MX-5 Club Track Day - SMP South Circuit - 27th October 2012

[Hjt]

Spencer,

The regulations about CAMS approval and roll bars changes recently, those bars previously approved would likely still pass, however there is no way either of the common bars would meet the current regs.

My roll bar doesn't cover the width of my shoulders = fails.

No roll bar is street legal unless approved by a listed engineer for the RMS.

The reason for the current group buy isn't to comply with standards rather provide the safest option and the best protection in the case of a roll over.

[Guran]

OK guys, Mike has just sent me his club trackday report for the next edition of Club Torque, and he answers your questions/suggestions as follows:

The South Circuit is very new with excellent facilities with regard to the control tower, scrutineering, toilets etc. It is recognised that competitor protection in the pit and paddock areas is non-existent. Unfortunately funding for additional facilities is currently not available to the circuit operator the ARDC. Your committee will continue to press the ARDC for the need for these and other enhancements such as lights, relocation of race control etc. Please be patient - at least we now have an alternate facility based in Sydney that we didn't have twelve months ago. Many members have now suggested that we run events on the North Circuit and even the GP Circuit. Let’s learn to walk before we run guys. If you wish to drive these circuits I suggest you register to compete in the 2013 NSW Supersprint Championship and join the twenty or so members that competed and won the 2012 Club Championship.

Well said!

[LuckyCat]

Getting variety is good thing for club days and dividing time between SMP -s and Wakefield fit the bill.- Congratulations to Mike for organising.

TBH , personally, EC North and the GP circuit scare me.

But I wouldn't mind competing in some supersprint rounds on SMP -s and Wakefield.

chris

[Tony]

My understanding is bars are not required or scrutineered. People are running with / without, some CAMS certified probably most not, some street legal some not.

CAMS permitted event Supp Regs all refer back to the CAMS Manual, which is where all the information is located.

Essentially, road registered cars are not generally required to have a roll bar, however if you do have a roll bar it must be CAMS approved.

Be aware also that some specific event Supplementary Regulations (eg. Victorian 6 Hour Regularity Relay) may stipulate that ALL cars will have roll over protection, so you need to read the event documentation carefully.

Roll bars can most certainly be scrutineered if the scrutineer decides they wish to. Luckily for those who operate inside the 50mm rule, roll bar scrutineering is rarely done.

[guss]

Sorry guys. Re-reading what I wrote now comes off harsher than I intended. Mainly it was the "most (if not all of us)" that got my goat. That and I've been dealing with Tourism NSW recently a lot at work; they don't seem to realise that there's things past Katoomba/Woolongong/Gosford.

Apologies for my uninformed comment, Jeo. I'm a relatively fresh MX5 Club member still unaware of how far our fellow track day participants spread across the state!

[robertq]

scrutineers don't want to stop you from going racing, they just try their best to make sure that if it goes wrong nobody gets hurt. enquires take up time!
regards robert q

[Suspense]

Essentially, road registered cars are not generally required to have a roll bar, however if you do have a roll bar it must be CAMS approved.

Further to that, from Schedule J of the CAMS Manual:

7. NON-COMPLYING SAFETY CAGE STRUCTURES
Where the type and/or status of the event does not require a vehicle to be fitted with a safety cage structure,
the use of a non-compliant structure is permitted, provided it is not deemed unsafe by the Chief Scrutineer.

So from what Bryan and Phil were saying, in reality that second condition hasn't been applied.

[Hjt]

Well the scrutineer just sees it as unsafe, covering schedule j

[mazmad]

Good find Spence. The CAMS section relating to speed racing - as Supersprints are - does not encompass them at all.

CLearly other 'racing' events require them.

[mazmad]

Now camera mounts...they are a different matter. You have to get a special form just for camera mounts, have the mount inspected, and take the form to be signed off by two different people.

[Guran]

Now camera mounts...they are a different matter. You have to get a special form just for camera mounts, have the mount inspected, and take the form to be signed off by two different people.

Yes this is correct. EXCEPT if you use a tiny spycam/gumcam like I do, the chief scrutineer will laugh at you and rip up the form! Size does matter apparently.

Bob, I accept what you're saying about scrutineers looking out for the safety of competitors and officials. Most scrutineers are angels and approach their role from this perspective. Unfortunately the odd scrutineer does seem to lose a bit of perspective or takes their "power" a bit too far. Where there's a dispute, it's the chief scrutineer who has the final say, and thankfully at the NSW Supersprints, we have one who is sensible.

... but this whole discussion about scrutineering is way off topic.

[Guran]

!!!URGENT REQUEST!!!

Did anyone happen to get the contact details for Scott who was the bloke that was clicking away with a massive telephoto lens at this event? He was going to send me some of his photos to use in Club Torque, and I gave him my address ... but didn't get around to taking his details. I think that photo of the Mazda2 came from Scott. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

[manga_blue]

Wasn't he with Chris Gough's crew?

[LuckyCat]

mx5racing posted it ..?

c

[Guran]

Wasn't he with Chris Gough's crew?

Scott had not met Chris before that day. But somehow Chris got the photo from him ... so I'm hoping for a tip on how he got it.