I'm going to try to enter a sprint in a few months (http://www.borough19motorclub.org.uk/north-weald-sprint-26th-august-2012/) - but can't quite figure out what class I should be in?

It's a fairly typical 7 type car with no windscreen, although I have one that I don't use which I could fit for the sprint if necessary. It has a diagonally braced roll bar with back stays (i.e. not a full cage) which I think is sufficient?

Any suggestions as to which class I should be aiming for? I think Sports Libre as they appear to exclude 7 type cars from the road-going class - is that the normal arrangement? Any general tips?

Anyone else going to go to this one?

[Edited on 3/7/13 by rodgling]

Why not give the chap a call or email him?

You will need to give him a bit more info than you have given us though - what engine etc.

I probably will drop him a line at some point, just wanted to get a rough idea of how sprinting regulations normally work for 7-type cars.

The engine-size seems straight-forward, most of the classes are just split into two based on engine size (mine's 3.2l so the faster half of whichever class I'm in).

Those regs are for last years event. The North Weald Sprint on the 1st Sept is run by Sevenoaks and District MC and regs should be out middle of July.

As you are over 1700cc you will be in A8 with me No screen required but you will need current MoT/Tax/Insurance to run in road going Kits.

PM me if you have any questions.

[Edited on 3/7/13 by jeffw]

[Edited on 3/7/13 by jeffw]

Thanks Jeff, will be good to see a fellow LCBer there (and I'll be interested to see what 500 bhp/ton will do!). I'll put the questions here rather than PM you as they may be useful to others in my position.

So I think my car is good to go, except maybe for
- ignition / battery / fuel pump kill switch. Will I need to fit any of these or does the ignition on the steering column suffice?
- harnesses. Is 4-point tin-top-style-push-to-release OK, or do I need something more proper?

As for clothing, can I do it in regular clothes with a bike helmet, or do I need to buy a race suit, gloves, boots, proper helmet etc?

Licence: is national B required even for a road-going car?

thanks

[Edited on 3/7/13 by rodgling]

[Edited on 3/7/13 by rodgling]

I did this for another forum which answers lots of your questions

1. A car (pretty obvious):- Lots of different classes but I'll assume for the sake of this that we are talking about a road-legal kit car. The class of this is specialist sports cars and normally has all the Lotus Exige/Elises & the kits in. Typically split at 1700cc and therefore I run in the Over 1700cc class whereas a 1000cc BEC would be in the under 1700cc Class. I have ended up competing with a 7.3l Ultima! As the car is road legal you will need to prove Tax, MoT (if required & insurance when you sign on. The car most be road legal in all respects and you can use MSA List 1b tyres (R888, A048R etc etc) and you can also use the standard road tyres listed in 1a but you will not do very well unless it rains. Update: BEC now appear to be running in over 1700cc class.

1a. Car Scrutineering :- They will check the car is safe which included FIA in-date harness if you are using harness it must be good condition (doesn't need to be in-date or FIA/MSA approved for road going but I would recommend it), they look under the bonnet (you need to have a yellow earth lead to the battery for easy identification). Although not required in a road class if you have fitted a roll cage it must meet the MSA requirements, same with master electrical switch & manually activated extinguisher. You must also identify how to turn the car off on the dashboard.

2. Clothing/Helmet. You will need a Snell SA2005 or better helmet (open cars required a full face lid), a MSA approved and in-date suit and approved gloves. You don't need boots or underwear but it would be wise to wear them anyway. First time you compete you will need to pay £1 to the scrutineer for "MSA approved" sticker on your helmet.

3. License. To compete in a road-going kit car at Sprints or Hill Climbs you need a MSA Non-Race National B license. The cost is £38 or so and you can apply online at http://www.msauk.org

4. Club membership. You need to belong to a MSA approved club. There are loads of these around but I belong to Sevenoaks & District Motor Club ( http://www.sevenoaksmotorclub.com/ ) & also Tunbridge Well Motor Club ( http://www.twmc.org.uk/ ). Cost is about £20 and it allows you to enter their series.

5. Sprint Entry. Normally the Regs are published a few months before the event and you simple fill in the form and send off your dosh. Small airfield sprints are around £100 and ones on proper circuits can be upto £200. The bigger events get booked up very early so be quick.


Your first sprint

Preparation
Check your car over, make sure everything is connected/tight/bolted down. You will need a timing strut (made and fixed as per the MSA Blue Book, to be fitted on site), some numbers (or black tape) to match your entry numbers (remember to do this once you arrive at the venue not before), your clothing/helmet, a few tools and chair/drink etc.

Turning Up
Be as early as possible as this gives you the time to sort things out. All the instructions will be on the entry information sent through to you. Typically the following happens
a. Turn up and park in the designated area
b. Sign on.....remember all you bits of paper (Insurance, V5, MoT, MSA License, Club Membership card)
c. Fit numbers and timing strut
d. Take car/self/kit to be scrutineered.
e. Walk course (watch flash gits with push bikes do it in a few minutes while you walk round)
f. Drivers Brief

Competition

Normally sprints consisting of 2 practise runs and 3 timed runs. This is typically done in number order do make sure you are ready to queue up, in all your kit, when your class is running. After each run all the times are printed up on a board somewhere so you can see how much in the lead you are

Prize Giving
After the event is finished you will need to hang about to pick up your Fastest Time of the Day trophy (!) or applaud the winners. Normally a pot of 1st & 2nd in each class.

Once it is all done you need to take your timing strut and numbers off the car before going on the public road. This is the point you start planning the next time

It is great fun and I would recommend anyone who fancies it to have a go. Anyone who can drive a car on a trackday can sprint it....


Feel free to ask any questions and I will attempt to answer them with my limited experience.

Cool, I think that answers all my questions thanks. Looks like I will have to save up some pennies for a suit and gloves.

Have a look at these guys

http://www.plays-kool.co.uk/

Remember you can get suits and gloves off EBay 2nd hand as well.

Just to add to all the useful advice - me and Luego Snr sprint with Borough 19. Any q's just drop me a U2U.

For B19 events road going kit cars normally fall within either class A7 of A8 which are for road going kit cars.

Class A7 for upto 1700cc and Class A8 for 1701cc and over

This is a Sevenoaks & DMC event but the classes are the same.

Clarification please Jeff

"Although not required in a road class if you have fitted a roll cage it must meet the MSA requirements"
assume my rear hoop is to standards, the front half is not, how does it work? If I cut the front hoop off my rear hoop now complies, leave it attached and the roll cage as a whole fails?
Say I had an MX5 with a chrome single hoop, would this count as a failed MSA design, just remove and now I comply?

"manually activated extinguisher"
My extinguisher is strapped to the passenger floor so to operate you unclip and use, is this okay?

Cheers Mark

Basically if it would pass a MoT it would be fine....however scrutineers are known to look at harnesses and rollcages on kits as if they where racecars even though the Blue Book says different, I have had all sorts of arguments over things.

Your extinguisher is fine as there is no requirement to have one, might be worth removing to save weight.

I wrote that about 2 years ago....I need to go back over it again and correct the errors.

Thanks Jeff

Car was MOT'd today for the first time in 6 years so I can compete in autosolo's, sprints and maybe hill climbs so I'm sure we will be meeting up soon.

Need to get the flameproof clothes and clubmans B, then find an MSA scrutineer to sign off the car before I commit my har earned on an entry.

If it is roadworthy you'll be fine

So to clarify

To enter a road-registered Kit in a road-going kit class (not sports libre or anything else) car must be road legal and have Tax/Insurance & MoT (if required).
You must have a race suit (Nomex to Blue Book standards), Nomex Gloves (FIA Approved) and a Motorsport Helmet to Snell 2005 or better, all of this must be in good condition.
On a license side you must have a Non-Race B license (assuming it is a 'B' sprint) and be a member of a MSA club. Apart from once you arrive you must have numbers to match the entry list on both sides of the car (as per the Blue Book) and a timing strut (again the MSA Blue Book has the details).

I would add a few things having just gone through the process to satisfy a local scrut.

Make sure the bulkhead or fire wall is sealed so no light can be seen through it, stops petrol getting to the driver from the engine compartment.

If injection and has a reg after 1999 must have CAT fitted.

I had to wrap the fuel filter hose in metal foil! unless you have a completely sealed off rear end of the car.

Mark the ignition switch with off and a direction arrow.

Yellow tape around the negative terminal and battery terminals covered.

I would try to get friendly with the eligibility scrutineer in the area and go see him with the car. It does depend on the views of the scrutineer and team when you turn up on the event so get some prior visit in if possible.

Adrian