Sway Bar \"loop hole\"???

#41

Thank you Carter,

This is what I like about this concept (besides the fact that I have always loved E30s). Build a simple car, show up, drive, and have fun.

I can’t wait.

Don

#42

Well said Carter. Thanks for taking the time to address this issue.

If everyone will be committed to keeping Spec e30 simple, fair, and fun we can avoid those issues that make other racing series no fun and very expensive. To me this means not pushing the envelope on loop holes in the regulations. Sure, I’m not naive, I know it does and will happen. I just hope that as the series grows it does not lose focus on what it was founded on…close, affordable racing and having fun with fellow racers.

There really is no need to tinker, experiment, and tweak our cars. If you build your car to the official regulations you can be competitive and even win. Build it and race. Spend your racing budget racing and getting faster. IMO, it would be a lot more fun and rewarding to win a race in car that cost 10k than in a car that was built to the max and cost 15k or more.

Happy Holidays (Merry Christmas) to all.

#43

Carter wrote:[quote] .The original intent here is clear…
this is not a "tinkerer" series… we will protect the intent of Spec E30. And we’ll have a great time racing.Carter[/quote]

Thanks for reiterating. Hopefully, this and other such issues can be put to rest.This is the philosophy that is bringing me to this series. As stated elsewhere, I have raced and built in quite a few other classes.(circle jerks) I know how to stretch the rules and tweak the parts.That’s not what I’m here for. I want to roadrace. I want to compete with others in very similar cars. This is how I will gauge my progress as a driver. This is how I will gauge my preparation skills, or lack thereof. This is how I’ll have fun. This is how I won’t go bankrupt in the process.
Hats off to Mike and Carter for doing what it will take to keep this class this way. I will support you 100% in this endeavor. No one wants to get beat because someone else fudged on a perceived loophole.We can make their job easier if we all can play nice together and have a blast doing it.

#44

I agree with Carter’s points (obviously), but I do think that this thread has shown the merits of a few tweaks in definitions in the rules. It was good for Michael to broach this subject.
cheers,
bruce

#45

I will play nice from now on, I promise. I just hope that everyone building a Spec E30 reads these forums so they can understand what is accepted vs what is legal. Does not seem to always be the same. Legal not always meaning accepted.

Michael O.

#46

Hey everyone,

I was gone the week before Christmas and then all through the holidays, I owed my family a dedicated vacation so we hit the beaches in NC for a while. Whilest away I see there has been a lot of humdrum on sway bars and rules and such. I also see my name thrown around a bit. I don’t think I was ever insulted here but it’s hard to read emotion, sarcasm, dry humor, and other emotions when typed. I’ll assume that we’re all playing nice since there’s enough feather ruffling and twits over on some other forums.

First, Simon and I have long discussed running a car in SpecE30. We’ve both wanted to do it at some point or another but things did not work out for one reason or another. But 2007 becomes the year. Simon asked me to build a car for him and naturally I’m way into doing that. [Secretly and not so secretly I still want to build a 318iS for myself…]

We both agreed right from the beginning that we have no interest in trying to push any rules. We have both always been sticklers for the rules anyway with a conservative nature (ask before doing or better to be safe than sorry, etc), that’s part of the reason I get so much crap from twits on other forums already.

So this car will be legal for sure, I have no intention of trying to hide something or do something that is questionable. I’ve already asked questions in some cases where I figured what the answer would be anyway. I don’t like undoing things which could be prevented by a simple email, that’s just plain stupid and shows not only a lack of common sense but frankly, a lack of intelligence as well as an unhealthy does of arrogance.

I absolutely will be developing parts for SpecE30 but not so much because they will be a performance improvement over other products but maybe more because I’ve had requests for such things where a demand is not being met.

Getting a sway bar made is pretty easy, there are plenty of places that will do a quality part to your specs. I’d never considered this really for SpecE30 and I’m not sure it’s something I’m interested in anyway. I don’t want to raise the car preparation level, I want driver skill level to improve. I’d prefer to keep the racing amongst the drivers rather than amongst the cars.

That being said I have higher preparation level standards than others and some certainly fall into the category of performance but I do not personally, and I know Simon does not as well, have any interest in trying push any rules. I don’t agree with all of them but then it’s my choice to work within them. I have always had this philosophy so coming here is no different.

I look very much forward to racing with some of you this year. It’s Simon’s car but I’m hoping he’ll let me race it once just so I can enjoy the fruits of my labor a bit. ; )

Mike, I hope you do have a car this year, I’d like to race with you again. I miss the fun we’ve had previously. There may be some other opportunities though…we can talk about those later. >:^)

Cheers all.

#47

ilateapex wrote:

[quote]I will play nice from now on, I promise. I just hope that everyone building a Spec E30 reads these forums so they can understand what is accepted vs what is legal. Does not seem to always be the same. Legal not always meaning accepted.

Michael O.[/quote]

That is a good point and certainly the cause of some problems elsewhere. I tell many racers on many occasions that one should look at rules on the conservative side. If you have any doubts about something or if your gut is telling you that it might be questionable, then simply ask first. If you’re so far gone that you don’t that feeling or you are a loophole finder then accept it when you get busted. Plain and simple, don’t do it unless you know without a doubt it’s ok, it’s not that hard.

#48

Just catching up on this. The way I see it is I want to KISS. keep it simple studip. I don’t have time to make my own sway bars, etc,etc. I want install and play. The rules specified 1.3. Only modifications specifically authorized are allowed; and competitive adjustments are not allowed! That was a lot of reading over nothing.

#49

don’t think I’ve met Studip yet B)

in 1.3, "competitive adjustments" refers to the practice in some series of adding/removing weight to specific participants based on their prior performance.

This thread was about some believing certain modifications are authorized and were looking for clarification.

cheers,
bruce