Wipers failed in last part of race - hairy video!
Discussion
Some pretty hairy video from the Oulton Park FunCup race at the weekend, as my wipers had failed and it was pouring down!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F1G76OjkHXU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F1G76OjkHXU
It's surprising how much you can work out by using the side windows and listening to the cars ahead. I drove like this for about 15 minutes, and managed to overtake two of the top runners in a close side by side battle. Some people couldn't manage this in the dry without hitting somebody almost every lap, so it depends on the experience of the driver (25 hour races in the dark and rain at Spa hone these skills..!)
wipers not strong point on funcup. ours did not work for my stint but did for driver 3. TBH putting them on is high risk for us as it ends up just a swear of dirty oil. At spa they keep going through anything that drops out of the sky. Only time I have known them stop the race was when lightning knocked out the CCTV and timing. I like the wet much more fun
AWRacing said:
No need for a flag, try racing an open top car in the rain - the view from the camera will always be worse than the actual view the drivers eyes are seeing.
I have, and I see where you are coming from but I would have bought that fact that in that weather because wipers are required in those condition a car without would be black and orange flaggedAlso not sure on the fun cup series rules but don't most champs run series with a view that the car would have to pass an mot to race, an mot requires working wipers so a car without working wipers would fail? Would the car have been allowed out in such conditions if scrutineers knew wipers were not operational?
designndrive62 said:
I have, and I see where you are coming from but I would have bought that fact that in that weather because wipers are required in those condition a car without would be black and orange flagged
Also not sure on the fun cup series rules but don't most champs run series with a view that the car would have to pass an mot to race, an mot requires working wipers so a car without working wipers would fail? Would the car have been allowed out in such conditions if scrutineers knew wipers were not operational?
The Blue Book (Q.19.15.3) states that wipers must be fitted to cars (open or closed) required to run as "road going". To the best of my knowledge Fun Cup cars are not classed as road going. As Fun Cup cars are all identical, built by the same manufacturer, the regs probably don't specify wipers as a mandatory item as they are a standard fitment.Also not sure on the fun cup series rules but don't most champs run series with a view that the car would have to pass an mot to race, an mot requires working wipers so a car without working wipers would fail? Would the car have been allowed out in such conditions if scrutineers knew wipers were not operational?
As for black & orange flag for non-operative wipers, as I've said before, how does a scrutineer differentiate between wipers that aren't working & wipers that aren't switched on? Even if the presence of wipers is mandatory their use is optional - are we going to penalise drivers who choose not to use their wipers; who decides where & when wipers should be used? Sometimes common sense has to be used.
For those who don't know how the black & orange system works, mechanical defects which are spotted by marshals around the circuit will be reported to race control, who will request a scrutineer to have a look at the car. The decision as to whether or not the driver is shown the black & orange flag is made by the scrutineer.
acf8181 said:
Doesn't look that bad tbh....no worse than open cars and just a visor
^^ What he said....I raced in horrendous conditions at Snetterton late last year, my wipers worked, but on the rolling lap every window fogged out! the demister took a few (most!) laps to clear anything more than a A4 sized hole to peer through.
Started last, finished 3rd, class win, so quite happy. My video didn't come out - was just a blurry white fogged mess with the sound of a mad V8 dominating!!
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