2014 Speed Championship regulations

[Matthew Willoughby]

Following various discussions during the year, Simon, Rob J, Shaun, Michael Calvert and I got together at the management team meeting last weekend to thrash out the rules for next year (and beyond).

 

I have drafted the regs and a brief description of the changes made, and the thinking behind them, is given below.

 

Class 1

 

The Caterham Tracksport upgrade for the Sigma engine will be allowed. This is to give Sigma cars an upgrade opportunity to bring them closer to the performance of the K series cars. This will also open the class up to more ex race cars of suitable performance. Sorry chaps, Rob is going to go even quicker!

 

The Caterham 160 and 165 will be permitted.

 

Class 2 and 3

 

Sigma engines will be subject to a simple power limit of 155bhp rather than being limited to the Caterham Supersport (140bhp) and factory Sigma 150 (which is also actually around 140bhp in reailty). The reason for this is much the same as allowing the Tracksport in Class 1 i.e. it will give an opportunity for Sigmas to fight the K series cars on a level playing field, at the moment they cannot hope to get close to the quickest cars in the class.

 

1.8 litre Ford Zetec engined cars will also be subject to a straightforward 155bhp limit providing they are run on carbs rather than injection. Same reason as above.

 

All K Series cars, apart from those with ported heads, will be allowed to use the Z&F ECU. The trial this year showed that it does not give a significant performance advantage.

 

Class 4

 

Flatshift will be banned. With Paul Forster no longer competing there is no need to allow flatshift in this class. By banning it the rules will be brought into line with Class 5.

 

Class 5

 

The power limit will be removed. The class should be seen as the ultimate for road going, car engined Sevens. Sequential ‘boxes are still not allowed.

 

Class 6

 

No changes.

 

General

 

Cars in any class may use engine modifications that improve engine reliability and longevity, e.g. forged pistons, uprated valve springs, gaskets, bearings, providing no performance gain is achieved.

 

 

I hope that giving a reasonable period of notice regarding these changes will give those who wish to make changes to their cars enough time to do so.

 

Further changes are planned for 2015 and these will be covered in another thread.

 

[Simon.Rogers1]

Good Stuff

[Sgt Pepper]

Quoting New Comp Sec: 

With Paul Forster no longer competing there is no need to allow flatshift in this class

 

Bu66er, after finally getting mine set-up over the summer....... ☹️ Mind you you don't think it would have made much difference to my times .

 

Well done, can't be easy tweaking the regs to find a level playing field in all classes with the increasing number of model/engine variants

[CaterBram]

Mat,

 

thanks for the heads up on the rule changes, think it's the best compromise for both years, through not all may agree but I do see it as the only way forwards.

 

hopefully we can help stimulate some additional new competitors as well as maybe encouraging some old friends to return.

[robmar]

Class 6

[magister]

I hope the class 1 160 / 165 doesn't refer to power!

 

What power does the tracksport conversion deliver?

 

We will need to think of other ways 😳 to slow him down........ 😬

 

PaulB

 

 

 

Edited by - magister on 9 Nov 2013 20:27:19

[OliW]

Excellent! Good job guys, thanks.

[Matthew Willoughby]

Paul,

 

Don't worry the tracksport is still less powerful than yours. The main difference is that it increases the rev limit.

 

 

[Mr Happy]

Most intreasting,

 

[Mark Gibson]

Hi New Comp Sec.

 

I am confused about the tracksport change as I thought that the success and popularity of class 1 was solely due to it being based on ex academy cars.

 

You mention that the change opens the class up to more ex race cars but I thought that there would be more ex-academy cars around than ex-tracksport ones (but correct me if I am wrong).

 

You also mention about the change making the sigma more competitive with the k-series cars but the competition in class 1 this year seemed really close. At Curborough in May, there were 2 Sigmas and 2 k-series cars in the top 4 and we were all within 0.4s of each other.

 

It would be good to know if this change is set in stone or whether it is possible to remove it from the 2014 and future regs if enough people are opposed to it.

 

Mark

[Stef]

Hi all,

 

Well done Matthew for trying clarify regs that have to take in such a wide variety of cars and specs, and then trying to make it as fair as possible, I'm sure it can't be easy.

 

Unsurprisingly my comments relate to Class 1. I was a bit nervous about commenting as it may just come across as being bitter after such a close battle with Rob this year but I can assure you I am all for fair competition and think it is essential for class one to be as level a playing field as possible and also as accessible as possible for people with standard cars.

 

Like Mark, I don't really know the detail of the tracksport cars but I thought that the whole point of class 1 was that you could turn up in an off the shelf K-series or sigma and be competitive. Having won it twice now Rob has shown quite clearly that a sigma can be perfectly competitive.

 

Looking at the graduates website, they quote this - 'upgrades permitted in the Caterham Tracksport and Supersport championships - which includes a 20bhp engine power upgrade'

 

This may be different to the upgrades that are being proposed but un-surprisingly that just makes me a bit nervous as that would take the sigma to the sort of power that a K-series supersport would have.

 

Aside from that fact, I also think this runs the risk of making people less likely to compete rather than more likely. I joined class 1 because I knew that I could compete in my bog standard k series without having to make expensive mods. In all honesty, if I could have afforded it I would have gone for a sigma just to get a newer car. I think this is now sending a message to people that a standard sigma is not competitive unless it is modified. Consequently, we no longer have a class that is suitable for someone who has bought a base model caterham over the past 6 years.

 

If I am mis-informed or in-correct then I apologise but I just thought i'd get my 2 pennies worth in!

 

Cheers

Steff

[Z3MCJez]

The 20bhp upgrade is for Supersport.

 

Tracksport is a remap and new injectors. Power increase is negligible (although it's easier to stay in the band as the rev limit is increased from 6,800 to 7,200).

 

Tracksport also allows the screen to be removed and widetrack front suspension to be fitted, but I think they're both allowed in the L7C events.

 

Graduates run Sigmas and Supers in parallel classes. They have everything basically the same, except the Supers run with K-series engines. Supers are generally a bit quicker than Sigmas.

 

Jez

[Mark Gibson]

Jez - "a bit quicker" - supers were 1.1seconds faster for pole at brands than the sigmas (and obviously more at the longer circuits) which will be a country mile in sprinting terms in 2015

Mark

[CaterBram]

Mark, my understanding is that the supersports would be class 2 as only the tracksport remap & injector would stay within the power limits of Class 1.

[Simon.Rogers1]

Chris is correct.

 

Its only the remap and injectors.

 

Not 20bhp.

 

Where is the CompSec when you need him 😳

[Mark Gibson]

Simon - he's hard at work unlike me

 

I am well aware of the specs of roadsport, tracksport and supersport but my confusion related to the reasoning for including tracksport in 2014 and supergrads (which are distinct from supersport cars) 2015 in class 1. It could be argued that the tracksport may not make "much" of a difference in 2014 but a supergrad would be much quicker in 2015.

[David Lynch]

As long as my perceived 128bhp is still OK for class one 😬.

Curborough 1 was amazing as Mark said. 2 Sigma, 3 1.6 K and a 1.4KSS in top 6.

0.62 seconds apart

[Simon.Rogers1]

Its the wording then.

 

Supergrad will not be allowed in 2015. Class 1 will remain at the target 125bhp and zero mods.

 

The slight alteration is only to allow the rev limit increased Tracksport.

 

I'll go and read it again.

[Simon.Rogers1]

Ah! one small word makes so much difference.

 

I don't think it is supposed to say "super" grads.. Just Grads - IMHO

[Matthew Willoughby]

It's a good job I'm home from work "early" tonight to clarify!

 

At the moment Class 1 caters for ex-Academy cars with both Sigma and K Series power. It is well known that the Sigma is down on power compared to a K. Mark, I think you did 79mph over the line at Curborough in May compared to a fastest in class of 84mph. The idea behind allowing the Tracksport upgrade is to enable Sigma cars an opportunity to get closer to the K. I don't see that a standard Academy Sigma will be any worse off compared with the class leading car than it is now as, in my opinion, a good K series car is still better.

 

We are aware of some owners with Tracksport spec cars who have not been competing as they would be in class 2/3. This is surely not right when their cars have less performance than some other Class 1 cars.

 

As for 2015 we will be specifically allowing Supergraduate spec cars (K series ex-academy i.e. currently Class 1 cars). They may be slightly over 125bhp hence the requirement to specifically allow them in Class 1. The same will apply to 1.4 supersports like David's. I think it is important that the new 2015 rules do not have the unintended effect of moving existing competitors' cars from one class to another.

 

I hope this clears matters up.

[Z3MCJez]

Quoting Mark Gibson: 

Jez - "a bit quicker" - supers were 1.1seconds faster for pole at brands than the sigmas (and obviously more at the longer circuits) which will be a country mile in sprinting terms in 2015

Mark

 

Mark,

 

I think using one data point is dangerous. Especially when your one data point is one lap! With a different driver! I don't believe the true difference is 1.1s around brands, but I do believe that the k-Academy are slightly quicker than the Sigma-Academy. If you have your engine regularly rebuilt anyway (the K degrades much more than the Sigma as it ages).

 

Also, have you considered that the Sigma will get off the line better as the K is much more peaky? That makes much more difference in a 60s sprint than a 20 min race.

 

Anyway, with the Tracksport upgrade, won't that help the Sigmas vs the Ks?. Having read some more I guess your point is that existing Supergrads are not in class 1 despite being standard Academy cars from 2001-2007? Or am I missing something?

 

Jez

[Mark Gibson]

Thanks Matthew, that explains things perfectly. I guess I hadn't appreciated the fact that the Sigma was not on a par with the K's because of following the class 1 results for the past few seasons and seeing Rob's successes. The main point is that it would be great for new entrants to join and it doesn't seem right that Tracksport cars aren't joining for that reason.

 

Jez - the short answer is no, I hadn't considered any of your points which are well made. I was being rather analogue with my pole comparison time as I thought that qualifying was a good comparison to sprinting but as you say, a good getaway is an important component in sprinting.

 

Mark

[magister]

Doesn't Robs's success over the past two seasons, + 3 class records suggest that these Class 1 changes are unnecessary?

 

Two of the Sigma held class records are on circuits where you would have thought top speed was very important.

 

Aren't the torque characteristics of the engine of equal or even greater importance than the rev limit?

 

Isn't this a case of 'if it isn't broke.....' ??

 

Just my 2p worth

 

PaulB

 

 

 

Edited by - magister on 13 Nov 2013 20:26:32

[The Headmaster]

How do we know it isn't broke?

 

Maybe RJ is a superior driver and has just been driving to a higher level than everyone else.

 

What if the new rules allowed 10 other members to compete?

[Mr Happy]

Our does it mean he is doing amazingly well and the k's should be quicker?

 

If you look at curborough Tom in class 3 is as quick as a class 4 and class 5 upto the flag pole, Richard at Harewood was 2nd quickest overall till it got steep. Richard's car is 35 bhp own on class 4 and over 100bhp down on class 5.

 

Its the driver not the car.