Rule Clarification FAQ

Do I need to resubmit my question again> 

David

Michael Goulde
License 1019
Expiration 2/28/10
Email: mgoulde@gmail.com
Mobile: 339 222-1458 

BMW CCA Club Racing and its designated shops are only authorized to conduct BMW CCA Club Racing inspections. Authorization to perform inspections for other sanctioning bodies must be issued by the respective organization. BMW CCA Club Racing inspections are applicable only to cars constructed to BMW CCA Club Racing rules and participating in BMW CCA Club Racing classes.

Stock rule E – 18 states “Gauges are free (see paragraph 10. Data Acquisition).”

Stock rule O – 1 states “Data acquisition devices, including gauges, are free in Stock Classes, as long as the driver is not able to adjust any setting on the vehicle at any time while the car is in motion. These devices are to be used for information gathering ONLY.”

Further, the Data acquisition rules in Spec E36 were taken from the stock rules but wording was added specifically requiring the retention of the stock gauge panel. They also state that additional gauges may be located in front of the stock gauge panel.

Spec E36 R. Data Acquisition

1. Data acquisition devices, including gauges, are free as long as the driver is not able to adjust any setting on the vehicle at any time while the car is in motion. These devices are to be used for information gathering only. The stock gauge panel must remain in place. The stock speedometer and tachometer must remain functional. The stock water temp gauge may be disabled.

2. Additional gauges may be located anywhere within the cockpit, including in front of the stock gauges (which must remain functional as specified). 

Yes.

While this may appear to be in conflict with the response to 09-0002 it is a different question. The provisions for Data Acquisition was introduced in the 2001 rules. 09-0002 asks if the instrument cluster (panel) may be removed, it may not, however the gauges in and on that panel may be removed, replaced or augmented subject to the adjustability provisions.

thanks
John 

Your attention is directed to the 2009 Rules, which contains the specific
answer to your question:
8.  SpecE36 Class
K. Suspension
8. Rear lower control arms may not be replaced with aftermarket parts but
may be reinforced.
9. Front control arms must be unmodified stock parts.
a. E36 M3 front lower control arms are permitted.

Have a question about interpretation of the following for Stock Class brakes:

Page 34, paragraph I.2
“Brake calipers, caliper mountings and bushings and rotors must be of the same type and size as original for the model and year of the car.”

Is that intending to mean they must be OEM calipers or if not OEM calipers, in what ways do they need to be the same type and size as the original?

1) Do participants for non-BMW CCA classed still need to be licensed as a BMW CCA CR racer? or is their NASA (for example) license accepted?

2) Are the sponsor sticker requirements effective for non-BMW CCA classes?

Many thanks,
David Bradyhouse
dbradyhous@aol.com

Refer to 09-0001

Craig Lippe CR License 1225 

1. You need to be a member of the BMW Car Club of America.
2. You need to have a BMW CCA Club Racing license. a. Licensing information and application are available on the BMW CCA Club Racing web site (General Information, For the Racer and New Racers)
3. Your personal safety equipment must comply with BMW CCA Club Racing requirements defined in the BMW CCA Club Racing Rules.
1. Most notably this includes the requirement for an approved SFI 38.1 device.
4. Your car must be a BMW chassis/engine combination that is prepared to the rules of a non-vintage regional or national sanctioning body.
1. A logbook issued by that sanctioning body with a current annual inspection must be presented.
1. Alternatively, for sanctioning bodies that do not issue logbooks and annuals, proof of recent participation must be presented.
5. Examples of regional or national sanctioning bodies are:
1. Sports Car Club of America
1. Club Racing
2. Pro Racing
2. National Auto Sport Association
3. International Conference of Sports Car Clubs
4. Midwest Council of Sports Car Clubs
5. Eastern Motor Racing Association
6. Porsche BMW Owners Club
7. Grand American Road Racing Association
8. International Motor Sport Association
6. No modifications to your car are required if it meets the requirements of 4 above.
1. BMW CCA Club Racing does encourage the use of an inside net, but if you car meets the preparation requirements of your declared class, including safety equipment, that is all that is required. 
7. Your will need to have a copy of the rules for the class in which the car is prepared available.
8. You will need to add the BMW CCA Club Racing decals and that of our sponsors to the exterior of the car as is required of all our participants.
1. Currently sponsor decals include 5 sets of two decals (left and right side) and a windshield banner.
9. You will be eligible for the regional championship in your non-BMW CCA Club Racing class within BMW CCA Club Racing.
1. National Championships are limited to BMW CCA Club Racing classes.
10. Summary:
1. Get a BMW CCA membership, if you do not have one.
2. Get a BMW CCA Club Racing license, if you do not have one.
3. Update your personal safety equipment, if necessary.
4. Make sure your car has a logbook and annual from your sanctioning body.
5. Add BMW CCA Club Racing sponsor decals to your car.
6. Register for an upcoming event, you will be in your class in an all BMW field.

6. Spherical bearings are permitted in the following components.
a. Front upper strut mounts.
b. Upper and lower rear shock mounts.
c. Rear lower control arms.
d. Camber plates.

——
BMW uses spherical bearings in several suspension points as stock. Can
these be replaced with a non-rubber boot version in these locations?

——SPECIFICS as requested: On an E36/E46, these points are front control arm, tie rods, and rear control arm outer joints. Additionally, swaybar links may be the best example where replacement links with an aftermarket-type bearing are on almost all cars in the field, replacing the factory ball-joint-type links. 

5. Suspension bushing material is free.
a. Bushing material does not include replacement of bushings with spherical bearings or rod ends such as Heim ends except as noted in F below.
b. Solid bushings are allowed if fixed in place and allow rotation in a single plane or axis.

6. Spherical bearings are permitted in the following components.
a. Front upper strut mounts.
b. Upper and lower rear shock mounts.
c. Rear lower control arms.
d. Camber plates.

BMW uses spherical bearings in several suspension points as stock. Can these be replaced with a non-rubber boot version in these locations? 

The rules read, Prepared, 1. Engine, E. states: “All pistons, including aftermarket replacements, must be factory replacement equivalent and match factory dome, dish, valve relief depth, ring groove placement, weight and wrist pin height, etc.; compression must meet factory specifications.”

The word “equivalent” as defined in the Merriam-Webster online dictionary:
1: equal in force, amount, or value ; also : equal in area or volume but not superposable
2: a: like in signification or import
    b: having logical equivalence
3: corresponding or virtually identical especially in effect or function

By definition the method of manufacture does not impact equivalency required by the rule.

I read rule 5.a to allow updating if the vehicle meets all specifications to which it is converted.

I read rule 1 preface to include this change to be within the “spirit of BMWCCA CR”.

Rule 4a states that the the car be factory equipped as delivered to the public through a authorized BMW dealership. The 1995 BMW M3 LTW was delivered to the dealership without several performance parts installed. Under the same rule BMWCCA CR allows engine swaps.

Is it allowable to exchange a few “stock” BMW factory parts purchased at the dealership to “update” a 1995 M3 to the “stock” specifications that the factory intended this vehicle to be raced? 

Items 08-0039 and 08-0087 as well as the upcoming 2009 Rules, 5.E.15 may be applicable.

Race lengths are established by the event promoter in concert with the Competition Steward. The event schedule is typically the best method for ascertaining the length, which may or may not include pace and cool off laps. Changes to the schedule and potentially race length are communicated as soon as the change has been decided through whatever methods the promoter has available. Ultimately, the provisions of Appendix E, 3.F.1 apply.

Appendix E, 3.F.2 refers to a race that is underway. Communications to drivers when a race is underway is through the flags.

Additionally the communications methodology of General Rule 19 may be in effect.

Graphics on 1 and 3 series rear suspension can be found here (items #14 and 18): http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts.do?model=UC73&mospid=50622&btnr=33_1230&hg=33&fg=30 

The rules allow for rear suspension component changes for allow camber adjustment:

PREPARED
2. Suspension
B. Rear Camber Adjustment is allowed.
1. Suspension components that control rear camber may be replaced with aftermarket components to provide this adjustment.

The rules also specify where spherical bearings are permitted: F. Spherical bearings are permitted in the following components
1. Rear lower control arms.

B.
Penalties at an event may be assessed by the event Competition Steward for any infraction of the rules, incident, or personal conduct that is not is keeping with the spirit and philosophy of BMW CCA Club Racing. The following are some actions which could warrant a penalty: 

Is this considered unsportsmanlike conduct and grounds for suspension under the 13/13 rule?

Theoretically assuming competitor A is the same person as in the immediatley preceding submitted clarifiation request, and for argument’s sake, that a 13/13 was assigned as part – and for argument;s sake, assuming a 13/13 is assigned for this scenario – would the 13/13 penalty/probation run concurrently or back-to-back, i.e. 26 month suspension? 

BMW CCA Club Racing Rules V13.3.2 – 3/24/2008
Page 7 of 139

If a driver is on probation and a single car incident occurs in the wet where the driver loses control of the car and hits the Armco, then blames the loss of control on a shock failure, when in reality the shock was disconnected after the incident and before inspection by the officials(this is, of course, theoretically speaking)

Would that be 1) grounds for suspension under the rules due to the contact damage and 2) would that be considered unsportsmanlike conduct? 

For example, there is a FAQ that says the E36 dual pickup oil pan is legal in prepared. The reason the question came about was the fact the pan and pickup were free, but this pan requires a different pump and that is not listed as free.

So – does that FAQ clarification expire?  

“Consumable items normally subject to wear and tear under street driving conditions such as belts, wiper blades and filters may be replaced with OEM equivalent replacement parts (which do not offer any performance advantage) available from commercial retail sources .”

Does this allow for non-factory replacment gaskets (including head gaskets) that may be the same or thinner/thicker/stronger or of different material?

Would a Canton-Mecca type oil filter be considered as offering a performance advantage and not be allowed? 

OEM equivalent filters may be used. If there is a thought that a replacement filter might not be acceptable, it should not be used.

Course conditions are indicated by the flags. There is nothing in the rules that provides any other guidance.

It is not uncommon for a local yellow to be displayed and dropped after a period of time if an object is deemed to be in a ‘safe’ location and all drivers have seen the object; at that point it becomes ‘part of the course’.

Jim Remy 

Questions regarding the Annual Inspection program should be submitted directly to the National Technical Steward. Any special arrangements should be coordinated with the Technical Steward for the event.

The stewards names can be found in the scheduling information of the CR web site. The Staff & Contacts selection on the CR web site has contact information for the entire CR staff, use the drop down selector in the upper left to select regions.

I thought the idea behind the mid-season rules change allowing chassis/engine swaps last year was that we didn’t want anybody who had an E36 chassis to be prevented from building a Spec E36 car and racing with us. I actually see no reason why someone with a 318, 323 or M3 couldn’t build it and stick in a 325 or 328 engine – frankly I think that was the intent of the rule but the rule wasn’t worded that way for some reason. I do think it should be a clarification or an immediate rules change if for some reason the reading of the rule as it stands says that you can’t.

I suggest that as part of the 2008 rules change process, we also need to clarify what specifically is required to do a legal engine swap, either between 325 and 328 models or by putting a 325 or 328 engine into an M3, 323 or 318 chassis. I am happy to contribute to this effort. 

The provision allows eligible engines into a chassis that then must comply with SpecE36 rules.

All of the kits for sale replace the existing stock oil filter housing with the housing from the Euro E36 M3, which is a direct bolt-on housing for all M50 and M52 motors that are legal in Spec E36. The oil cooler kits are all direct bolt on and require no modification to the engine, and mount in the stock location, but they don’t use the stock housing. Is the use of the Euro M3 oil filter housing legal in Spec E36? 

Yes, 2. E. 1 allows spherical bearings to replace bushings in the components specified in 2. F.

General rule 20 also applies.

My brakes often are on the verge of fire or smoking when I come into the pits during an enduro, especially at tracks where there are a few hard braking points just before the pits – is it okay to mount a small fan that can be used to keep the brakes cool while in the pits? The idea would be to use a small 12v waterproof marine electric fan that would be inline with the brake cooling ducts/hose, allowing air to flow to the calipers while the car is stopped. This would help prevent fluid from overheating, seals from cracking, and unwary bystanders who are freaked out by wisps of smoke coming off the brakes from grabbing water and srpaying it on the rotors. (This has almost happened to me or people I know, yikes!) 

If the mounting plates for the main hoop are in three planes (on the floor, against the rocker panel and against the rear seat area), after you weld the main hoop to the bottom plate and one or both of the vertical mounting plates, are you also allowed to use a gusset to triangulate or “box in” the area between the DOM tubing and the mounting plate?

Would this gusset area count towards the total square inch limit of the mounting plates? 

(The way the rule is worded it could be less if info and/or docs are requested and provided to the appellant before the 5th day. For example, if the request was made on the first day after a penalty and CR provided the info/docs on the 2nd day the rule seems to be saying the deadline would be the 12th day — second day plus 10 days.) 

(Is the intent of the rule to read as if it said “…all info and docs held by CR related…”) 

Does this allow the use of titanium nuts/bolts/studs/washers in the engine?” 

“If the car is found upon inspection to conform to the rules, the protester will forfeit the bond and it will then be used to cover costs involved.”

Do “costs involved” include travel, time, storage fees etc?

Also, for example, if a car is impounded and while in impound, something happens to the car – body damage, paint damage, theft of parts etc – would those costs be covered by the protest bond? If not, would BMW CCA CR bear such costs or would those costs be the responsibility of the competitor who was protested? ” 

“Once filed, a protest or Official Action must run its due course through the process.”
The rules do not specifically say that if a protest is filed that it may be withdrawn. Is this correct? 

Is the use of an E36 timing chain tensioner allowed in an E30M3/S14 engine? 

I am a new racer. I have e36 M3. I am need help with my class that I will be running. All is stock or suspension except I have header pipes and Euro intake. What class will this put me in? I think it will be IS but I wanted to be sure before entering my first race at Thunderbolt.