FF1600 Rockers, Swift 94,95 ray 97-2000

[mattray]

Hi

please can people with Aluminium rockers or bell cranks on their FF1600 email Steve Burns on steve@brscc.co.uk and see if he is doing anything about getting it changed to allow alloy rockers.

This effects all Swift 94's maybe 95 as well. some New Van Diemens and most Ray! At the moment they are illegal and shouldnt pass Morning Scrutineering meaning they can not qualify or race!

Zetec rules allow for a Homogenous material to be used but Kent regs say the rockers must be of a ferrous material so we jsut need the Kent regs to reflect the Zetec regs for this.

Many thanks

Matt

[JohnMiller]

No time for emailing Harry Potter as too busy making some new bellcranks!

[JohnMiller]

Did I not hear, seriously, the rules would be changed today?

I also don't think it has much if anything to do with the BRSCC, more Ford.

[Ian Sowman]

It is down to Ford to amend the regulations, but they will need to be made aware of the need to do so by someone, and the BRSCC seems like the most obvious body. I understand that an approach will be made.

[mattray]

Even Bob Bassett didnt know who was the person to talk to at Ford as there has been a restructuring. So in the absence of anyone to deal with directly, Steve Burns will have to bear the brunt until we have it confirmed that its been changed!

They said that they would try and get them changed today, but I dont think its going to be that easy without a bit of pressure from us!

[JohnMiller]

OK - sent him one.

[Paul-J]

I have just had a Swift 95 Kent built up from a Zetec chassis and am guessing its currently illegal as well. I am entered at Combe on Mon and don't want to have to change stuff as well, so to let you know, have just e-mailed Steve Burns to ask the questions as well. Is there anybody else we should be speaking to??

Paul James

[keithsekree]

This rule could turn me into a front runner if everyone else is disqualified!! I have to admit though it does seem a bit silly. Do the new rockers etc give the cars a big advantage?

[Ian Sowman]

There's no "new rockers" as such - apparently these are as they came out of the factory. No performance advantage, so I am told.

[JohnMiller]

There is no such thing as a steel front bell-crank for an SC94/5/6/7/8 etc!

[RMR]

No performance advantage what so ever.

Its irratating to know they kick you out for this yet let certain people race when they swap cars after qualifying to get through morning scrutineering then mysteriously break down after the chequered flag. but then rockers are very important lol.

[JohnMiller]

Originally Posted by RMR

yet let certain people race when they swap cars after qualifying to get through morning scrutineering

Never spotted anyone try this, or even have a spare car present on Saturday...

I do understand the issues involved but feel sorry for all those disqualified who had a wasted and frustrated weekend - most of whom had absolutely no chance of winning anyway - at least two never qualified straight for the Golden Helmet final, based on their Q times.

[Matt22]

Hi Matt and all.

ROCKERS are the big ugly things on the Reynard89, Van Diemen 88, etc. All later cars use BELL-CRANKS and pushrods, thus the bell-cranks can be alluminium. End of subject, I'd say. The regs do not need changing, they just need understanding.

Matt Green

[JohnMiller]

a rocker is that which connects the upright to the damper

whereas a bell-crank is that which connects the upright to the damper, albeit via a push- or pull-rod

there is definitely some possibility of different interpretations of the rules

thinking about it, I can't understand why they made them of alloy in the first place as I doubt a steel one would weigh much, if at all, more as it would only use about 10% of the material

[mattray]

Paul,
you probably wont have a problem at Combe so you may as well just risk it, I think it was a specific Scrutineer that was at Silverstone that decided that was his mission to catch me and my rockers. It was mentioned to me last year at the Walter Hayes by Bob Bassett that I should keep em covered but not that I should replace them or i would be chucked out!

The same scrutineer was at Silverstone then, as was on Saturday and he remembered the car from last year. ****er. This was why he only caught me in morning scrutineering and noone else, when I would have thought that he should have got every car with alloy rockers in the morning if he was doing his job properly!

[mattray]

Matt,
I pointed this out to them and they weren't having any of it!

[Redracer77]

At the end of the day it is a club sport and the cars were not in anyway dangerous so why not let you all run and then have the result pending if one of the "issue" cars won?

At least everyone would get a race after taking the time to get the car down to Silverstone. It was not if you have dodgy engine or anything?

Never mind Matt, all that time spare and you still forgot to put my gulf logos on my car!!

[Me and My Swift]

I think it was very unfair not to let you drivers race with your alluminium rockers. You were all misses in both races at silver!! Lets hope we can get it sorted and get on with the racing because thats what FF1600 is about!!

[Athgoe Racing]

This is complete bull, they checked all the cars in brands as well. This problem has started from a front running driver in a VD and all it's going to do is create more expense which will result in less cars on the grid. This has to change! and change very quickly there is no advantage at all, its mad!

[Me and My Swift]

Now nev we won't be hintin at any names!! But are totally right it needs to be sorted! The grids are only on the way up and we want to keep them up!

[podge]

Lets think back a few months with regard weight etc and what transpired then. Ford sort of instigated the formula and rules some thirty years ago. Alot of people made noises like why change things now if they have been found satisfactory for the last twenty odd years. What do I see now, those people making suggestion to changes, why? They laid out thousands for new cars and now find they don't conform to the formula specifications.
Those wise people who have in the past few years converted zetec cars probaly realised this and without beefing just got on, changed components etc to meet the formula specifications.
If you chaps havn't done your home work before buying new state of the art cars tough luck!!!!!!

[JohnMiller]

Podge, I hear what you are saying but you are talking about cars made in 1994 which have run that way since then without a murmur of disapproval.

Why were they legal in 1994? Or 1995? 1996? 1997? What about 1998? Or 1999? What about 2000? 2001? 2002? 2003? Or even 2004?

If a bell-crank was not a rocker in all those years, why is it now all of a sudden?

Where are enthusiasts who run their own cars off old trailers supposed to buy steel bits that do not exist? And in time for Combe, Mallory or Oulton this weekend?

Surely a much quicker and easier way to dissaude people from entering FF1600 would just be to tell them to **** off??

[Ian Sowman]

Quite agree, John.

This whole episode is shambolic, unnecessary and more than anything damaging to a formula that is thriving.

[foreversideways]

Is there likely to be a problem at Oulton this weekend ?.

[Triple J Motorsport]

Why not give everyone until say the end of April to get the cars made legal?

What happened on saturday wasn't right as drivers with alloy rockers were treated differently.