VARA ANNOUNCES NEW CLUB FORD ELIGIBILITY DATES

During yesterday evenings March 03 VARA Board of Directors meeting, the VARA BOD has unanimously passed a resolution (10/0)to adopt new manufacturing dates for eligible Club Fords. The accepted dates for Club Ford will include FF's manufactured between the years of 1973 and 1981. The Club Ford must have at least one end with out-board shocks, no modern electronics, must use the American Racers slick and must comply with Formula Ford engine and chassis rule established in 1967. The list of eligible Club Ford cars include:

Alexis - MK23, MK24, MK 24B
Caldwell – DL15FF (also a few were made as a DL9 in 1975)
Crossle – 25F/30F/ 32F/35F/45 – 1976/77/78/79, (only the 32F/35F/45F are eligible to use the Crossle Wing Tray)
Dulon - MP15/17/19/21
Eagle (Dan Gurney)– Eagle DGF
Elden - PRH 10, PRH 17, PRH 19, PRH 20, HD 24
Elfin - 620
Hawke- DL11, DL12, DL15, DL17, DL19
Hermes – 16/79, 16/80
Huron - FP2
HR2760 – HR2760-1978
Image – FF2/FF2B/FF3FF4/FF5
Javelin – JL2/JL5/
Legrand – MK13/13B/21/27
Lola – T340/T342/T440/T540
Merlyn - Mk 24, 25, 28, 29
PRS - RH02 , 81F
Reynard – 73F/76F/77F/78F
Rostron – RT77/78
Royal - RP16, RP 24 - 1977, RP26 – 78
Sark – Sark 2
Sparton – FF78
Titan - Mk 8/9
Tiga – FF75F/76F, through 1981
Van Diemen - FA 73/74/76/77/78/79/80/81
Viking – None. First prototypes were made in 1979, first customer car was delivered in 1982.
Winkelman - ( became Nomad-Palliser: KHF/1 (aka WDF4, KHF/2 (aka WDF5/WDF6)
Zink – Z-10, NOTE: Z-16 not allowed. Zues - FF81 - 1981

Craig Hibbard
President, Vintage Auto Racing Association

[size="1"][ 03-05-2003, 06:44 PM: Message edited by: CHibbard ][/size]

There is a glaring ommission in your CF list: Royale RP-16 thru 26. Also, what is considered modern electronics? Thanks, B Smith.

modern electronics = electronic ignition rather than the blue Bosch coil/points/standard rotor.
Hmmmmmmm, now my problem is the Crossle 32F has the elec. ignition....guess we just set it up the other way but the problem could be that I'd plan on just leaving some of the elec. ig. parts yet bolted on the car - just not functioning.....HEY would that be a problem to get the car them teched to VARA ??? also....about that Alum. head ???

I presume a Crossle 45F, Mfg date 1981 would be allowed???

Hawke DL12 (1975) ??

Yes, oversight, the 45F would be allowed. I'm sure that I may have missed a couple of cars, I welcome any addition/adjustments.

Craig

Tiga FF through '81?

Thank you, yes, the Tiga will be added.

Craig

If car counts are as much the target as expanding the list, the comment about the ignitions is a stumbling block. Perhaps the rule can allow for it ONLY if running in the CFF class and of course not carry over to the Vintage ranks. This conflict has some serious impact on things as we fought long and hard for this modifictation for the better of the class.

That aside, what about the proposed flywheel rule too? 15.5 not legal? Only 19.9?

Let's work together here and not pick out issues that don't provide mutual benefit.

We have only one engine rule set for both FF and CFF. At present aluminum heads are allowed, but electronic ignitions are not. We have yet to rule on the flywheel issue (we generally lag SCCA approval cycles). Murray

Todd is right, this issue needs to be addressed. The electronic ignition makes no difference in power. If someone wants one, let them have it. My cars still run points, I think that electronic ignition is just one more part to fail.

This question goes right to the heart of each club's view of what Vintage racing is. From a Montoposto sort of view the issue is not that a change is a power advantage but it is, not how the cars were run in period. As such, each club has to decide just how period correct they want things to be, in the area of being period correct. Changes that affect speed potential are the next level. When VARA makes a change to the rules those two areas are concidered as well as, how it effects cars from other clubs that would like to run with us.

Club Ford should be run as Club Ford is now. Pointless Ign., Alum. heads, slicks, rocker stands, etc..
It won't effect Vintage (cars up to and through 72). This way a guy who runs SCCA can bring it run it, and not have to change it.
As the SCCA rules change so should Club Ford.
VARA is giving the "Not Vintage, and not competitive against the newer cars" a place to run against one another that is GREAT! Restrict them to Vintage rules... Probably not a good idea.

Chris

Chris;

"aluminum heads"? As it is now? Maybe I missed something but alum heads and CF don't mix. The purpose of CF was a more affordable version of FF, and if in your vision alum heads are part of that equation, why is not an electronic ignition allowed in my vision?

Not busting your nuts, just that statement doesn't hold up well IMHO.

Perhaps the middle ground is to allow these cars to be raced in the proper form allowed by the GCR of the SCCA? This way VARA gets the cross over it needs, the rules written for them and we as owner/drivers get to run new venues and more track time.

As I've learned too from my work in FM; don't impose rules you are not prepared to enforce. Meaning that if you decide against the 15.5 rule then you'd best be ready to weigh them.

I am doing (slowly) a frame-up on a Crossle 32. My goal is to run with VARA, HSR-West and SCCA in as many events as I can afford to. That order is also where my priorities lie.

I would love if all their rules for my car were consistant. I would also like to go with a 15.5# flywheel should SCCA approve it. However, if VARA and HSR-West won't allow it, I'll be forced to run a 19.9 with everyone.

My mistake I didn't mean to add the heads. Although somehow VARA has allowed these in vintage?
I am with you on the 15.5 rule.
Chris

I'm wondering what the motivation was for VARA on this considerable opening up of eligibility. It was 10/zip in favor, so there must be some very compelling reason. I suspect MORE ENTRIES as the motiviation. If so, I'm wondering how the current FF folks feel. All of a sudden there's going to be a rush of newer, faster, cheaper cars they will be racing against (Yes, CF, not FF, but . . . . they'll be in their FF run group, I guanantee.) The FF (vintage) folks just saw their races and cars depreciated, I'd guess. Nothing against CF, but seems to me the older FFs just got kicked in the head at VARA.

Robert:
Actually the class was included at VARA three years ago. The above is a refinining of the elegible years and models. Without question there was great concern by the FF guys over the very issues that you have voiced. As such VARA has been, and will continue to be, very careful to not run the two groups on the track at the same time. Club ford has grown to 12 or so cars, but last year we had over fourty FF run with us. There was some reaction in the begining and the FF fields decreased for the first year. We are now fielding run groups of 15 to 24 in FF and the Club Fords average about 6 to 8. This year there will be about 50% more Club Fords, but with the number of FF running there is no pressure to combine the groups. Our BOD has two FF drivers (I drive a Lola T-200 and my wife drives her T-200 as well and Chris Campbell drives a Merlyn). We are and will remain a voice for the interests of the FF folks.
The Club Fords have enhanced the club in that they have provided a tight racing group in our "Wings and Slicks" run group.

[size="1"][ 03-07-2003, 10:33 AM: Message edited by: Murray ][/size]

Last year Vara was running up to 1983s in this new class wasn't it?
I was looking at a few 1983 Renards to run in this class & now they are out?
I guess I lucked out by not buying yet.

Pat

Glad you waited. The '83 cutoff was a problem as it allowed some real technology jumps into the mix. By cutting off at '82, it give a nine year period of very similar cars that can be competitive with each other.

Murray,
How about the Royale RP31? Outboard rear and rocker front. Other then the nose being pointed, the rear is pretty much a rolling air dam.

John

In general it would qualify, but only if it was built and sold during the 1981 calender year. That is our current cutoff date and we have no plans to make any exceptions, other than two specific cars and drivers that have been grandfathered.

Murray,
Thanks for the illumination. Hope it works. Keeping them in separate run groups in important, I think. Otherwise, the new/cheaper will drive out the older/more expensive, less "competitive."
Cheers,

I fully agree with the concept of keeping them apart. It's only the rules of cross over that are a stickler in making it work, and work to the favor of the owners to get them to come out.

BTW, if you put them (the new cars) out there in a different run group who does this place them with on track? I'm assuming the 'big bore' run group of open wheel cars. If this is the case then what potential effects does it have on the car count? Meaning if this run group consists of 15-25 cars and we now add upwards of another 10-15 cars, how does this balance out for safety and space? I'm not sure I'd want to be out there in a field of 15 CFs with 25 old FA, INDY, and F1 cars.

Todd you have the placement right. It is not that big a problem yet as the big bore formula group has gotten smaller over the years. With about 6 to 8 Club Fords we rairly see more than a 20 car field. More often it is around 15. When Club Ford grows to be 18+ entries they would get their own run group. It is always hard to add run groups, but we are looking at ways to better manage the daylight hours to make this sort of thing possible without cutting into seat time.

Thanks Robert;
You are right. If the two groups get run todether the vintage cars will soon be a back marker group and it not only devalues the cars but is a slap to the group that has made FF a big and well supported group in Vintage racing.

Not to flog the obvious, it seems to me that our car should qualify athough not explicitly mentioned in the list. Any issues with ADF under the new CF rules?

I do not know the car, but if it ran with SCCA in 1981 or earlier, is not on the excluded list, and has out board coil overs at at least one end, then it would qualify.
What part of the country do you live in?

The ADF is specifically excluded from the SCCA CF rules. However, I noticed that the Eagle is excluded from SCCA CF also, but included for VARA. Otherwise, I would have presumed the ADF illegal.

FYI - The ADF is the predecessor to the DB-1.

Club Ford is a Regional only class with eligibility decided by the Division. There are variations across the country. In the Midwest Division, the rule is basically outboard on one end and '81 or earlier. This requirement is common to most Divisions, but the West Coast is different, with its separate Spec Ford and Club Ford.
- Frank C

Don't focus too much on SCCA CF- on the west coast we actually have two forms of "club Ford", SF and CF. The Eagle is legal for SF.

Bill, I saw your name around as I researched SF. I split time between SoCal and NorCal. I dredged the ADF out of my buddies garage over the winter and I am currently overhauling it. I plan to run SCCA SF with it. It is always nice to have more flexability in the race schedule, though.

Sean

As the DB-1 is specificly dissallowed in VARA I suspect we would look at the ADF the same way. The thing to do would be to ask directly <vararacing.com> and get a ruleing

The ADF should be allowed in VARA. They were built, I think from 1973 until maybae 1979. The VARA CF class is,in reality, the SCCA Spec Ford and Club Ford combined. The ADF is a Spec Ford on the West Coast.

Wow, someone still has an ADF in their garage! And better yet, it is So Cal. Bring it out to VARA. I see no reason why the ADF MKII wouldn't be allowed to run with us in VARA as long as the car is built with in our guidelines. I heard that Marc Bahner had aquired the tooling for the ADF MKII back in the early 80's. Please keep us informed of your restoration project. The ADF was one of the great FF's of mid-70's.

Craig

Craig,

Thanks for the invite. As soon as it is done, we will haul it and my buddy's Lotus 69 up and play with you guys. I am doing the bellypan this weekend and then it should be a down hill run to have the car ready. You'd be surprised what people have in their garage...

This car is a Steve Anderson built MKII.

Take a look around the Porter Racing web site some time. I think I could five ADFs in the "project cars" photo.

If anyone has any good ADF information or spares kicking around feel free to get in touch.

Fat guy in a little car,

I apologize for the bad typestry. That should be "count 5 ADFs"...

You might want to call Marc Bahner (805) 640-9785. Marc may still have the tooling and jigs for the ADF cars.

That's the neat thing about this message board, you never know what people have in their garages. Sure is a great resource for information.

VARA will be a great place to run your car. No pressure racing, show up and have fun. I see the number of 1973-81 FF's growing with in our club.

Our next event in So Cal will be Willow Springs, April 5-6. Stop by that weekend and checkout the action. The public is always welcome at any of our events. A nominal gate fee is charged.

Craig

[size="1"][ 03-11-2003, 04:46 PM: Message edited by: CHibbard ][/size]