22 replies to this topic

[Mike Collins]

9.3.32. LIGHTS

All non-Formula cars shall have two operating red brake lights. All For- mula (open wheel) and Sports Racing cars shall be equipped with a red taillight of at least the equivalent illumination power of a 15 watt bulb. This light shall be mounted as high as possible on the centerline of the car and be clearly visible from the rear. The taillight shall be illuminated when ordered by the Chief Steward. Light assemblies shall be considered one light for the purposes of this rule, irrespective of the number of individual lamps the assembly may contain. Light assemblies may perform both rain and brake light functions provided they have two distinct illumination lev- els. An optional tail light (“rain light”), as described above, may be added to cars in all other classes.

Exposed glass headlights shall be taped. Rear brake lights may be tape- dwith transparent tape. Turn signals, front parking lights, backup lamps, and side marker lights may be taped or painted. Lights mounted on or below the bumper shall be removed, and all resulting holes shall be cov- ered to prevent air passage through said holes. Lights mounted within the bumper may be removed or covered and any resulting holes shall be covered to prevent air passage through said holes. 

 

[Tyler Kicera]

Meat...you love to bust my balls...

 

IMO there is a difference between running the stock 01+ fog light covers/plugging the holes and smoothing out the entire front valence.  I haven't done any wind tunnel testing to confirm but anything you can do to smooth the air over the front of the car is going to help improve aerodynamic efficiency.  Like I said, I'll bring sheet metal to the glen and do this right away if the consensus is that I won't get protested for doing so.  That was my point...

 

 

VERSUS

 

[Johnny D]

I've done it for some time and had read it here. I was asked several times about it. I hope people didn't think I was cheating.

My thinking for my 99 was if I could get a base bumper with no Fog lights, why not make a 00 with FL's like that with the rule, if I could get one at a good price.

99-00 has multiable curves that may be difficult, use thin malleable sheet metal or salvage the FL area out of a crashed base bumper in fill the hole.

 

Of course Jim beats everyone without it.

Same could be said for the front chin with drivers winning without it.

J~

[Mike Collins]

Tyler,

 

Not busting your balls at all.  Just felt a new thread was in order with the rash of new VVT cars.  I know yours has been around a while.  I did want to answere your question in the other thread.  People will search eventually for this answer.

 

Do you know why Mazda sells the cover? (I do)

 

IT IS LEGAL to do the way Dan does it.  YOUR WAY IS ALSO LEGAL.

[Tyler Kicera]

 

My thinking for my 99 was if I could get a base bumper with no Fog lights, why not make a 00 with FL's like that with the rule, if I could get one at a good price.

 

 

The VVT(01-05) front bumper is different than a 99-00 and from what I can tell, there is no option to get a bumper without fog light holes.  As for the chin, that is a factory part and not something that guys are going out and fabricating.  

 

 

 

Do you know why Mazda sells the cover? (I do)

 

 

I assume it was because you could buy the car without fog lights and unlike the 99-00, there is only one style of bumper.  

[Jim Drago]

The VVT(01-05) front bumper is different than a 99-00 and from what I can tell, there is no option to get a bumper without fog light holes.  As for the chin, that is a factory part and not something that guys are going out and fabricating.  

 

 

 

I assume it was because you could buy the car without fog lights and unlike the 99-00, there is only one style of bumper.  

 

 

Tyler

They have fog lite delete covers for all 01-05 cars. I have them in my 03 car.  All of the 01-05 cars come with fog lites or these fog lite delete covers.  Dans car like my STL car has the mazda cow pusher spoiler on it,  so it makes more sense to cover them the way he did IMO. 

Jim

[Mike Collins]

Correct... The "fog light delete" was for SSB cars

[Marc Cefalo]

 

whoops......delete covers ordered......

[Tyler Kicera]

Tyler
They have fog lite delete covers for all 01-05 cars. I have them in my 03 car. All of the 01-05 cars come with fog lites or these fog lite delete covers. Dans car like my STL car has the mazda cow pusher spoiler on it, so it makes more sense to cover them the way he did IMO.
Jim

Jim, that's exactly my point, the 01-05 cars came with one or the other and there was no option to get a bumper without the holes. Like Dan and Danny, I too run the extra chin spoiler and the plugs work just fine as you can see in my pic. This is a "gray" area and it's all about how you interpret the rules. Sounds like blocking the entire hole and any indentations = legal aero mod.

[wheel]

 Lights mounted within the bumper may be removed or covered and any resulting holes shall be covered to prevent air passage through said holes. 

 

How is this a gray area?  

[Johnny D]

Wheel, please don't give him facts right now, he's doing a great chicken little imitation.

J~

[wheel]

I used to worry about facts, now I are one.

 

We have met the enemy and it is us.

 

whatever

[Tyler Kicera]

C'mon Johnny, chicken little...really? I've won plenty of races with my car just the way it is.

Wheel - it's gray because it just says the holes have to be covered, not how they are to be covered. The lack of "how" leaves the solution open to interpretation.

[Johnny D]

You made my point. You and others have won just the way you have it uncovered, so...

 

How you cover it ?? really ?? grey ???   cover it with Bubble gum or beef jerky, IDK, ?? 

It's just the wild west here with anything goes the way the rule are written.

 

I would like to thank the guys for spending the time to write it and make it clear to most of us.

J~

[Tyler Kicera]

...and Johnny, you made my point. Bubble gum, beef jerky, duct tape, and soda cans all seem to be acceptable solutions. What is black and white in the rules is that it must be covered. What is not black and white is HOW...which I guess is what I brought to light with my original comment in the other thread

It was nice playing with you all...time to focus energy on more important things...

[Johnny D]

You can always write a letter if your unhappy with the rule as written, but if they say it's fine as written, you'll have to live it.

J~

[suck fumes]

Just join the rest of the the crowd and you're on a level playing field again since its legal.

[wheel]

Cover it any way you want.  If we wrote the rules to specify how everything must be done, the book would be 5k pages.  The book is way too complicated as it is.

wheel

[davew]

Just because you won races and got through tech, does not make it legal.

 

Our #1 rule is : if it does not say you can, you can NOT

 

Our #2 rule is : Shall = must

 

Our #3 rule is ; wwjdd, What Would Jim Drago Do

 

Dave

[Michael Novak]

You could argue covering the hole up to the spoiler gives a aero edge...  Thus covering the hole in this manner would not be preferred...  Since it is also impossible for the tech group to prove that it is a advantage though without data.   I would use the ---It covers up the hole argument...        TOM HART????????    Pretty slow Thursday.......