Champ Weight

by **tp176** » October 24th, 2007, 1:33 am

The rule is for champ and semi-pro is champ. I understand all the concerns you have Augie, Howie and Jocko, but undermining the rules process is worse than putting it off for one season. We can review and change it for next season if need be. WE [b]ALL[/b] HAVE TO DEAL WITH IT THIS YEAR! My reccomendation is to securely fasten the weight to the SLED not the RIDER. It should be painted a bright or flourescent color to contrast to the ice and snow - NOT ORANGE.

by **The Old Coyote** » October 24th, 2007, 2:33 am

If the driver's weight shifting is really that big a deal, for those who need to add weight why not a weight belt like scuba divers use? It is a combined weight, after all, so who says the weight has to be on the sled?

Here is another rule you'll need, too. Formula One, Grand Prix racing uses a combined weight, too. They have a rule against hugging crew members, or anyone in celebration of a podium finish to prevent weights being slipped into a driver's pocket before the weigh in.

by **AHF928** » October 24th, 2007, 4:16 am

This rule will have no effect on our team. Our sled and driver weigh the correct amounts as they are. The questions about color, fastening etc should have been thought through before the ramrodding of the rule. If we needed to add weight we can now add where we like with whatever we feel is OK. Sled or driver whatever helps the most is what we would do if we had to.

It should NOT be open like this. The what and how should be clearly spelled out so all teams add the same type of weight in the same location with the same fastening system, colors etc to make things even, if that is in fact what the rule is really about.

As it is the teams that can that can spend to most time testing will figure out the best location and teams that don't have to add weight will get the sleds down to the 375. The same teams will win all the reaces this year as last.

Were ready to go, but want to know what to do it we end up light.

by **TigorRacing176** » October 24th, 2007, 4:33 am

If you allow the weight to be attached to a person say a weight belt, when you crash that is something else that is digging into your body. I could deffinately see some broken ribs coming from that.

by **tuner78** » October 24th, 2007, 4:34 am

Wow - fastening weights to the driver sounds hazardous to me. What happens in a wreck with the weights on the driver? Also, if the weight is on the sled it can be positioned and/or moved around for best performance. No matter how this ends up - I wouldn't try to mount additional weight on the driver. We considered doing this in a grass drag application several years ago (where we needed to make min. weight coming off of the track) The sled came out light and the driver (My Daughter) was about 45 lbs. under what was considered to be normal/avg. size driver. Adding the weight to the driver in this case as opposed to the sled would be advantageous as it would allow shifting more weight forward/backward to adjust to changing track conditions and differences lane to lane. Also, the attitude of the sled at launch (big deal in drag racing!)could be affected more by placing the weight on the driver. Hands down, in this case the dynamic application of weight was an advantage over having it static. Regardless of the advantage - we added the required weight to the sled. We just could not risk intensified injury to the driver should she/he come off at speed!

Just my 2 cents, nothing more.

by **Petawawarace** » October 24th, 2007, 4:39 am

I agree that it shouldn't be allowed to be added to the driver. However, this will be the most advantageous spot to place the weight.

I think that the weight added should have to be coloured a bright colour (like Tony said, not orange) it must also be stamped with the number of the sled. This way if it does come off, the guilty party is easy to find. With racecars, the lead must be contained in a steel housing as well (vibration can cause lead to deform and the bolts holding it to loosen). I would think a pair of 3/8 bolts holding on any lead would be fair too.

by **Flatout** » October 24th, 2007, 7:23 am

It still boggles my mind that 3 or 4 drivers have such an influence that they could have a rule fabricated and voted on and passed that will force every team with the smallest drivers, to add weight to their sleds that are already 25 lb heavier than they used to be. I predict chaos at the scales, long tech lines, one team dominating and no one happy! I see a lot of teams giving up or going into other classes where they do not get penalized for ther physical size.
As for F1,,,I don't see Fernando Kimi or Lewis leaning out in the corners but I do see that any weight can not be movable on a F1 car. Strap the driver into a cockpit and i'm all for the combined weight rule!
LETS HAVE A RE-VOTE!!!!!
HG

by **watcher** » October 24th, 2007, 9:26 am

the only problem i see now is that they frooze all the champ rules (three years i think) at the last ISR meeting.

watcher

by **SCM PRES.** » October 24th, 2007, 10:19 am

Except for the combined weight...

Marcel Fontaine
S.C.M. Pres.

by **Spy-Guy 74** » October 24th, 2007, 1:33 pm

We added weight last year to make our sled 375 lbs. for champ class. We added 15 pounds to make the weight, we added it under the seat and two pop rivets secured it very nicely. We wrapped the weight with red duct tape, you can buy lead in a roll for about 100.00 U.S. for twenty pounds. If someone needs to add 40 to fifty pounds to their sled, then maybe their is a need to bolt it. If you just need to add 10 to 15 pounds under the seat with a couple of pop rivets will work just fine.