Enduro sup. reg. standardization?

[rsportvolvo]

I'm trying to get a handle on enduro supplimental regulations and they are similar, but not the same. Is there a push to get standardized enduro regulations? I know that different organizations run the events, but it would be nice to have a standard set of regulations.

Heck they could even have an endurance series. With a finale race!

[dickita15]

In the North East some work was done in having as series, the NESCCA Enduro series, and some rule standardization was done but it is difficult. A 3 hour has a different set of problems than a 12 hour. Pit lanes vary from track to track and have different needs for rules.

[Knestis]

Some of us have been involved in conversations about this over the past 4 years or so but there's no real authority to which responsibility falls, across regions. Every region - more precisely, the people in every region - have slightly different views on some issues, that may or may not be track-specific.

There have been recent attempts at enduro series as well, none of which took off pretty much for the same reason.

What has NOT been tried, so far as I know, is to propose to SCCA Club Racing that they should do a top-down enduro rules consolidation effort.

K

[callard]

Some safety related items regarding fueling and pit stops are being drafted and Terry Ozment will be taking them to the CRB soon. As Kirk points out, different length races have different rules. What will wind up in the GCR will be the overarching safety items. Supps will apply for the type of enduro (short vs. long).
Regards,
Chuck

[jimmyc]

Some safety related items regarding fueling and pit stops are being drafted and Terry Ozment will be taking them to the CRB soon. As Kirk points out, different length races have different rules. What will wind up in the GCR will be the overarching safety items. Supps will apply for the type of enduro (short vs. long).
Regards,
Chuck

care to explain further the bolded part above? I can't think of what different length races would have different rules??

[dickita15]

care to explain further the bolded part above? I can't think of what different length races would have different rules??

For instance at a 3 hour enduro at nhms most of the participants are casual enduro people or novices at longer races so there is a minimum time for refueling. The crews are not practiced and the cars are not modified for quick safe fueling. A minimum time rule allows the team not to rush so it is safer for the pick-up crews involved.
On the other hand at the summit 12 hour the teams are more practiced and pit work is part of the contest so different rules apply.

[Greg Amy]

Chuck, is there any chance we can have some input into these rules? One safety-related rule that I've brought to the attention of organizers numerous times is night time headlight width.

As street drivers we've been programmed into correlating distance-between-headlights with distance-behind-us. The narrower the distance between headlights, the "farther away" the preceding car is. Unfortunately, many enduro cars have auxiliary headlights installed that are very close together; two common examples are Spec Racers that mount driving lights over their heads on the narrow roll hoop, and Spec Miatas that mount driving light on the center of the nose and can't raise their normal headlamps.

I've personally witnessed - and have almost been involved in - many an avoidable crash where one of these vehicles with narrow headlights dives into a corner under a slower car, only to have that slower car turn into them. The reason these incidents happen is because the cars with the narrower headlights "appear" farther away, and as the leading car looks up to see who's coming before turn-in has no idea that the faster car behind them is only a few car lengths back.

Of course, there's a simple answer to this: specify a minimum distance between headlamps. This number doesn't necessarily have to be random; the distance between a pair of Spec Miata headlamps would work perfectly fine, which would require SM drivers to design their system such that they can raise their stock headlamps (with those big aux lights hanging out there in the breeze it won't add THAT much drag...) The Spec Racers would just need to widen out their lamp mounting brackets a bit - and I suggest that if they've noticed a lot of guys turning into them at night, it might be a good idea to do it anyway, even without a rule.

And, the rules can be flexible enough such that if one of the two lamps goes out, then one is fine; I know that if I have a car coming up on me with only one lamp I'm especially careful and rarely surprised

Food for thought, but this is my #1 pet peeve about endurance racing equipment. - GA

[Knestis]

It is good news that the Board is thinking about this but equally, it concerns me if the draft is being done without substantive input from folks used to actually running club enduros. I'd like to know more, too.

K

[Hahn63]

Greg, almost all of the time you bring up very good items. But this one please tell me your joking.

All I have tried over the past couple of years to get some agreement from all the enduro events and we are a lot closer to each other than ever before.

I caution everyone to not get wording in the GCR. Once it is in there it will be a lot harder to change. Saftey is important but the enduro community as a whole has had a very good record when it comes down to it for what we do.

Fire away all!