Subject: rec.autos.sport FAQ 6/8: Other Race Series Frequently Asked Questions
Supersedes: <autos/sport/misc-faq_826083322@rtfm.mit.edu>
Date: 5 Apr 1996 15:27:54 GMT
References: <autos/sport/introduction_828718022@rtfm.mit.edu>
Summary: This posting contains a list of Frequently Asked
         Questions (and their answers) about competitive
         motorsport events which are not single seaters or
         NASCAR  (eg sportscar or saloon car racing).  It
         should be read by anyone who wishes to post on
         these subjects to the rec.autos.sport.* newsgroups.
X-Last-Updated: 1995/07/03
Xref: senator-bedfellow.mit.edu rec.autos.sport.misc:6605 rec.autos.sport.info:5381 rec.answers:19757 news.answers:68690

Archive-name: autos/sport/misc-faq
URL: http://www.bath.ac.uk/~bspahh/rasfaq/misc-faq.html
Posting-Frequency: monthly
Last-modified: May 26th 1995
Version: 1.4

This will be posted monthly to rec.autos.sport.info, rec.autos.sport.misc,
rec.answers and news.answers.  It answers some of the most frequently
asked questions (FAQs) in the rec.autos.sport.* newsgroups as well as
some others which perhaps _should_ be asked.

The latest text version of the FAQ is also available from:
ftp://mgu.bath.ac.uk/pub/rec.autos.sport/misc-faq
ftp://rtfm.mit.edu/pub/usenet/news.answers/autos/sport/misc-faq
http://www.bath.ac.uk/~bspahh/rasfaq.html

If you only have electronic mail, the FAQ can also be retrieved from
mail-server@rtfm.mit.edu, listserver@grasp1.univ-lyon1.fr,
ftp-mail@uni-paderborn.de and ftpmail@ftp.edu.tw

For information on how to use FTP, send e-mail to
mail-server@rtfm.mit.edu with with no subject line. In the body of the
mail put: send usenet/news.answers/finding-sources

Whilst some care has been taken in the preparation of this FAQ, a few
errors may have slipped through the net (no pun intended).  Please send
any corrections or additions to rasfaq@bath.ac.uk.


Chapter 17

Touring Car Regulations

17.1 FIA Class 1 Touring Car Technical Regulations

These are used for the DTM.
  Engines must be 2.5 litres with no turbo and a maximum of six
cylinders. There is no engine rev limit.
  In the DTM, minimum weights are set by the governing body, the ONS.
  Alfa 155 4wd 420hp min.weight: 1040 kilo no active suspension, no
traction control (but it's due by mid season). Mercedes C180 450hp(?)
min.weight 1000 kilo ABC (active body control) Opel Calibra 4wd,
425hp min.weight: 1040 kilo no active suspension, no traction control


17.2 FIA Class 2 Touring Car Technical Regulations

These are used for touring car championships in Britain, Italy,
Germany, France, Scandinavia, Japan and Australasia.
  Cars must have four doors and be longer than 4.2m. 2500 road cars
must be produced within 12 months for the car to be homologated. The
minimum weight is 950kg for front wheel-drive cars and 1050kg for
rear wheel-drive cars.
  Engines are 2 litres with a maximum of six cylinders. They can
either come from the homologated car or another model in the
manufacturer's range. If the engine is taken from another model, at
least 2500 engines have to been built in a 12 month period. An
electronic limiter restricts engine revs to 8500 rpm. The gearbox is
free but cannot have more than six ratios. The original layout of the
engine must be retained from the car (ie longitudinal or transverse).
  Tyre width is limited to nine inches. At BTCC meetings only six
dry, six wet and six intermediate tyres can be used for the whole of
the meeting. At double header races, where the races are held ten
minutes apart, tyres are free for the second race.


Chapter 18

Getting Involved with Motorsport

Motorsport can be an extremely expensive passtime at the higher
levels. However, there are still ways of getting involved without
spending on a season's racing what some people spend on a buying a
house.


18.1 Marshalling(Course Working)

The main advantage of being a marshall is that you can get involved
with motorsport after little or no expenditure. You get to watch the
race from a different perspective to the spectators. The downside is
that you won't have the freedom to wander around the circuit, and you
cannot leave immediately after the main race has finished. You might
also get some free beer at the worker party at the end of each day's
racing !
  The best place to contact are your local circuit, or the governing
body for the series. If you want to actually do this stuff, there's
no reason not to. Join the a club like the SCCA, check the schedule,
show up for a regional race, sign the license for for one of the
multitude of specialities, and start working. They love to train new
people; most specialities are chronically understaffed.


18.1.1 What type of training do marshalls need for regional races?

You get a regional licence right out of the box, and can start
working races. The regional licence is your ticket to `basic
training' as a race official. You should expect to work at least 8
event-days a year (about 4 full races) for two years, and do decent
work, to get upgraded to a divisional licence. You will then probably
spend a great deal of time with a divisional licence, working a lot
of races, until someday, if you do very good work, you'll be
recommended for the national licence. National licence holders
generally serve as regional administrators and as chiefs of
speciality at races; they need to be able to `run the program', as it
were.


18.1.2 What type of training do F1 marshalls need ?

In recent years, the national license has been essentially mandatory
for SCCA corner workers to work at Montreal for the F1 GP given that
there is no US GP these days. There are only so many slots available,
and a lot of SCCA workers want to go, so various regions of the SCCA
send a small number of their worker core.
  Essentially, the organizer decides how many workers they need, and
then picks the best from its volunteers. Since they are volunteers
and a large number are needed for a big F1 race, its quite possible
that some will not be as well trained as one would hope. But be
careful not to say anything more derogatory than that. It is a tough
job, at least 12 hour days (4 days of it, not just Sunday) and no
pay. I've had the privilege of working with some of the best
marshalls in the world, who really live up to the title
"professional".


18.2 Helping a Race Team

Nick Goosey, manager of the Penske factory in the UK, is a strong
believer in getting all their new staff to spend a year sweeping the
factory floor, making tea and cleaning the cars. This might not sound
very appealing, but it seems to work for Penske. Although, racing
cars look simple when they are working properly, there is a lot to go
wrong if they are not. If you are planning to run your own car,
experience helping out with other people's cars could save you a
considerable amount of time and money.


Chapter 19

Starting Racing

The best way to find which class of racing you want to compete in is
to join your local race organisation and go to a few of the races.
Wander the paddock and talk to the drivers. I've yet to find a driver
who wasn't thrilled to talk about their car and their class. Most of
us want to recruit more drivers into our respective classes and are
more than happy to spend time extolling the virtues of our class to
anyone who will listen.
  The time in your racing career when are most likely to crash is
right at the beginning. Quality safety equipment won't make you
indestructible, but can reduce the odds of a serious injury. If you
borrow equipment, make absolutely sure that it fits properly. Jovy
Marcelo crashed comparatively gently at 150mph in the run up to the
1993 Indy 500. His death has been blamed on a loose-fitting helmet.


19.1 Which series ?

19.1.1 single-seaters

In Europe there are a large number of different series for single
seater racing cars including Formula Ford, Formula Renault, Formula
Alfa etc. In the USA, popular choices are Formula Vee and Formula 440
and Formula Ford, all of which are run by the SCCA (see section 22.6).
  Every car in the paddock is for sale for the right price. Often the
right price is downright cheap, especially if you are looking for a
"learner" car. You tend to find a lot of drivers who have run an
older car for a couple seasons and are ready to move up to a top
notch National car. These guys will often sell a novice their car
cheap, and they also make for a great source of information and help.
  Don't go out and buy a brand new F440, for example, to go through
driver's school. Formula cars require a fair amount of care and
feeding. And the sorting out process for a new chassis can take
months. You don't need to be dealing with a car that handles like a
pig, or won't finish a session when you are trying to learn the art
of racing. A good clean, reliable, well sorted car will do you much
more good. Leave the sorting and tuning duties to experienced racers
for a couple years. Once you have a handle on the art of racing and
the art of tuning, then sorting a new chassis can be a lot of fun (if
a bit frustrating at times). But until you're pretty confident at
the wheel and can identify what the car is really doing, it can be a
horribly frustrating experience.


19.1.2 stock cars

19.2 Race Driving Schools

Although these may seem a very expensive way to start racing, they
are very cheap compared to the cost of a major accident. A good race
school will give you the basic racecraft which might not win you
races, but will make sure that you don't lose too many either.


19.2.1 F1 Racing school

AGS, which competed in F1 until a couple of years ago, runs a driving
school. No previous experience with motor sport, no racing license is
needed. The course is held during two days. You start with theory,
Opel Lotus, and end up with 3 x 5 laps in a F1 car! It costs about US
$ 6000, excluding the travel to France.
  For further information, contact: AGS Formule 1 Challenges, Z.A.
Circuit du Var, F-83590 Confarron, France Tel France (33) 94 60 97 00
Fax (33) 94 60 90 45


19.2.2 SCCA Racing Schools

   SCCA school is a racing school and not a driving school. You will be
taught how to race, but not how to drive a car.  If you want driving
instruction, look to the pros like Skippy or Jim Russell, or to the
second tier pros like Car Guys and Track Time, or to the good marque
club schools such as the ones the BMW club puts on.
  the BMW club and Car Guys schools are good places to take your 2
seat, closed fendered race car when you're trying to get the bugs out,
too, but open wheel cars and single seat sports racers are probably not
going to be allowed to run at these events.
  If you are serious about getting into the sport, Contact your local
SCCA region. The racing schools they offer are much less expensive than
the pro-schools charge, but you do have to provide your own equipment.
If you are going to race for the season, you may as well get that
together from the start. You will have to provide a suit, helmet,
gloves, balaclava, socks and shoes, all to current fireproof and safety
ratings. You will also have to provide your own car which will have to
pass a technical inspection. You need to pass a physical and if you're
over 40, take an ECG. You get a regional licence after two SCCA weekend
schools and successfully completing two regional races. I think if you
run in at least 4 regionals, that will qualify you for a national
licence. A lot of turnkey equipment is up for sale in your SCCA
magazines, On Track, and Autoweek. When I ran a season in here in
California with the CSCC, I really wanted to race GT3 or 4. When I
found it cost $ 30,000+ to run competitively, I opted for Improved
Touring. That year I put out $ 5,000 total for car, school, supplies
(12 tires), clothing, food, and accommodation. It was a blast! If you
are just starting out, consider SCCA and a cheap class to run in. This
will prove to be the best school you'll ever get.


19.2.3 Sprint Car Driving School

There is a driving school for 600 bhp sprint cars run by Mike Clayton.
It appears to be a small, well hidden school, but I (John Liskey) was
impressed with their professionalism over the phone which was better
than some of the larger racing schools I've called in the past. There
was also a one page editorial about the workshop in an issue of Car
Driver about 6-10 months ago. It got a very positive review. Some
details:

Dirt Track Racing Workshops
4830 Industrial Parkway
Indianapolis, IN 46226
(317) 357-3643 or (317) 545-7157

Eligibility:  Valid drivers license.
Type of cars: 1990, 1991, 1992 Gambler Sprint Cars. Non winged, race ready.
              Fuel injected 355 c.i., 600hp. No governors, no throttle stops.
Location:     Lincoln Park Speedway, Putnamville, IN
The Track:    5/16 mile clay oval, banked. Track prepared just like race day
              - watered and packed.
Dates:        Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, April 5th to September 29th.
Class size:   5-10
Duration:     9:00am/approx to 1:00pm
Instructor:   Kevin Thomas, 16 year veteran with 80 feature wins.  92 and 93 
.      Indiana Sprint Week Champion.  1993 Lincoln Park and
.      Kokomo Speedway Champion
Track time:   20 laps. Two 10 lap segments. Additional laps available at
              $15/lap on day of workshop.  Safety equipment provided.
Workshop fee: $395.00 ($500 damage deposit required on day of workshop)
              Videotaping and photography available.


19.2.4 Drag Race Driving School

Frank Hawley runs what's probably the country's best drag racing
school, but it's in Gainesville, FL, USA. Tel: USA (1) 904 373 7223.
  The two-day gas dragster school at Bakersfield is supposed to be a
good first step, since the cars are pretty easy to drive - they're
the 8.90 e.t. dragsters, so they're pretty fast, but you don't have
to worry about launching blowers. :-> Total cost is US $ 1250, total
of five runs. You can stay for a third day and do as many runs as you
want for $ 150 a run. Anyway, I [ Bruce McDiffett ] don't have any
connection with Hawley, but most of the Top Fuel and Funny Car
drivers I've talked to recommended his school.


19.3 Kart Racing

Kart racing is highly competitive, but remains comparatively
affordable using the maxim of `if it isn't there, it can't go wrong'.
Steve Scott has written an excellent guide to starting karting.
ftp://mgu.bath.ac.uk/pub/auto/karting/starting-karting
  See section 4.5 for details of the karting mailing list.


19.3.1 Classes of karting

  Sprint Karts
Sprint tracks are miniature road courses, usually one quarter to
one-half mile in lap length. Driving skill is extremely important to
handle decreasing radius, off camber, 180 degree and sweepers---the
typical kinds of sprint track corners. Sprint racing offers speeds
that may approach 70 mph on typical sprint track straightaways.
  In the US, sprint races have time trials for grid position and run
three 10 lap heats for each class (there are 19 different 2-cycle
classes, in addition to the 12 4-cycle classes).
  In Europe, nearly all sprint karts have 100cc two stroke engines,
with direct drive and no clutch. To start the kart, you have to pick
up the rear wheels, run alongside the kart and then hop on, to bump
start the engine. It is this class which is the main stepping stone
for kart drivers who want to race in F1. The "Super One" World
Championship is keenly contested. Past champions include Ricardo
Patrese, Ivan Capelli and Stefano Modena. Ayrton Senna's best
performance in the World Championships was a second place.

  Speedway
This is dirt oval racing, run on a one-eighth to one-quarter mile
dirt oval. In the US, there are eleven classes of sprint-type kart
chassis. Grooved or treaded racing tires are used, and due to the
slippery track surface, driving techniques and chassis set-up are
more important than absolute horsepower. There are two preliminary
heats in each class and a 20 lap main. There are also 12 4-cycle
speedway classes.

  Road Racing
The "Formula One" of Karting, these karts run on full size road
courses all over the world. Top speeds for these karts vary depending
on the circuit, 140 mph is not uncommon (two years ago at the
Australian GP in Adelaide, run the same weekend as the F1 cars,
through the speed traps where the F1 cars were hitting 194 mph there
were karts hitting 160......ouch!) The driving position is "laydown"
to cut wind resistance and many machines use use spoilers and other
streamlining devices. Races are one hour long, from a standing start,
and there are 19 classes, 2 of these are dual engine classes.
  In Europe, these are commonly called the "gearbox karts". They run
on both the short circuits with the 100cc Sprint karts as well as on
full road courses. Although the competition is fierce, most "career"
drivers move straight from sprint karts to race in series like
Formula Ford or Formula Renault.


19.4 Getting Sponsorship

Don't just write a letter. You go to a prospective sponsor with a
business case that demonstrates to the sponsor how they'll benefit by
spending money on you. You'll need target audience, audience figures,
estimated time of exposure of the sponsor's product/logo, etc, a
press kit showing what exposure you've already gotten, and some
justification to relate how your past and current success can benefit
the prospective sponsor if he chooses to fund you, in addition to how
and when you plan to spend the money. When you have something you
want to show, get someone to edit it. You can't afford things like
spelling mistakes.
  It will also help your chances immensely if you know someone in the
sponsor's organisation who thinks it's a good idea to give you money
- the ideal person is a VP of Marketing or Finance who just took the
Skip Barber Driving School (or something). It's really important to
pitch it to the right person. Also, if you know someone in the
organization who's sympathetic to you, it's probably good to get them
to do some preparatory work before you go in with your business case.
Cold calls on something like this are a real bitch!
  Don't underestimate the work involved here. You have to make it
plain to the prospective sponsor how they will benefit from spending
money on you. You must remember that, from their point of view, it's
money, not motor racing, that your talking about, and you'll probably
only get one shot per sponsor.


Chapter 20

Race scanners

If you have a radio scanner at a race meeting, you should be able to
listen into the discussions between the race teams and their drivers.
You may also be able to pick up communications from the race
officials.
  This is a brief overview of using scanners. See rec.radio.scanner,
alt.radio.scanner (this may disappear soon) and regional newsgroups
like uk.radio.amateur.


20.1 Is that all that you can use a scanner for?

Every day and night, scanner hobbyists are entertained by what they
overhear on their radios. Police cars, fire engines, ambulances,
armoured cars, trains, taxis, airplanes, and buses are all equipped
with radios and you can listen to them. You can monitor the local
sheriff and fire departments to hear about events "as they happen,"
before the news reporters hear about them. Hostage dramas, bank
robberies, car crashes, chemical spills, tornado sightings are all
fair game.
  How about listening to a presidential candidate discuss strategy
with his advisor from a 415 MHz radiophone in Air Force 1, or a team
of G-men protect him while transmitting in the 167 MHz range? Take
your scanner to other sporting events and listen to football coaches
in the 151, 154, and 468 MHz ranges. You can even listen to the order
taker's wireless microphone at the local McDonald's restaurant on
154.6 and 35.02 MHz!


20.2 Where is it legal to use a scanner ?

20.2.1 USA

In the United States, scanning from your home or at work is perfectly
legal in most situations. The Electronic Communications Privacy Act
of 1986 made it illegal to listen to mobile phones, and a few other
types of communication, but many scanners cover these frequencies,
and it's clear that Americans still listen to whatever they want in
the privacy of their own homes despite the ECPA.
  Speaking of privacy, US federal law also requires you to keep what
you hear to yourself and not use the information you hear on your
scanner for personal gain.
  Be aware that California, Florida, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan,
Minnesota, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, North Dakota, Oklahoma,
South Dakota, Tennessee, and Vermont have laws pertaining to scanning
while in your car. Indiana restricts some portable scanners. You can
find out about these restrictions in a 39 page paperback, ANARC Guide
to U. S. Monitoring Laws, compiled by Frank Terranella, available for
$ 7.50 from ANARC Publications, P.O. Box 462, Northfield, MN 55057.


20.2.2 UK

In the UK, anyone can own a radio scanner, but you may need a licence
to be allowed to use it legally. The air waves are considered to be
government owned. You cannot listen to anything without the
appropriate licence. To receive radio (sound) amateur and broadcasts
the government has decreed that no licence is necessary, although
this has only been the case for the last few years. To receive TV you
must have a licence which is actually used to fund the BBC. To
receive anything else (apart from a few minor exceptions) then in
theory you must have an appropriate licence, and these are not
generally available. For example, a member of the general public
cannot successfully apply for a licence to listen to the police
frequencies.

    [ you should not ] make known the contents of any such message,
      its origin or destination, its existence, or the fact of its
      reception. This also makes lists of scanner frequencies illegal
      in the UK.
  The authorities do not currently seem very interested in prosecuting
most breaches of this law.


20.3 Scanner Features

20.3.1 Setting Frequencies

The crystal controlled models are cheaper, but require the user
purchase and install a $ 5 crystal for each frequency of interest.
Programmable (synthesised) units don't require crystals and usually
have a keypad that permits you to store frequencies into channels.
Programmables are now so cheap it doesn't make sense to buy a crystal
unit - especially when each team may use a dozen frequencies at each
race.
  Make sure that a programmable model has a "search" feature, which
allows it to search all the frequencies between two frequency limits of
your choosing. The lowest cost programmables can't search.


20.3.2 Which frequency bands - 200, 400 or 800Mhz

For scanning at races, the primary thing you want to look for is 800MHz
capability. Not all the scanners have this, and a lot of the drivers
use that band. If you ask for this tell them you want the business band
stuff, sometimes people use 800MHz as a pseudonym for mobile cell phone
frequencies.
  The downside is the higher cost and that at the moment, only Penske
Racing uses the 800Mhz band in IndyCars (a handful also do in NASCAR).
But if you are on a budget, then get a scanner that can at the very
least, access the 400Mhz band - practically all the IndyCar teams use
this bandwidth. For Formula One: forget it! All teams scramble their
800-900Mhz frequencies.
  Generally, most of the activity takes place on frequencies between 30
and 1000 MHz, so don't be misled by scanner models boasting coverage
from 3 to 2000 MHz. There's currently not much to monitor in the 1000 -
2000 MHz range.


20.3.3 Will you be able to hear it ?

At a racetrack, Walkman type headphones will not cut enough ambient
sound in order to hear the scanner. Enclosed headphones will cover the
entire ear so that you will be able to hear something other than the
cars as they go past. A good set will cost between US $ 75-100, but
will make all the difference in the world as to what you can hear at
the track.
  The other way to hear more is to increase the volume of the scanner.
Some of the vendors of scanners can change this for you.
  Alternatively, if you've used a soldering iron before, you may be
able to do many of the modifications by yourself. Modifications to the
scanner by the end user will void all warranties so make sure you get
your modification instructions from a good source.
  There are instructions for modifying scanners at:
  ftp.cs.buffalo.edu ftp://ftp.cs.buffalo.edu/pub/ham-radio/mods

ftp.cs.buffalo.edu ftp://garfield.catt.ncsu.edu/pub/ham-radio/mods

oak.oakland.edu ftp://oak.oakland.edu/pub/ham-radio/mods


20.3.4 Bleedover

If you are experiencing "bleedover" or interference from another
channel, remove your antenna. Many times your scanner will perform
better without its antenna. You can also buy a shorter antenna which
may help.


20.3.5 Batteries

Longer lasting batteries or spare packs come in very handy for long
race weekends when there might not be time to recharge the standard
battery.
  Most if not all portable scanners have an external power connector,
usually 12V, so you can plug it into your car cigarette lighter. You
could also make a battery box for 8 "D" cells to connect to the power
jack.


20.4 What Scanner Should I Buy?

You can get a battery operated hand held scanner, a bigger "base"
scanner which is powered from an AC outlet, or a mobile scanner which
connects to your auto's electrical system. You will want a hand held
scanner for spectating at a race.
  Radio Shack, Uniden (Bearcat and Regency brands), and Cobra offer a
wide choice of scanners. Personally, I [ Bob Parnass ] don't recommend
AOR brand scanners.


20.4.1 Uniden

The Uniden Bearcat 200XLT (aka the 205XLT) is by far the most popular
scanner among race fans. This US $ 200 to US $ 250 model differs from
Radio Shack's similarly priced model in that it has a wider frequency
range, and the ability to store more programmed frequencies in memory.
It stores 200 frequencies and can receive the 800MHz band. They also
have a new model out, the Sportcat, which has a bright yellow case like
the "sports" walkman.


20.4.2 Radio Shack

The US $ 200 model from Radio Shack only stores 100 frequencies, and
can't receive the 800Mhz waveband. The Radio Shack Pro-43 is fairly new
and is the model at the top of the range. It is less susceptible to
interference than the Uniden BC 200XLT.
  With a portable aviation intercom and some headsets you connect up
the Pro 43 and allow conversations with in addition to hearing the
scanner.


20.5 Some Comments on Scanners at Races

  Thomas Sundstrom: I must say I've been disappointed in trying to use
  a scanner at a racetrack. I've taken mine to Dover twice, to the Indy
  500 Time Trials twice and most recently to the Brickyard 400. I hear
  some stuff, but nothing in quantity. Drivers don't seem to chat all
  that much, and more and more of it is being scrambled. At Indy, I've
  listened to the track announcer (surprisingly not on the air for the
  Brickyard) and to ABC-TV but my friend has to give me the ABC
  frequencies each time. Frequencies are coordinated by the track and
  change for the "outside" broadcasters. I hear one or two NASCAR
  frequencies per race. It's also very difficult to hear the scanner
  over the noise of 40 Winston Cup cars rumbling down the straightaway. :-)

  Gayle Kemmerling: I got my Uniden BC 200 XLT from Racing Electronics
  with all the extras and it was worth every cent. I think it wound up
  being around US $ 350.00 with the illumination, extra headset,
  splitter, battery boost.I love it!!!!


20.6 Where to buy a scanner or frequency lists

Radio Shack (aka Tandy in Europe) is the most common vendor of
scanners. Discount chain stores like Wal-Mart, K-Mart, Service
Merchandise, and Circuit City sell scanners, but carry just a few
models. Department stores, sometimes offer scanners, although at high
prices.
  Several companies specialise in scanners for motorsport spectators.
They may have a stall at a race meeting, or you can buy by mail order.
These vendors may include updated frequency lists for a year. With mail
order, beware of inflated "shipping and handling" charges and be sure
to include these when comparison shopping.
  Used scanners may be found at hamfests, flea markets, or listed in
the classified advertisement section of your newspaper.
  Some of the companies towards the end of this list are Ham radio
dealers who may not specifically sell scanners, but I cannot easily
check this out.

Frequency Fan Club
  Address:P.O. Box 1987, Richmond Hill, GA 31324, USA
  Telephone:USA (1) 800 RACEFAN

Race-Scan Communications
  Address:P.O. Box 705, Johnson City, TN 37605, USA
  Telephone:USA (1) 800 441 2841
  Misc:Call for free catalogue

Diversified Electronics
  Address:309 Agnew Drive, Suite C, Forest Pk, GA 30050, USA
  Telephone:USA (1) 800 669 1522

Racing Electronics
  Address:2511 Fire Road, Absecon, NJ 08201, USA
  Telephone:USA (1) 800 272 7111
  Misc:Call for a free catalogue

Grove Enterprises
  Address:P.O. Box 98, Brasstown, NC 28902, USA
  Telephone:USA (1) 800 438 8155 (toll free N. America)
  Telephone:USA (1) 704 837 9200
  Misc:Free catalogue. Publishes the Monitoring Times.

Gilfer Shortwave
  Address:52 Park Ave, Park Ridge, NJ 07656, USA
  Telephone:USA (1) 800 GILFER-1 (1 800 445 3371) (orders), USA (1)
  201 391 7887 (New Jersey, business and technical)
  Misc:Free Catalogue

Popular Communications
  Address:76 North Broadway, Hicksville, NY 11801 USA

National Tower Company
  Address:PO Box 15417, Shawnee Mission, KS 66215.
  Telephone:USA (1) 913 888 8864

Marymac Distributing
  Address:Katy, TX, USA
  Telephone:USA (1) 800 231 3680, USA (1) 713 392 0747
  Misc:Sells Radio Shack scanners at discount, but charges a 20
  merchandise.

Scanner World
  Address:Albany, NY, USA
  Telephone:USA (1) 518 436 9606

Amateur Electronics Supply
  Address:Milwaukee, WI, USA
  Telephone:USA (1) 800 558 0411

Electronic Equipment Bank
  Address:137 Church St. N.W., Vienna, VA 22180, USA
  Telephone:USA (1) 800 368 3270 (orders), USA (1) 703 938 3350 (local
  and technical information)
  Fax:USA (1) 703 938 6911 (fax)
  Misc:Free catalogue

Universal Radio
  Address:6830 Americana Pkwy. Reynoldsburg, Ohio 43068 USA
  Telephone:USA (1) 800 431 3939, USA (1) 614 866 4267
  Misc:SWL Catalogue: US $ 1.00

Pegasus Auto Racing Supplies
  Address: 2475 South 179th Street, New Berlin, WI 53146, USA
  Telephone:USA (1) 414 782 0880
  Fax:USA (1) 414 782 0484
  Misc: Racing Frequency List (teams, tracks, officials, etc) with a
  few other frequencies such as sports teams: US $ 9.95 including free
  updates for a year.


Chapter 21

Miscellaneous

21.1 What is Formula SAE ?

Formula SAE is a collegiate competition organised by the Society of
Automotive Engineers. Seventy-five universities will compete this year.
These are mostly from the US, but there are a handful of Canadian
entries as well as one from Puerto Rica. This year the competition is
jointly sponsored by General Motors, Ford and Chrysler and was held in
Pontiac, MI from May 19th-21st.
  Each team must take an engine with a maximum displacement of 600cc
and build a single-seat Formula style car with a 60 inch minimum
wheelbase. Typical cars weigh around 500lbs, although there is no
minimum weight. Some engines are turbocharged, others are supercharged
or run on Methanol. Any supercharging must be downstream of the
mandatory restrictor 20mm for gas and 18mm for methanol.
  The cars then are judged on design, cost analysis, a sales
presentation. They also compete in an acceleration run, a skid pad run
where cars reach 1.4 g's, a slalom run, and an `endurance' run over
about 10 miles. The courses are tight and designed to keep the average
speed down to 30-40mph. Speeds on the straights can reach 60-70mph and
the cars consistently corner at over 1 g.
  You can get more details from SAE International, 400 Commonwealth
Drive, Warrendale, PA 15096-0001, USA.
  Argonne National Laboratories has a FSAE BBS which is also available
on the Internet at newton.dep.anl.gov. Login as bbs. From the menu,
pick # 1 (signon), and type new. It asks for some info about you when
your do you've got own account. Once your logged on at the main menu,
pick # 3 (group), Group menu pick # 3 (discussion), Group discussion
main menu pick # 1 (ALL discussions), pick (researchcomp, student
engineering research competitions), pick # 4 (Formula SAE). If you have
any questions e-mail John Burford (burford@umr.edu).
  See section 4.10 for details of the Formula SAE mailing list.


21.2 What is `John Winter's' real name ?

Louis Krages. He sells timber from Bremen in Germany. He started to
race under a pseudonym to avoid his family's disapproval. His cover was
blown when he won the Le Mans 24hrs and had his picture on the front
page of some German newspapers.

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The rec.autos.sport.* FAQ                                    rasfaq@bath.ac.uk
