No traction control in Prepared classes?
Posted: Mon Dec 23, 2013 3:45 pm
I did not realize that our current rules ban traction/stability control in the Prepared classes. The 2013 Technical and Safety Requirements read:
2. CHASSIS. BB. Dual System
1. Any device that actuates the brake independent of driver control shall not be allowed, except for Formula Libre. Devices that limit braking power independent of driver control are allowed.
The first sentence bans traction or stability control mechanisms that automatically activate the brakes (i.e., independent of driver). The second sentence seems to imply some form of anti-lock braking system is acceptable, in that braking power (force?) may be limited independent of driver control. This would be useful if the driver has applied too much force and has locked the brakes; the system could then reduce braking power to restore wheel rotation.
However, in my understanding, modern anti-lock braking systems will actually modulate the brakes at the point of lock up (when and if driver has applied too much force). So the ABS both limits and then automatically actuates the brakes, independent of driver control. Which would mean ABS is not legal in Prepared.
The following rule bans traction control in Prepared through engine power mechanisms:
5. GENERAL FF. Traction Control
1. Devices that automatically limit engine power to control traction shall not be allowed, except in Formula Libre.
So I guess my question is, why ban traction control (either braking or engine power) in the Prepared class?
Any number of modern street cars could be stripped, caged, and raced in Prepared classes while still using the stock engine management system, which, for high-powered cars like Evos, Subarus, BMWs, Porsches, etc. all come with traction control. I personally turn off traction control when on the track with my street car, but it does make it harder to drive at the limit. When teaching high-speed driving on race tracks, most driving schools I know of prefer the learning student to keep traction control systems engaged. It is safer. I believe that Prepared cars at our hillclimbs might also be safer (easier to drive at the limit) if they used traction control. Not as much fun, and maybe not as good for driver learning/training, but generally safer. A good motorsport system would probably provide a competitive advantage as well as being safer.
As the rules stand, a driver in Prepared will have to disengage traction/stability control somehow if it is a stock feature of their race car. I personally think that requiring a driver to bypass what could be seen as a safety feature exposes the clubs to liability claims if something were to go horribly wrong.
So again, why ban traction control?
Jamie
2. CHASSIS. BB. Dual System
1. Any device that actuates the brake independent of driver control shall not be allowed, except for Formula Libre. Devices that limit braking power independent of driver control are allowed.
The first sentence bans traction or stability control mechanisms that automatically activate the brakes (i.e., independent of driver). The second sentence seems to imply some form of anti-lock braking system is acceptable, in that braking power (force?) may be limited independent of driver control. This would be useful if the driver has applied too much force and has locked the brakes; the system could then reduce braking power to restore wheel rotation.
However, in my understanding, modern anti-lock braking systems will actually modulate the brakes at the point of lock up (when and if driver has applied too much force). So the ABS both limits and then automatically actuates the brakes, independent of driver control. Which would mean ABS is not legal in Prepared.
The following rule bans traction control in Prepared through engine power mechanisms:
5. GENERAL FF. Traction Control
1. Devices that automatically limit engine power to control traction shall not be allowed, except in Formula Libre.
So I guess my question is, why ban traction control (either braking or engine power) in the Prepared class?
Any number of modern street cars could be stripped, caged, and raced in Prepared classes while still using the stock engine management system, which, for high-powered cars like Evos, Subarus, BMWs, Porsches, etc. all come with traction control. I personally turn off traction control when on the track with my street car, but it does make it harder to drive at the limit. When teaching high-speed driving on race tracks, most driving schools I know of prefer the learning student to keep traction control systems engaged. It is safer. I believe that Prepared cars at our hillclimbs might also be safer (easier to drive at the limit) if they used traction control. Not as much fun, and maybe not as good for driver learning/training, but generally safer. A good motorsport system would probably provide a competitive advantage as well as being safer.
As the rules stand, a driver in Prepared will have to disengage traction/stability control somehow if it is a stock feature of their race car. I personally think that requiring a driver to bypass what could be seen as a safety feature exposes the clubs to liability claims if something were to go horribly wrong.
So again, why ban traction control?
Jamie