Quote:
Originally Posted by Michael Pliska
Yes, but 20 years ago there weren't many S/G cars which would trip with bodywork. I think the Brogie Series V was the first one to consistently do it. We've already seen our share of controversies over finish line lights (the Indy incidents mentioned above), and it seems to me that everyone would benefit if you knew for sure that the wheel was taking the stripe. I suppose I could go with the flow and build an air dam on my car which either trips the stripe, or looks like it could but doesn't. Maybe it's just me, but I think the most fair racing (especially in breakout classes) would be where we all know it is the wheel taking the stripe.
|
But why? It's the body that hits the beams in T/F, F/C, P/S, TAD, TAFC, S/C, T/D, etc., etc.
Haven't looked at track specs in a while, but as I recall, the starting line beams are spec'd at 1" off the ground, the rest of the beams on the track are spec'd at 5". The starting line is different because, remember, it's the BACK of the front wheel leaving the line that starts the clock. If it were at 5" like the others, it'd be the back of the car...
The rulebook has very explicit ground clearance requirements. If you want to have a body that is in front of your front wheels and is over 2" off the ground, you can do that, but the length is limited to 30" in front of your front wheel centerline (see the rulebook). Again, this is "fair" because it's been that way for years. As I noted previously, every dragster made for years very carefully follows, and exploits, these rules. Just because some S/G full body car makers are slow to pick it up, there's no reason to punish every one else.