What exactly is "an open wheeled catagory"?
There's much latitude in the F/B regs (mathmatically and geometrically) for semi-wheel/tire enclosure.
So, what is the actual definiton of "open wheel" in the SCCA? Would just an opening at top of the wheel mean the wheels were exposed (all this is assuming you stayed within the height-width body dimentions for the class?
Would it mean no skirts along the side of the tire/wheel (on the insides, say, of the fronts -- again staying within body dimension regs)?
Some of the F/500 cars really begin to push in this area -- and the aero advantages are obvious. And, of course, the old wide-nose FB Chevrons and etc., were essentially sports racers in front of the front wheels.... and it all could have been taken farther.
What are the precedents in this area? What exactly will the scrutineers accept in this area before you've gone too far? I'm sure a lot of folks have at least thought about what the limits would be... one series of posts in fact dicussed this area in some detail -- but I cannot refind the thing. And we're building our "kickers" now.
Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated. Or, if anyone know where that series of posts on the subject could found, it would be a great help. I know both Richard Pare and Jay Novak weighed in... and I'd sure like to read what they had to say again.
Thanks for anything ---
About as gray as you can get in this Club!
Nothing that I can seen in the regs gives an actual definition of "open wheel" - it is a term that has had a universally understood meaning of "no fenders or wheel enclosures" for 90+ years or so, and I've never seen regulations that specify "no fenders or enclosures".
I think, however, that you could use vertical "skirts" alongside the the inner edge of the rear wheels without causing too much heartache. However, any attempt to have them curve outwards over the contact patch area would most likely put them in the area where they could be protested as "fenders" and be successfully protested even though there is no official prohibition against them in the class.
Using some sort of wheel enclosure out the the max body width could indeed be tried, but be prepared to have the rule defined better and their use made illegal very quickly thereafter!