants specifically,instead of saying "FP cars". If a FP designed car is running in a non FP class,you could construe the current wording allows such a car to run without stop lights,and I assume that was never the intention. Or,you could say all classes require stop lights except FP class.

[Chrispy]

^Nate,you should consider tweaking the current "stop light rule" wording to exclude FP class participants specifically,instead of saying "FP cars". If a FP designed car is running in a non FP class,you could construe the current wording allows such a car to run without stop lights,and I assume that was never the intention. Or,you could say all classes require stop lights except FP class.

"FP cars" are cars running in FP class, if running outside of FP (and if meeting the rules of the other class) then they are no longer FP cars in the eyes of the rulebook by my interpretation.

[breakaway500]

^By an interpretation of the current stop light rule wording,one could also deduce a formula based car could be run in any class and not requre a stop light.

FORMULA PREPARED

FP includes high-performance purpose-built race cars whose performance potential exceeds that of PA, such as cars built for
the following or similar classes:
Formula cars (open-wheeled, single seat, open cockpit): SCCA FA, FB, FC, FE, FF, FM, and F500
Sports Racing cars (closed wheel, open cockpit): SCCA ASR, CSR, DSR, ESR, and S2000
Sports Prototypes (closed wheel, closed cockpit) American LeMans or Grand Am P1, P2 and GTP


PREPARED C (PC)
4 cylinder and normally aspirated Mazda rotary engines, and MX3 1.8L 6-cyl, including cars built for SCCA GT3, GTL,
Formula Vee, FP, GP, HP, Sports Renault, Spec Racer Ford and Renault, Formula 440, NASCAR, and ARCA

The bold letter formula cars would "normally" be considered a formula classed car,however,they have been relegated to a "lesser" car run class because of their actual on track performance is not competitive in FP.
It would be easy for a newcomer to confuse the "formula car exemption" to mean the car by definition is exempt,and overlook the actual class requiremets. I do believe this is why the original postee was somewhat confused,seeing the formula cars listed in PC,and asked about the stop light requirement...
"I see that FV is also a PC car and they [FV] do not run them. I will install a couple of mirrors but since I have a roundy round race the night before where we don't run brake"

I could see why one would question if it was the car (formula) that got the stop light exemption or the actual class,FP.

Clarity is a wonderful thing...

[Chrispy]

It's not something that comes up much I guess, and the regular members understand the intent of the rule. Even though it isn't an actual rule change, just a wording change, it will have to be submitted as a rule change proposal and the change will be heard at one of the after season board meetings.

So would this suffice to clarify in your eyes?

"All cars must have operative and exposed brake lights, except Formula Prepared cars. F/P cars must have rain lights"

would become:

"All cars, except cars running in Formula Prepared class, must have operative and exposed brake lights. Formula Prepared classed cars must have rain lights."

[breakaway500]

Yea,that would do it.

[Georgethefierce]

thanks all for the input, we now have light

[Georgethefierce]

Thanks again for everyone's help in this thread, the event was some of the most fun I have ever had in any form of motorsport....the car was SUPER fun to whip around the road course, it was a little skittish under braking and enjoyed stepping out on throttle but I was pleasantly surprised how well it took to turning right. I apologize to anyone I held up, it was a bit hard to see in the small mirrors I installed (I'll have bigger ones for the next event).

Thanks Again!

[nateh]

Jason -

Thanks for the opportunity to drive this intriguing vehicle. I came away with a new respect for your driving skills and courage.

Might get hold of one myself someday - seems like an opportunity to do some simple and rewarding engineering, while having some cheap thrills along the way.

- Nate