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Hillclimb/sprint classes for Locost
wandr - 9/8/10 at 07:40 PM

Some of you out there I know have sprinted and hillclimbed Locost cars, the question is what class did you run in? I am nearing completion of a 1600 cvh car(ex circuit race prepared and dry sumped engine) the car will be road legal when finished. I have asked the HSA and they think it may have to run in sports libre up to 2 ltr class due to being home built. Any info welcome


ali f27 - 9/8/10 at 07:46 PM

Hi if your car is road legal as in mot taxed etc only two issues wind screen and tyres msa say windscreens free but a lot of clubs dont allow aero screen i know to my cost and some dont allow 1b tyres


norfolkluego - 9/8/10 at 08:19 PM

quote:
Originally posted by ali f27
Hi if your car is road legal as in mot taxed etc only two issues wind screen and tyres msa say windscreens free but a lot of clubs dont allow aero screen i know to my cost and some dont allow 1b tyres


In Wandr's neck of the woods I don't think there would be an issue with windscreens and 1b tyres, we certainly don't have one. We were at Hethel yesterday and I can't recall a single 7 with a screen (aeroscreens yes).


norfolkluego - 9/8/10 at 08:39 PM

quote:
Originally posted by wandr
Some of you out there I know have sprinted and hillclimbed Locost cars, the question is what class did you run in? I am nearing completion of a 1600 cvh car(ex circuit race prepared and dry sumped engine) the car will be road legal when finished. I have asked the HSA and they think it may have to run in sports libre up to 2 ltr class due to being home built. Any info welcome


I would have a look at some of the regional championships, AEMC, ASEMC etc. fairly local to you. I think you'd be able to run you car in roadgoing there,engines in roadgoing kit cars classes don't seem to be much of an issue around here, up to 1700 one class, over 1700 another class, in those classes you get all sorts of engines, it just seems to be capacity that counts.


JimSpencer - 10/8/10 at 07:38 AM

Hi

Theoretically the HSA bloke is correct - totally home built car would be a one off and therefore go into Sports Libre.

However

It's customary to consider a locost as a 'normal' kitcar - as they're all built to a set of plans & you can actually buy them off various people anyway.

So

Enter it in "Road Going Specialist Production" (2A in the North West), put the make down as 'locost' and it'll be fine.

As mentioned above some areas of the country insist on a windscreen (North West only I think) but the tyre issue has gone away I believe, certainly i don't know anywhere where both list 1A & 1B arn't allowed.

By next season I'm lead to believe the screens will be harmonised too - run them or not, drivers choice.

[Edited on 10/8/10 by JimSpencer]


JimSpencer - 10/8/10 at 07:43 AM

Just something to note

Windscreens..

Do not assume having no screen makes it quicker at the top end, lighter yes, but not always faster..


2cv - 10/8/10 at 08:49 AM

I never actually had to try this out as I had no problems running the special in the 7s class in both Goodwood and Curborough championships but there is/was a clause about Replicas.

I would have thought you could legitimately call your car a Caterham 7 replica and get in a standard class that way.


2cv - 10/8/10 at 08:51 AM

BARC at Goodwood always did stipulate windscreens as they reckon an aeroscreen gave at least a 10mph advantage on the straight.


beaver34 - 10/8/10 at 05:01 PM

last time i looked if you have a cec you cannot run in road going with aero screen, BUT if you have a bec you can run in road going with a aero screen

daft


JimSpencer - 10/8/10 at 05:44 PM

quote:
Originally posted by beaver34
last time i looked if you have a cec you cannot run in road going with aero screen, BUT if you have a bec you can run in road going with a aero screen

daft


Nope - definatly not.
Dunno where that was - but doesn't work like that anymore i've come across, and i've been doing it a few years.

As long as it's taxed, MOT'd and has reverse it's roadgoing.

The requirement for windscreens is a North West thing at the minute - but I'm lead to believe will also be dropped for next season, so everybody everwhere will be the same.


JimSpencer - 10/8/10 at 05:47 PM

quote:
Originally posted by 2cv
BARC at Goodwood always did stipulate windscreens as they reckon an aeroscreen gave at least a 10mph advantage on the straight.


Really?
Wonder if they've ever tested it - I would suggest it's very car dependent..


wandr - 10/8/10 at 06:01 PM

Many thanks to all who replied, will let you know what happens in due course


wandr - 10/8/10 at 06:06 PM

meant to say, very nice striker Jim certainly looks the part !!


norfolkluego - 13/8/10 at 12:43 AM

quote:
Originally posted by JimSpencer
quote:
Originally posted by 2cv
BARC at Goodwood always did stipulate windscreens as they reckon an aeroscreen gave at least a 10mph advantage on the straight.


Really?
Wonder if they've ever tested it - I would suggest it's very car dependent..

On a reasonably aerodynamic car (Fury with a Le Mans bonnet for instance) I could see it making quite a difference, but on a 7 with the aerodynamics of a house brick I can't see there being much (if any) advantage, we fitted ours mainly to stop the helmet lift at speed trying to pull your head off, it works for that.


jeffw - 13/8/10 at 05:21 AM

Road going kit under 1700 would be A5 according to the regs I have in front of me for the next 7Oaks sprint. You will probable end up in the A6 class (2lt)as there are very few A5 cars in the sprints I've been to.


procomp - 13/8/10 at 10:54 AM

Hi

I think the problem is not so much down to what spec the car is Ie windscreen or aeroscreen etc. But as mentioned being home built.

Our LA GOLDS where running in the British and welsh sprint championships with no problems. But due to winning there class and the Welsh outright they where then banned as they said we did not produce enough of them to count as a production kitcar.
The argument that neither did westfield DAX Sylva or any of the other kit car manufacturers fell on deaf ears at the MSA. And they still allowed a home built locost to run in the same class.

so what it really comes down to is what side of the bed the person who has the say so in the club thinks on that day. I also hear a whisper that there are some rather more significant changes coming for 2011 regarding road going classes which may well see half the kitcars running being left out in the cold. But wont go to far until that is confirmed or denyed by the MSA.

It is as usual a bloody nightmare trying to keep up with the club / area differences and the MSA making a ruling either way.

Cheers Matt


norfolkluego - 13/8/10 at 07:57 PM

We run in A6 (in a Luego) and on all the regs we get A5 and A6 are titled (and I quote)
Road-Going Kit Type and Replica Cars (Appendix 1)

Appendix 1 Caterham, Wesfield, Sylva, Fisher and Lotus 7, Elise, Exige and 340R, Vauxhall 220, X-Bow and similar types/derivatives of these cars

(unquote)

Then the Blue Book says minimum 20 chassis per year, so if a kit manufacturer produces less than 20 it goes to ModProd but that's a mimimun of 100 per year
unless the manufacturer obtains MSA approval (without going into what that would entail). If they start enforcing that to the letter most of the kits would disappear and you'd be left with a Caterham/Westfield class (and the Exiges, but they're only in there because non kits can't keep up with them ).
Given the falling numbers at Sprints over the last two years do the MSA really want to outlaw all those kits and their drivers, wouldn't have thought so?
I assume that all 7 types have traditionally been lumped together and nobody has worried too much about numbers (rightly so IMO) but implementing the BB to the letter they could exclude lots of them.


phelpsa - 13/8/10 at 10:37 PM

quote:
Originally posted by norfolkluego

Then the Blue Book says minimum 20 chassis per year, so if a kit manufacturer produces less than 20 it goes to ModProd but that's a mimimun of 100 per year
unless the manufacturer obtains MSA approval (without going into what that would entail). If they start enforcing that to the letter most of the kits would disappear and you'd be left with a Caterham/Westfield class (and the Exiges, but they're only in there because non kits can't keep up with them ).
Given the falling numbers at Sprints over the last two years do the MSA really want to outlaw all those kits and their drivers, wouldn't have thought so?
I assume that all 7 types have traditionally been lumped together and nobody has worried too much about numbers (rightly so IMO) but implementing the BB to the letter they could exclude lots of them.


The blue book actually says that 20 chassis cars must have been produced per annum for Road-going specialist production cars, and 20 chassis must have been produced for modified specialist production cars in any 12 consecutive months.

What the differences are when it comes to kits is anyone's guess though really...