weights displayed on cars?

[Allan Davies]

I was mildly amused today when I got my new (December) issue of SportsCar and noted (besides the shameless promotion of the Topeka track and facilities) that one of the new rules for 2007 is going to require us to display minimum weight for our cars "in sufficient size" on both sides of the car.

I guess the tech folks may have asked for this to make life easier for them in impound, and/or maybe it has something to do with the proliferation of classes. Don't know, but maybe someone can explain why this is needed?

Thanks,

Allan

[Frank C]

There was an active thread on this topic a little while ago at:
http://www.apexspeed.com/forums/show...ight=bar+codes

In that thread, I was only being half facetious about bar codes, at least the ones on cars.

In reading through the new issue of SportsCar, I saw that we also should be congratulating Gary Godula for another championship in Solo!
- Frank C

[Joefisherff]

Why don't we come up with a sticker with Apexspeed on it and the correct weights for FV, FF, FC, FM and FA? Sell each of them to the appropriate class and further promote this site? I can't think of a better way to get Apexspeed on the vast majority of our open wheelers!

[rickjohnson356]

I have not had much response to the (authorized) ApexSpeed stickers offered here in various sizes. And they are not class-specific, which would be the case if the weights were added to the stickers.

However, don't let that dampen your enthusiasm for promoting ApexSpeed wherever you can.

[Joefisherff]

Thanks Rick, since this is a requirement for everyone running SCCA I would think there would be a demand for it versus trying to put something together yourself. What say you Apexspeed members?

[thunderracing91]

I think it would be cool to get the decals here. Now I dont have to go get some made. Let me know how much...............................

Andrew

[Roland V. Johnson]

Mike Sauce, did that stupid rule really pass?

[Greg Mercurio]

To answer your question Alan, check the Specifications tables in each section of the GCR. You'll find spec lines for every conceivable make and model of car approved for competition, many with with different weights. It's a true pain in the ass for Tech to find every single weight for every single car at a National event.

[Westroc #19]

Isn't that why we have to put the GCR page# and our car weight on our tech sheet. I don't see the point of this.

[Tifosi]

"in sufficient size"

Wouldn't this depend on whether the techie was male or female?

[EYERACE]

a piece of white duct tape 2" long and 1 " high with sharpie inked numerals about 1/2+ inch tall will be all you need. you can spend more if you want to.

eye'm thinking i might "need" gold leaf numbers on a Dior designed blank white background with the numerals having a black outline - the black made from pigment derived of caviar membrane and unobtainium. the background is, of course!, the dimensions of the famous Golden Rectangle such that perfect artistic proportions are preserved just in case the National U.S. Poet Laurete is present at impound...cuz eye "wouldn't want to offend"

this rule is no big deal. how pretty do you need to be? the people doing tech and impound are probably of [on average] only IQ of 100 so we should not expect too much of them - like they're always immediately knowing the weights of all the classes.

actually i'll bet they're smarter than the average bear and that all of them know more about racincars then eye do..............cuz like eye know anything.

just do it.

[Westroc #19]

The weight is right there in front of them on our tech sheet when we go through post race inspection.

[John Robinson II]

I dont have a problem with this...with over 30 classes on a regional level and multiple cars, multiple configurations of the same car all having different weights, it will save the techies the hassle of chasing down your tech card. I am going to get 1" tall 1/4" stroke to go under the FF on the side...big deal

john
but atleast they aint bitchin about spec tires....

[RussMcB]

I don't have a problem with it either.

I thought the rule did not pass, but I haven't seen the Sportscar/fasttrack yet.

I'll probably have it on my car by next race.

[Greg Mercurio]

Yo eye?

SF Region Techies include the following:

1 Aerospace Engineer (Real Rocket Scientist)
1 Satellite Comm Engineer (Black Projects)
1 HS Algebra Teacher
1 Civil Engineer- Transportation
3 IT/Database Managers- Medical
1 Senior Project Manager- Banking
1 CPA
1 Senior Supply Chain Manager- Memory Products

Eye'd bet a beer that every one of them have higher than "average" IQ's, an' they ALL know more about race cars than me, but what do eye no.

Anything we can do to reduce their workload is a good thing.

[Daryl DeArman]

I'm not one to want change just for the sake of change, but this makes sense! It takes very little individual effort yet collectively can save time AND make our volunteers' job easier.

I can't help but wonder if those that think it is a bad idea are those that are just too resistant to any new rule. If you really need to be a stick in the mud, put your weight in kilograms or troy ounces or drams or whatever you think is clever

[Purple Frog]

I had them on my car at the ARRC. Of course the guys working the scales hadn't heard about the idea yet.

I pointed them out. They said, "Hum."

Couldn't tell if they liked them or not.

I do think they liked the idea that I even cared about their job.

OBTW, I could read mine from 10 feet away without aids. The guy in the scale shed admitted that even if they were an inch high he was too blind to read them.

[DanW]

As a part time helper to these wonderful folks, I can see the benefit.

The Prod, GT, Spec, and Touring classes in particular. It is really tough scrambling to get the right weights out of the binder pages for each of the top finishers in each run group within the required time frame. Next time I will bring bifocals. In addition, some classes must also have wheelbases and tracks measured too.

Absolutely everyone earns their daily free sandwich and membership.

I sure hope I don't have to post MY weight on the car.

[Stan Clayton]

I don't see anybody seriously objecting to posting their required minimum weight on the side of their car. It is the draconian penalties for not having it, or having the wrong weight, or someone complaining that they can't read it from 10' that appears excessive to many. This is just club racing, and to impose penalties for weight sticker violations in excess of those for outright cheating just doesn't compute. Stan

[Dave Welsh]

Seeing that eye is an eye doc, maybe he could do a public service by making the stickers look like an eye chart so one could check there vision.

Or another thought, maybe eye could make the numbers out of pastel colored dots so one could check for color blindness.

[Daryl DeArman]

Thanks for the laugh.

Stan,

I see your point about draconian penalties when there is room for interpretation as to what is sufficeint. However, I can see that having the wrong weight displayed on a car is akin to cheating. Why would someone put the wrong weight on their car if it wasn't to have an otherwise underweight car appear to be compliant?

[Dave Welsh]

25 years ago I had a National Scrutineers license. At national races I would assemble all the tech cards into group and class order, and then I would go through the GCR and place the minimum weight for each car on each tech card. Then when the cars went through the scales I would write the actual weight on each tech card.

Now, the entrant/driver writes the minimum weight on their tech card. That saves alot of work on the scrutineers. It should be the scrutineers job to confirm that a weight was placed on the tech card. The rest should the same.

So what is the issue here?

Why post the weight on the car?

It is already on the tech card. The cards are at impound. If a driver/entrant falsifies the weight on the card then I'm sure penalties are applied.

I'm sorry, I just do not see the need for this.

[Charles Warner]

Thanks for the laugh.

Stan,

I see your point about draconian penalties when there is room for interpretation as to what is sufficeint (sic). However, I can see that having the wrong weight displayed on a car is akin to cheating. Why would someone put the wrong weight on their car if it wasn't to have an otherwise underweight car appear to be compliant?

How about one car that, with minor changes, runs in more than one class, with different minimum weights?

[RussMcB]

How about one car that, with minor changes, runs in more than one class, with different minimum weights?

What does that one car do about class letters?

[Charles Warner]

Don't know, Russ. I assume changes are made.

[Ken Lawrence]

If we need weights today, what about classes with other tech items; list carb size, track, wheel size, etc? Put it on the tech sheet and forget it. Seems really unnecessary to me.

[RussMcB]

If we need weights today, what about classes with other tech items; list carb size, track, wheel size, etc? <snip>

That sounds like quite a leap. Typically at the races I attend, *every* car going through impound is weighed. Except for extreme cases (Runoffs, protests, ...), never have I seen carb size, track, wheel size, etc. checked.

[Professor]

The logical and inevitable result...