Nova/Corsa Challenge Class 1 and 2 Regulations

Transcription

1 Nova/Corsa Challenge Class 1 and 2 Regulations October 2012 The Rallysport Association

2 SECTION 1 - INTRODUCTION... 3 SECTION 1.1 DEFINITIONS... 4 SECTION 2 CAR SPECIFICATION BODY ENGINES TRANSMISSIONS... 5 SECTION 3 SAFETY ROLL CAGE HARNESS SEATS FIRE SAFETY GENERAL VEHICLE CONDITION PERSONAL PROTECTION EQUIPMENT EXTERIOR BATTERY AUXILIARY EQUIPMENT... 8 SECTION 4 MODIFICATIONS BODY AND EXTERIOR INTERIOR WHEELS AND TYRES SUSPENSION SYSTEM STEERING SYSTEM BRAKING SYSTEM FUEL SYSTEM EXHAUST SYSTEM ELECTRICAL SYSTEM ENGINES Induction Camshafts Heads Engine Block and Associated Components Ignition System Engine Control Unit TRANSMISSION COOLING SYSTEM SECTION 5 - SEALING OF ENGINES & TRANSMISSIONS INTRODUCTION AND PREPARING FOR SEALING REPAIR OF SEALED ENGINES AND TRANSMISSIONS SCRUTINY OF SEALED ENGINES AND TRANSMISSIONS SECTION - 6 SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION THE PIERBURG/SOLEX 1B1 CARBURETTOR CAMSHAFTS FITTED TO VAUXHALL ENGINES :3 TRANSMISSION IDENTIFICATION... 19

3 Section 1 - Introduction The following regulations apply to all Class 1 and Class 2 Vauxhall Nova/Corsa Challenge cars. Cars not complying with these regulations will not be permitted to compete in Class 1 or Class 2 and will be moved to a class in which they will not be competitive. Competitors may also be penalised with regards to championship points if their engine/transmission is found to be illegal in respect of these regulations, after having been sealed. It is therefore in the interest of all Class 1 and 2 competitors to familiarise themselves with these regulations and ensure that their car complies fully with all sections. If any car is found to be in breach of these regulations after initial scrutiny, the competitors will be excluded from the remainder of the event. The Class 1 and 2 regulations have 2 main objectives. The first is to ensure a Level Playing Field for all competitors while keeping costs as low as possible without adversely affecting safety. The second objective consists of a few extra safety requirements to ensure additional safety for the class, considering the majority of its competitors will be novice and junior drivers. These regulations will apply to all cars, regardless of whether they are in class 1 or 2, to ensure that if a car changes hands it will be suitably compliant with all regulations. We have recently decided that, in the interests of keeping in touch with our objectives, a review of the regulations is required. The following regulations will contain changes that: - Reflect the exhausting supply of parts for the original Nova cars. - Update our current safety requirements. - Ensure that all cars are of similar standard of performance. - Uphold the Image and reputation of the class. We have modified the previous regulations in a way that we believe will benefit both existing and new members of class 1 and 2 equally with as little disruption to existing cars as possible while simplifying new cars production and general maintenance.

4 These regulations are still open to further modification and changes will be notified on our website and by other means. Anything not specifically listed as permitted must be assumed not permitted. It is the competitor s responsibility to ensure that cars comply completely with these regulations, even if the car has not been built or maintained by them personally. During scrutiny, The Rallysport Association reserves the right to take action against any modification not specifically mentioned in these regulations, but that they believe would give the competitor an advantage. Anyone with questions should contact The Rallysport Association DIRECTLY if they require clarification to ensure they receive the correct advice regarding these regulations. Section 1.1 Definitions In these regulations, you will see mentioned many times the words standard and production. These simply mean that the parts in question are to be the same as the ones the vehicle left the factory with, and more importantly, the permitted vehicle left the factory with. This may relate to the dimensions, finish, coating, material, number, quality, tightness, assembly procedures, weight, type, colour. the list continues. In short, again, if in doubt, leave it alone, or give us a call! Words like us our and we, refer to The Rallysport Association, or someone acting officially on its behalf.

5 Section 2 Car Specification 2.1 Body Cars must be 2 door Vauxhall Nova/Opel Corsa or Vauxhall Corsa B manufactured up to and including model year A Sunroof, if fitted, should be removed and replaced with a suitable blanking material. All early type Nova cars fitted with old style front bumper must have this replaced with the newer type Deep front bumper as fitted from 1991 on. The body should be in good condition and bodywork repairs should be to a professional standard. No form of lightening of the actual body shell is permitted. All original equipment, with the exception of interior seats, carpets etc, must remain in place. An original specification laminated windscreen must be fitted and all other original window glass must remain fitted. It is permitted to seam weld the body shell and also to strengthen the body around suspension pick up points. 2.2 Engines Engines must be in their standard production form for the vehicle models listed in section 2.1. Permitted engines are 12ST, 12NZ, C12NZ, X12SZ. 2.3 Transmissions Transmissions must be in their standard production form for the vehicle models listed in section 2.1. Permitted transmissions are the F10 and F13, in both 4 and 5 speed variants. Permitted differential ratios are 3.74:1, 3.94:1 & 4.18:1. Both Wide and Close standard transmissions are permitted.

6 Section 3 Safety 3.1- Roll Cage Cars must be correctly fitted, as per the manufacturers instructions, with a 6 point FIA approved and stamped roll cage. The cage must include door bars for driver and passenger. No drilling or modification of the roll cage is permitted. The homologation stamp must be visible or certificate of homologation available; homologation must be for the body type to which the cage is fitted. Modified or homemade roll cages are not permitted. Any questions regarding the correct fitment of the roll cage should be directed to the cage manufacturer Harness All cars must be fitted with an FIA approved Harness. They must be a complete units sourced from a recognised manufacturer and must be valid or In Date. Harnesses stamped with a Date of Manufacture are not permitted. All Harnesses must be in good condition and be fitted in accordance with the manufacturers instructions. Mounting points must be secure, and any body/chassis repairs within 30cm must be made to a professional standard. 3.3 Seats All seats must be in good condition and correctly and securely fitted as per manufacturer s instructions. They must be sourced from a recognised manufacturer and be fitted with a headrest. No form of production car seat is permitted. Any body/chassis repairs within 30cm of seat mounting points must be made to a professional standard. 3.4 Fire Safety All cars must be fitted with an easily accessible fire extinguisher with a minimum 1 Litre capacity. The interior carpet must be removed to improve fire safety.

7 3.5 General Vehicle Condition Scrutineers will inspect the cars general condition paying particular attention to body condition, suspension mounting points and other areas where weakness could cause a failure, and which therefore present issues relating to safety. It is however, your responsibility to ensure that your vehicle is maintained in an appropriate and safe condition at all times. 3.6 Personal Protection Equipment Please refer to The Rallysport Association general regulations regarding helmets, suits and all other safety related equipment/regulations. Nova challenge class cars must also comply with the RSA general regulations. 3.7 Exterior The bonnet must be fitted with external bonnet pins and both of the original catches removed. The bonnet hinges may be removed if a total of 4 appropriately positioned bonnet pins are fitted. The original boot catch must also be disabled and replaced by either pins or spring type latches, which are easily operable from the exterior. Mud flaps must be fitted to the rear of all four wheels. Door mirrors must be in good working order. All doors must be able to be opened from both the inside and outside. A battery isolator should be fitted as close to the battery as possible and should operate from the vehicles exterior. Note that this must turn off the engine as well as isolating the battery, and that to achieve this some models will require isolator with an additional ignition switching circuit. Rear brake lights must be functional, and an additional rear window brake light is recommended. It is also recommended that direction indicators work.

8 3.8 Battery In addition to the isolator noted in section 3.7, the battery must be secured with an over-top strap and the terminals covered with a non conductive material. The battery must remain in its original condition and a standard production alternator must run at all times. 3.9 Auxiliary Equipment The front windscreen wipers must remain operational. The interior heater must also remain operational for windscreen de-misting purposes. Heated windscreens are not permitted. Rear screen wipers are not compulsory. Section 4 Modifications 4.1 Body and Exterior As mentioned in section 2.1, the body should be in sound condition. Seam welding is permitted as is strengthening around the suspension pick up points and other weak areas, though adjustment of the positions of pick up points is not permitted. Lightening of the body is not permitted in any form. The wheel arch exterior lip only may be modified to aid wheel clearance. All exterior panels should be securely fitted and in reasonable state of repair. A sump guard may be fitted to protect the sump, and this may also be used as a method of bracing/strengthening the body. In addition to this section, the safety requirements in section 3.7 must be effected. 4.2 Interior The original carpets and rear seats must be removed. Sound deadening and interior trim panels may be removed, however door panels, if removed, must be replaced with a suitable material. The original dash and wiring loom should remain intact. Extra instrumentation may be added to the original dash, such

9 as ammeter, voltmeter, oil pressure, water temp etc. No form of launch control or shift light is permitted. Pedal faces are permitted, as are aftermarket gearknobs and steering wheels, however no modification of the gearshift is permitted. The steering lock may be removed and ignition/starting may be transferred to a switch panel. The area within reach of the driver and co-driver should be, as far as practicable, be free from sharp edges or protrusions that could cause injury to either. 4.3 Wheels and Tyres Any wheel rim of either 13 or 14 inch diameter may be fitted, alloy or steel, up to a maximum of 6 inches wide. It is permissible to have a mixture of 13 and 14 inch rims front to back, but not side to side. Tyres must be road legal and be free from damage or defects. They must be E or e marked in accordance with EEC regulations relating to tyres for public highway use. Tyres marked for rally use or not for road use or for racing purposes only etc are not permitted. Max Width 185 Min Profile 60 Exceptions The only exception from road legal tyres permitted is a cut slick Michelin X FR2.0 available at a cost of around 30 from SW Adair Tyres ( ). This is to allow a lower cost alternative to the widely used Toyo Proxes R888 tyre. Any car found to be running on slick versions of the Michelin tyre will be treated as being in breach of these regulations. It is also acceptable to use the road legal Maxport Tyre 185/55x14 which has the same rolling circumference as the Maxport Tyre 185/60x13 which are both 'E' marked and are available from the Maxsport distributor, BPM Maxsport Tel or

10 4.4 Suspension System Suspension mounting points are subject to extreme forces, and as such will be given particular attention during scrutiny. In particular, the front crossmember, strut towers, rear spring seats, and bottom arm mounting points must be in good, solid condition. Suspension units and springs can be replaced; however coil-over type suspension is not permitted. The standard fit anti-roll bars are optional. The rest of the suspension system must remain as standard. It is recommended to regularly check the tightness and condition of the lower ball joint pinch bolt, as this reduces the likelihood of failure. 4.5 Steering System The complete original steering system must be retained, with the exception of the steering wheel, which may be replaced with an aftermarket item. The steering components must be maintained in good condition. Power steering is only permitted where fitted as standard. Power steering, where fitted, may be disabled, but only in such a way that there is no adverse effect on the steering function. No form of quick rack is permitted. 4.6 Braking System The entire braking must be standard and of the type fitted to production models, as specified in section 2.1. It must be maintained in good working order. Older Nova front callipers may be replaced with the later or Corsa type for the models listed in section 2.1 these are a direct fit. Aftermarket, ventilated or modified discs are not permitted. Braided brake hoses may be fitted and aftermarket brake pads may be used. It is acceptable to replace the original brake pipe with copper pipes where the original pipes require replacement, or if there is a desire to re-route the pipe for protection; provided these are fitted to the appropriate standard. A hydraulic handbrake is permitted. The standard handbrake lever may be modified so that the ratchet is disabled.

11 4.7 Fuel System The fuel system must be maintained in good condition and free from leaks. The fuel cap seal must be in place and in good condition. Particular attention should be given to the fuel neck breather pipe on Nova models. A vehicle must not leak fuel onto the track surface. The original fuel tank must be retained; however a guard can be fitted if desired. If fuel pipes are re-routed inside the vehicle, stainless steel braided fuel hose must be used. On carburettor engines, an electric fuel pump may be fitted in place of the original mechanical pump. Carburettor induction and single point fuel injection engines are permitted. Injection engines may be retrofitted with the standard 1.2 Carburettor, namely the Pierberg/Solex 1B1. It must be of the 23mm venturi type and be fitted with standard jets (105 main). No other carburettor is permitted in the class. Engines fitted with fuel injection must retain the original injection system in its entirety, in completely standard production form. The injection system must be of the type fitted to the particular production model in question. The coolant temperature sensing circuit should not be tampered with in any way. No performance modifications are permitted with relation to the fuel delivery system. Octane booster of any form is not permitted. Carburettors may have the warm up device or choke disable or discarded. 4.8 Exhaust System The standard exhaust systems including all silencers must be retained, and in reasonable condition. Cars will be noise tested and if it exceeds 100 DBA at any time during the event, it may face exclusion. Aftermarket exhausts or silencers are not permitted in any form. Cars fitted with a catalytic converter may have this removed. Note that only manifolds with a single downpipe are permitted in the class, and that no modifications to the manifold are permitted.

12 4.9 Electrical System The entire production engine electrical system must be retained (ie starter, alternator, battery etc). Certain safety critical electrical components must also be retained (wash/wipe, brake lights, etc) as well as components where specific guidance exists (eg. ECU). It is advisable to retain the entire electrical system, including the fusing and distribution system Engines In a particular car, any of the engines mentioned in section 2.2 may be fitted. The engine must however remain totally in standard production form. Engine mountings may be uprated to performance items if desired Induction Only the standard production inlet manifolds are permitted and these must not be modified in any way. It is permissible to exchange the manifolds between the permitted engines but only for the purpose of changing an engine from injection to carburettor. The restrictions mentioned in section 4.7 apply here. An aftermarket air filter may be fitted if desired, and the standard airbox/ducting may be removed to facilitate its installation Camshafts The standard production camshaft for the particular engine must be retained, and must not be modified in any way. Care should be taken, as some aftermarket camshafts may exceed standard production specifications. The camshaft timing must not be modified in any way. Camshafts must have an exhaust valve lift of no more than 5.5mm and an inlet valve lift of no more than 5.1mm. The maximum permissible duration is 77 degrees inlet and 78 degrees exhaust. It is permissible to fit the carburettor type cam designated C as a replacement for the injection engine cam designated H. See Annex for further information on camshaft designations. Standard rockers for the particular engine type must be retained, and hydraulic lifters must remain standard and operational.

13 Heads Only the standard production heads for the engines listed in section 2.2 are permitted. No modification to heads, valves, or springs are permitted; however, permitted heads may be freely swapped between permitted engines. A maximum of 60thou may be skimmed off the head. Note that this is measured from the heads original standard height. Only a standard thickness head gasket is permitted. Performance head gaskets are not permitted Engine Block and Associated Components The engine block must remain as standard production form in its entirety. No modifications are permitted to the block or its associated components. A rebore is permitted to 0.5mm oversize. Pistons/rings must be of production standard for the specific engine type, and not modified in any way. The flywheel must remain standard for the particular engine type, and must not be modified or lightened in any way Ignition System For carburetted engines, only the Delco Remy black distributors are permitted. These may, if desired, have the springs removed and the advance/retard rendered inoperative. For injection engines, the standard ignition system for the particular engine type must be retained in its entirety. No modification to the ignition system is permitted. The original production coil for the particular model must be used. Note that injection engines retro-fitted with a carburettor, may retain their own ignition system Engine Control Unit The engine control unit must not be tampered with in any way, and it must be of the type fitted as production standard to the particular vehicle/engine. No form of electronic tuning, chipping or modification of the internal map is permitted. Aftermarket ECUs or programmable ECUs are also not permitted. Any type of device which interferes with any of the signals to or from the ECU is not permitted.

14 4.11 Transmission Transmissions must be of the types listed in section 2.3, and may be exchanged freely. They must be completely production standard. The 4.54:1 differential ratio and any form of limited slip differential are not permitted. Due to sealing regulation, exchange of transmission ratios between events is not permitted. It is permissible to fit performance transmission mountings Cooling System The cooling system must remain in its entirety and as production. A switch may however be fitted to manually override the cooling fan. Oil coolers are not permitted.

15 Section 5 - Sealing of Engines & Transmissions 5.1 Introduction and Preparing for Sealing Before a vehicle is entered into classes 1 and 2, its engine and transmission must be sealed by The Rallysport Association. The engine must be prepared for sealing by having holes drilled of 2mm diameter in a number of key bolts, as shown: Larger hex bolts (such as head bolts) may be drilled diagonally through the corner of the bolt to reduce the amount of drilling required. The bolts which require drilling are: 1: Looking at the engine from the front; the 2 right hand foremost head bolts. 2: Looking at the engine from the front; the 2 right hand foremost rocker cover bolts. 3: Looking at the engine from the front; the 2 right hand foremost sump bolts. 4:Looking at the gearbox end casing, the 2 left hand 13mm headed bolts most easily accessed. When a vehicle is presented for its first event, you must inform us that it requires sealing. We will seal the engine on site. If it cannot be sealed, it may not be entered into the class. By having your engine and transmission sealed, you are declaring that they comply wholly without any doubt with the specifications set out in these regulations. You are also agreeing to all of the requirements of these regulations with regards to scrutiny including our right

16 to inspect your vehicle by disassembly, and to request a dyno report at your expense. 5.2 Repair of Sealed Engines and Transmissions If an engine or transmission requires repair which necessitates the removal of a seal, you must inform the Rallysport Association before the next use of the vehicle. You must give an explanation for the removal of the seal/seals and your engine must be resealed before it is used; this can be done on site, preevent. Any engine found to have the seal missing or tampered with in any way after a drivers briefing has taken place will result in action being taken. 5.3 Scrutiny of Sealed Engines and Transmissions The Rallysport Association may at any time request that a vehicle is presented to have its engine and transmission inspected for compliance with these regulations. These inspections will take place at a convenient location at an agreed time. Where possible, we will conduct these inspections with the least amount of stripping necessary; however, it should be assumed that the vehicle will not be drivable after inspections and should therefore be delivered by transporter. The Rallysport Association will not be responsible for the replacement of any seals/gaskets that are disturbed during the inspection, or for any re-assembly. If the vehicle is found to comply, it will be returned to the entrant for reassembly, and must then be resealed prior to its next event. If a vehicle is presented for inspection with any of its seals missing, or any signs of tampering, it will be treated in exactly the same manner as if the vehicle was non-compliant. No further inspection will take place and action will be taken against the competitor. Findings of inspections will be made available to all competitors.

17 It is therefore in the competitors best interests to ensure that their engine & transmission ALWAYS has all seals present. During scrutiny, The Rallysport Association reserves the right to take action against any modification not specifically mentioned in these regulations, but that they believe would give the competitor an advantage. Section - 6 Supplementary Information 6.1 The Pierburg/Solex 1B1 Carburettor Note that there are different versions of this carburettor, only the 23mm venturi version is permitted.

18 6.2 - Camshafts fitted to Vauxhall Engines. The ID letter can sometimes be found stamped on the distributor end of the camshaft. Engine Type 12ST, C12NZ C13N 14NV C14NZ C16NZ, 12NV 13SB C16SEI, E16SE ID Letter C H B F G D Lift Inlet Lift Exhaust Permitted? Yes Yes No No No No

19 6:3 Transmission Identification An F13/4WR also exists, same ratios as F10/4WR. An F10/4CR also exists, no further info at present. Crownwheel/Pinion Markings Marks -71/19 Teeth Marks 71/18 Teeth 4.18 No Marks 71/17 Teeth Marks 77/17 Teeth Some exceptions to these markings do apply, if in doubt, count teeth! Also the endplate may be incorrect!