Question about Rule C.9.O

[subrew]

Per Rule C.9.O:

"The rear locating arm(s), coil spring(s), and shock absorber(s) shall not be faired in and shall be visible from the side without removal or manipulation of any part or panel."

Out of curiosity, but how do many of the modern FVs competing today legally pass under this rule? It appears many newer designs - that incorporate zero-roll rear suspensions - seem to be covering up more and more of the rear with nicely designed engine cowls. And in doing so, seem to cover up the rear spring/shock package.

A few examples...not to pick on anyone:

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Just a case of unintentional rules creep? Or is this a long time rule that nobody seems to be concerned with these days? Or is someone going to say something along the lines of "hey, there is a 1mm hole in the body work, and if I look real hard I can just make out the end of the shock...therefore it is legal."

And if any of the above answers seem to be the norm, perhaps this rule should be addressed so as to eliminate any gray area.

Just curious. I own an old vintage FV, with all my parts hanging out in the breeze.

Chris H.

[brian]

Interesting points. There's always been discussions about this and they center on what " fairing in" means. Having something inside the bodywork does not represent fairing in. Fairings are generally a separate aerodynamic device covering an external part. The visibility thing is an old carryover. It used to say visible and accessable. Accessable meant you could touch the device. One could argue that the rule is out of date but eliminating it would probably cause other issues.

[subrew]

I should have included this with the original post, as I figured the definition of "Faired in" or "fairing" would come into play.

Per Appendix 2, Technical Glossary:

Fairing - A covering intended to divert airflow in a specific region of a car, to reduce air drag.

Seems to be the broadest of definitions...

Chris H.

[hardingfv32-1]

It looks like the rear wheel often blocks the view from the side. Can frame members block the view if the shock is mounted below the transmission? Would this be a big political issue to have some kind of change?

Brian

[brian]

As long as you can stick your head somewhere and see the suspension, it's legal. I can think of a couple of cars that have suspension under the tranny and haven't had any rule issues. Frankly, this rule is a bit dated and there haven't been any chanllenges in recent years. That doesn't mean that it won't crop up again when we go to RA in 2009.