Hillclimb & Sprinting

[The Knobs]

I am at Silverstone on Thursday doing a trackday if you are about.

[Fizzer]

very jealous, unfortunately I can't take the time off work...

[rscmb7]

does anyone sprint at Curborough? I've driven the course on track days but never competed, and just bought a Striker so fancy a go, but wouldn't mind talking to someone who already sprints there. Any offers?

[David]

Done about 20 sprints at Curby -- happy to help if I can; what do you need to know?

David

[rscmb7]

Thanks, I am a bit concerned about scruitineering and which class I might end up in. Blue book says you need reverse, but got an MOT without one (with Honda Fireblade engine and six speed sequental box). Car is very noisy at present, but I think I am getting that sorted in the next couple of weeks.
Roger

[David]

Roger

Class will depend on the regs of the club running the meeting (the so-called "on the day" class). Championships may adopt a different stance and reclassify cars from their "on the day" class for championship scoring purposes.

The subject of reverse gear in a BEC is just the sort of issue where this might happen. As an example, the definitive MSA position, and the WSCC club championship interpretation, were well laid out last year by Nick Algar (competition secretary of the Westfield Sports Car Club and (coincidentally) reigning British Sprint Champion) as follows:
"The Blue book is actually very clear. In section C (b) it says that vehicles must have reverse gear unless otherwise stated in their technical regs. In section I .64 it says that only Sports Libre and Racing cars do not have to have a working reverse gear. So don't kid yourselves guys, if you follow the Blue book correctly all Westfields need a reverse gear.
However in our regs, we take a rather more pragmatic view, which is that any cars in roadgoing class must have an ability to reverse (no pushing). But classes G & H which are running slicks (and not road going cars) do not need one. Seems sense to us and if you can continue to be allowed in on the day then good luck to you. But if you get pulled up, don't come crying.
Also when you read the Blue book, start off at the begining and read it all, as often you need to move between sections to get the full understanding."

So the definitive position is that road-going and modified-production classes need a reverse gear. However, there are many other regulations covering sports-libre and racing cars, including IIRC the requirement for a six-point harness. This means that a scrute who wants to debar a Striker BEC from Road or Modprod for no reverse gear would have to push it into Sports Libre, only then to have to exclude it on account of its belts. No club likes to exclude a paying competitor, so many blind eyes are turned. You don't specifically say whether your Striker is road-going (which, for competition purposes means having tax/insurance/MOT/road-legal tyres), but, as you mention MOT, I'm assuming it is. I would think you would be allowed to run in a road-going class at 75% of all meetings. Also, IMHO scrute at Curby tends to be a lot friendlier than at some venues.

Noise is another matter. You *will* be tested at every meeting, and, again, regs will vary from event to event. However, in general the limits are far higher than at track days -- my own Striker would be excluded from most track days!! Avoid Goodwood and you should be OK.

HTH

David

[rscmb7]

That is really helpful, many thanks. Yes it is a road legal Striker, although not road going in the snow. I did join Shenstone & District CC and am about to apply for my first competition licence since 1972! Hope to see you at Curborough during the year. The first sprint is a Members Only event in late March, so I guess I'll get some definitive answers then, although I am going to try to talk to the scrutineer before the event.
Roger

[David]

Glad to be of help. Enjoy your return to motorsport, and I hope to see you at Curborough during the year.

David

[JimSpencer]

Hi David

Thanks for picking up this topic, started with good intentions and then it all went pear shaped, but back in the right country now

Hows Marmalade?
'Team Spencer' was in bits but now pretty much back together c/w dry sump, 1B's and full cage for next season, there always seems to be a long jobs list doesn't there?

[JimSpencer]

Mentoring

As per a few of the previous posts.

I'm based in the North West @ Crewe.

Assuming work doesn't drag me off again planning to have a bash at a few of the north west series next season and will be quite happy to mentor anybody through their first events and the hoops one jumps through prior to getting to the start of the first one!