Engineered rule bending
Discussion
On the other side of the pond, they have come up with some very cleaver cheats;
In order to equalize competition between car makers (in IMSA racing), restrictor plates were introduced between the carburetor and the intake manifold. The American V8s (remember that they can be 7-liters in displacement), a cardboard restrictor/gasket was made and painted silver…it looked like aluminum. It would pass scrutineering but those large V8s, when you would stomp on the loud pedal, the squirt jets pumping in raw fuel more closely resembled a toilet flushing would dissolve and ingest the cardboard restrictor’s restriction within a lap or so…
Another one I liked, it was allowed to modify the suspension wishbones any amount, but had to be the original part. A complete new, tubular, fully adjustable wishbone would be fabricated, and a strip (no wider than 25.4mm) of the original wishbone (the part with the part number stamping) would be tack welded to the custom fabricated wishbone.
And to the same extent, fiberglass fender flairs were allowed to accommodate wider wheels and tires. The fenders were allowed to be modified, but the original had to be modified. The whole fender was cut off, except for the mounting flange… this saved a lot of weight. So, in essence, the steel front fender (and rear quarter panel) were replaced with fiberglass parts to save weight.
In order to equalize competition between car makers (in IMSA racing), restrictor plates were introduced between the carburetor and the intake manifold. The American V8s (remember that they can be 7-liters in displacement), a cardboard restrictor/gasket was made and painted silver…it looked like aluminum. It would pass scrutineering but those large V8s, when you would stomp on the loud pedal, the squirt jets pumping in raw fuel more closely resembled a toilet flushing would dissolve and ingest the cardboard restrictor’s restriction within a lap or so…
Another one I liked, it was allowed to modify the suspension wishbones any amount, but had to be the original part. A complete new, tubular, fully adjustable wishbone would be fabricated, and a strip (no wider than 25.4mm) of the original wishbone (the part with the part number stamping) would be tack welded to the custom fabricated wishbone.
And to the same extent, fiberglass fender flairs were allowed to accommodate wider wheels and tires. The fenders were allowed to be modified, but the original had to be modified. The whole fender was cut off, except for the mounting flange… this saved a lot of weight. So, in essence, the steel front fender (and rear quarter panel) were replaced with fiberglass parts to save weight.
here's a nice bit of rule bending from the rally boys of the 1990's
Gwyndaf Evan's co driver reveals some solid rear beam tricks for FWD cars.
https://youtu.be/_4U51UbeXCc?t=1360
Gwyndaf Evan's co driver reveals some solid rear beam tricks for FWD cars.
https://youtu.be/_4U51UbeXCc?t=1360
Jodele said:
In order to equalize competition between car makers (in IMSA racing), restrictor plates were introduced between the carburetor and the intake manifold. The American V8s (remember that they can be 7-liters in displacement), a cardboard restrictor/gasket was made and painted silver…it looked like aluminum. It would pass scrutineering but those large V8s, when you would stomp on the loud pedal, the squirt jets pumping in raw fuel more closely resembled a toilet flushing would dissolve and ingest the cardboard restrictor’s restriction within a lap or so…
How it is that the cardboard funk didn't clog the intake and cause problems further down the line? I've read through all the pages in this thread from start to finish - some properly fascinating stuff here!
One i'm fairly certain I didn't see mentioned was the surge tank built into one of McRae's Focus'. It's why that car always had the US-Spec rear bumper!
Apologies if it has been posted and i've missed it, but here's some more information; https://www.highpowermedia.com/Archive/the-surge-t...
One i'm fairly certain I didn't see mentioned was the surge tank built into one of McRae's Focus'. It's why that car always had the US-Spec rear bumper!
Apologies if it has been posted and i've missed it, but here's some more information; https://www.highpowermedia.com/Archive/the-surge-t...
Joeywinkle said:
I've read through all the pages in this thread from start to finish - some properly fascinating stuff here!
One i'm fairly certain I didn't see mentioned was the surge tank built into one of McRae's Focus'. It's why that car always had the US-Spec rear bumper!
Apologies if it has been posted and i've missed it, but here's some more information; https://www.highpowermedia.com/Archive/the-surge-t...
Hadn't McRae left Ford for Citroen by the time the Mk 1.5 Focus WRC cars were introduced?One i'm fairly certain I didn't see mentioned was the surge tank built into one of McRae's Focus'. It's why that car always had the US-Spec rear bumper!
Apologies if it has been posted and i've missed it, but here's some more information; https://www.highpowermedia.com/Archive/the-surge-t...
Remember when they came out at the time, was baffled as to why they chose that bodykit - of course, time made it all clear
Chunkychucky said:
Hadn't McRae left Ford for Citroen by the time the Mk 1.5 Focus WRC cars were introduced?
Remember when they came out at the time, was baffled as to why they chose that bodykit - of course, time made it all clear
Ahhh yes you're correct - seems he left the season prior to this being introduced.Remember when they came out at the time, was baffled as to why they chose that bodykit - of course, time made it all clear
Don Roque said:
Jodele said:
In order to equalize competition between car makers (in IMSA racing), restrictor plates were introduced between the carburetor and the intake manifold. The American V8s (remember that they can be 7-liters in displacement), a cardboard restrictor/gasket was made and painted silver…it looked like aluminum. It would pass scrutineering but those large V8s, when you would stomp on the loud pedal, the squirt jets pumping in raw fuel more closely resembled a toilet flushing would dissolve and ingest the cardboard restrictor’s restriction within a lap or so…
How it is that the cardboard funk didn't clog the intake and cause problems further down the line? The Ford thing was with the new big bumper WRC car used primarily by Markko Martin and Francoid Duval, Markko had a great year winning a few rallies in 03 and 04, before moving to Peugeot, the Ford was only really great in his hands in that period. Not sure if it was him or the slight cheat!!
LukeBrown66 said:
The Ford thing was with the new big bumper WRC car used primarily by Markko Martin and Francoid Duval, Markko had a great year winning a few rallies in 03 and 04, before moving to Peugeot, the Ford was only really great in his hands in that period. Not sure if it was him or the slight cheat!!
Martin was a future superstar and potential champion IMO, until the accident that took "Beef" 
No such thing as a slight cheat! Rules left a loophole for interpretation, and Ford took it.
I am not sure I agree really, on both points, Markko was a very good driver but to do what you suggest he would have had to have pushed on into the Loeb era and regularly beaten him and I don't think anyone other than perhaps Ogier could have done that.
Regarding the car, it was banned fairly soon after it was made, so it was a cheat, was it Toyota restrictor level? Maybe not and I have always had doubts that many of the results they get in late 94 and 95 were achieved with that cheat enabled, but it was still bad!
Regarding the car, it was banned fairly soon after it was made, so it was a cheat, was it Toyota restrictor level? Maybe not and I have always had doubts that many of the results they get in late 94 and 95 were achieved with that cheat enabled, but it was still bad!
Good thread.
This is my favourite and true.
F3.
At the 2009 Norisring round of the Formula 3 Euroseries the ART team cars appeared with no upper rear wing element. To the consternation of rival teams, they complained that the ART Dallara’s had not fitted the mandatory rear wing endplates, but the French team pointed out that it was not the endplates which were mandatory but the championship stickers attatched to them, and as these were fitted to the car it was legal. The stickers were folded over the top of the endplates and down the inside. A great piece of inventive thinking!
This is my favourite and true.
F3.
At the 2009 Norisring round of the Formula 3 Euroseries the ART team cars appeared with no upper rear wing element. To the consternation of rival teams, they complained that the ART Dallara’s had not fitted the mandatory rear wing endplates, but the French team pointed out that it was not the endplates which were mandatory but the championship stickers attatched to them, and as these were fitted to the car it was legal. The stickers were folded over the top of the endplates and down the inside. A great piece of inventive thinking!
DanCam said:
Good thread.
This is my favourite and true.
F3.
At the 2009 Norisring round of the Formula 3 Euroseries the ART team cars appeared with no upper rear wing element. To the consternation of rival teams, they complained that the ART Dallara’s had not fitted the mandatory rear wing endplates, but the French team pointed out that it was not the endplates which were mandatory but the championship stickers attatched to them, and as these were fitted to the car it was legal. The stickers were folded over the top of the endplates and down the inside. A great piece of inventive thinking!
This I like a lot, we took a similar rule interpretation on the Honda Bonneville 400 F1 land speed carThis is my favourite and true.
F3.
At the 2009 Norisring round of the Formula 3 Euroseries the ART team cars appeared with no upper rear wing element. To the consternation of rival teams, they complained that the ART Dallara’s had not fitted the mandatory rear wing endplates, but the French team pointed out that it was not the endplates which were mandatory but the championship stickers attatched to them, and as these were fitted to the car it was legal. The stickers were folded over the top of the endplates and down the inside. A great piece of inventive thinking!
Big issue there was that the F1 car did not have to comply with f1 rules anymore, but Bonneville speed run rules, so anything goes, f3 would have been very different.
I would imagine that idea was probably only done once and then banned or maybe every other team followed on soon after so it was an advantage for a very short time, F1 teams in the early 70's wing days sis it at Monza, running wingless cars.
I would imagine that idea was probably only done once and then banned or maybe every other team followed on soon after so it was an advantage for a very short time, F1 teams in the early 70's wing days sis it at Monza, running wingless cars.
DanCam said:
Good thread.
This is my favourite and true.
F3.
At the 2009 Norisring round of the Formula 3 Euroseries the ART team cars appeared with no upper rear wing element. To the consternation of rival teams, they complained that the ART Dallara’s had not fitted the mandatory rear wing endplates, but the French team pointed out that it was not the endplates which were mandatory but the championship stickers attatched to them, and as these were fitted to the car it was legal. The stickers were folded over the top of the endplates and down the inside. A great piece of inventive thinking!
I like the creativity, but not exactly stellar results. Sure they got podiums, but it’s not like they buggered off up the road.This is my favourite and true.
F3.
At the 2009 Norisring round of the Formula 3 Euroseries the ART team cars appeared with no upper rear wing element. To the consternation of rival teams, they complained that the ART Dallara’s had not fitted the mandatory rear wing endplates, but the French team pointed out that it was not the endplates which were mandatory but the championship stickers attatched to them, and as these were fitted to the car it was legal. The stickers were folded over the top of the endplates and down the inside. A great piece of inventive thinking!
Aston Martin's AMR1 was not particularly competitive in endurance racing. For sprint races, it could have gained a few horse power by removing the drive belt from the alternator and running on the battery. Regs, however, said the car had to have a charging circuit. The scrutineer wasn't happy to find the alternator missing and two leads running from a strip of photo electric tape across the top of the windscreen.
Pretty sure it hasn't been covered in this thread but will have been covered somewhere on ph but Andy Petree was the crew chief for the Harry gant Skoal bandit NASCAR at the time and they created a deck lid spoiler that could be lowered, kind of like DRS in F1. There is a very good video with a whole panel of people from motorsport discussing racing in the grey area and this story was on it.
Also included was one of the crew for the infamous Whittington Brothers ex Kremer 935 which had nitrous installed in it, they used the radio switch to activate it.
Dale Jr's podcast also has an interview with Darrel Waltrip regarding rule bending in NASCAR.
Also included was one of the crew for the infamous Whittington Brothers ex Kremer 935 which had nitrous installed in it, they used the radio switch to activate it.
Dale Jr's podcast also has an interview with Darrel Waltrip regarding rule bending in NASCAR.
Edited by slopes on Sunday 8th January 10:03
My favourite one was the story of the guy who read the rule book for IMSA i think, who realised that the old RSR Porsche wheelbase was never going to work, read the rule book and moved the wheelbase around to suit the car. Years later someone had bought this car, gone and got some new bodywork for it but the wheels didn't fit inside the arches.
slopes said:
Pretty sure it hasn't been covered in this thread but will have been covered somewhere on ph but Andy Petree was the crew chief for the Harry gant Skoal bandit NASCAR at the time and they created a deck lid spoiler that could be lowered, kind of like DRS in F1. There is a very good video with a whole panel of people from motorsport discussing racing in the grey area and this story was on it.
Also included was one of the crew for the infamous Whittington Brothers ex Kremer 935 which had nitrous installed in it, they used the radio switch to activate it.
Dale Jr's podcast also has an interview with Darrel Waltrip regarding rule bending in NASCAR.
This one?Also included was one of the crew for the infamous Whittington Brothers ex Kremer 935 which had nitrous installed in it, they used the radio switch to activate it.
Dale Jr's podcast also has an interview with Darrel Waltrip regarding rule bending in NASCAR.
Edited by slopes on Sunday 8th January 10:03
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hfq7-1ePW-M
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